In uncertain markets, leadership teams are under pressure to get every move right. So they turn to dashboards, forecasts, AI tools—anything that can turn risk into clarity. But here’s the quiet irony: Some of the most valuable insights aren’t buried in data. They’re sitting in your clients’ heads.
And most companies aren’t listening.
We work with executives who are making big decisions—launching new offerings, reshaping their positioning, chasing new types of clients. The ones who get it right usually have one thing in common: they stop guessing. Not just by crunching numbers, but by going straight to the source and asking the right people the right questions. Then they act on what they learn.
I saw this firsthand with an agile coaching firm that prided itself on a hands-off, plug-and-play model: Train the team, hand over the materials, and exit. But when we spoke with several clients, they all said the same thing: “We think we’re doing it right, but we’re not sure—we need follow-up support.” What leadership thought was a noble no-upsell stance was actually creating risk and uncertainty for their clients. A few 20-minute conversations later, they launched a simple coaching-check dashboard and light follow-up packag, both of which clients welcomed immediately.
At another company offering managed IT services, marketing was debating whether to rebrand around Microsoft’s “Unified Endpoint Management” term. Marketing new they needed something more informative than just “managed services,” but did their prospects even use this phrase? In one quick interview, a longtime client lit up: “That would be nirvana—do you know anyone who does that?” Suddenly, the team realized their ideal buyers not only understood the term, they were actively searching for it. Overnight, their messaging shifted—and every marketing dollar became far less risky.
The Power of Client Interviews
Neither of these pivots came from dashboards or big-data tools. They came from 20– to 30-minute conversations structured to surface patterns (and not just anecdotes). By asking the right questions, you too can uncover:
- Hidden drivers: What clients value most and why.
- Unseen friction: Where deals stall, even with strong interest.
- Language that sells: The exact terms buyers use when they say “yes.”
Sure, certainty is difficult. But don’t fall for the illusion of certainty. Get out there and ask the market what they are doing, and how they like to be approached.
