4 Ways to Lead Better Client Meetings

Want to grow your business? Start by nurturing positive relationships with your clients

Start by Asking Enjoyable Questions

The pleasure center of the brain is powerful. It’s firing when we’re eating great food or drinking a good cup of coffee, and asking your questions in a specific way can light up the pleasure center of someone else’s mind.

This is powerful — you can literally give your client a high by asking your questions in the right way.

Diana Tamir and her research teams tell us how to do this by using functional MRI machines to measure blood oxygenation in the brain. Her work tells us precisely when someone’s pleasure center is firing.

There’s so much to her work, but the main thing you need to remember is that the pleasure center lights up when someone is answering questions from their own personal perspective, sharing things only they know.

You’ve heard people say that “people love talking about themselves.” That might be true, but we can be more precise now that we know the science. People love sharing their personal perspective.

Your best questions are going to make it clear you want someone’s personal perspective on something — that’s what’ll get their pleasure center firing and give them a high. Not only will they be enjoying every moment, but you’ll be able to learn what you need to help them succeed, falling in love with their problem.

Here is an example:

Hey Katrina, this economy is crazy, and everyone has an opinion on what’s happening. You have a unique perspective as chief financial officer of a multinational retailer. What’s your take on where things are headed?

Notice the nuance. The question makes it clear we’re asking for something only Katrina knows. Imagine her response — she might answer for five or 10 minutes straight. She’ll be on a high and you’ll be learning with every word. Win-win!

Check out the other 3 ways here!