Business Discovery Questionnaire

This questionnaire goes further than a standard intake form. It asks how your business actually makes money, how customers find you and decide to buy, and where the gaps sit between initial interest and revenue. Your answers shape the strategy we build, which is why we ask before we recommend anything.

Set aside about 30 to 45 minutes. Only your contact information is required, so skip anything you are unsure about and answer honestly rather than perfectly. You can save your progress at any point and finish later using the save link on the form.

Step 1 of 10 - Business Overview

10%

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Section 1. Business Overview

Tell us what your business actually does, in plain language.

In one or two sentences, describe your business.(Required)

What products and services do you provide?

What primary problem does your business solve?

What result, benefit, or transformation does a customer receive?

If someone had never heard of your business, what would you want them to understand immediately?

Are there parts of your business that customers frequently misunderstand?

Positioning statement

Complete each line.

We help

Who need or want

By providing

So that they can

Section 2. Your Ideal Customer

Focus first on the customers most important to the growth of the business.

Your primary customer is a...

Individual

Business

Organization

Government agency

Nonprofit

Describe your ideal customer as specifically as possible.

Do you have more than one important customer segment? Describe each.

Which segment generates the most revenue?

Which segment would you most like to grow?

Which customers are easiest to convert?

Which customers become the most valuable or longest term?

Who is not a good fit for your business?

Customer needs and motivation

What problem or need causes someone to start looking for a business like yours?

Is that need usually urgent, planned, recurring, or discretionary?

Urgent

Planned

Recurring

Discretionary

Other

What does the customer ultimately want to accomplish?

What matters most when they choose a provider?

Price

Quality

Expertise

Speed

Convenience

Reputation

Service

Relationship

Availability

What fears or concerns might prevent them from purchasing?

What alternatives might they consider instead of buying from you?

Section 3. Revenue Model

Marketing should support the activities that actually generate revenue.

Primary revenue-generating products and services

Product or Service

Typical Price

Percent of Revenue

Profitability

Growth Priority

Add a row for each. Use the plus button to add more.

Largest current source of revenue

Most profitable product or service

Greatest potential for growth

Which offering would you most like marketing to help you sell?

Are there high margin products or services customers do not know enough about?

Anything that generates revenue but is not strategically important to the future of the business?

Anything you plan to launch, discontinue, reposition, or expand?

How customers pay you. Select all that apply.

One-time purchases

Recurring subscriptions

Memberships

Retainers

Contracts

Project-based work

Hourly services

Product sales

Service packages

Licensing

Donations

Sponsorships

Grants

Customer value

Average initial purchase or contract value

How often does a typical customer purchase?

Do customers make one purchase or become repeat customers?

Usually one purchase

Usually repeat

Mixed

Approximate average annual value of a customer

Average lifetime value of a customer, if known

Are there natural opportunities to upsell, cross sell, renew, or expand the relationship?

Percent of business from existing versus new customers

Percent of business from referrals

Capacity and growth

Marketing should not generate demand the business cannot profitably fulfill.

How many new customers can you serve each month?

Could the business handle significantly more customers today?

Yes

Not sure

If demand increased by 25 percent, could you fulfill it?

If demand doubled, what would become the biggest operational constraint?

Where do you have excess capacity? Products, services, locations, times of year, or segments.

Are there products or services you do not want marketing to increase demand for right now?

Section 4. Customer Journey: Awareness and Consideration

Think about what customers actually do, not the process you would like them to follow.

How do potential customers first discover you?

Google or search

Social media

Referral or word of mouth

Advertising

Events

Networking

Media or PR

Direct mail

Physical location or signage

Sales outreach

Marketplace or platform

Which sources produce the most qualified prospects?

Which sources produce the most actual revenue?

Once someone discovers you, what do they usually do next?

Visit your website

Look at your social media

Read reviews

Compare competitors

Ask someone for a recommendation

Call

Visit your location

Request information

Request pricing

Schedule a consultation

What information do prospects need before they are comfortable moving forward?

What questions do prospects repeatedly ask?

Which competitors or alternatives are customers most likely to compare you with?

Section 4 continued. Lead Generation and Sales

What is the primary action you want a potential customer to take?

Call

Complete a form

Request a quote

Book a consultation

Schedule an appointment

Visit your location

Start a trial

Create an account

Join your email list

Make a purchase

Other

What happens immediately after someone takes this action?

Who is responsible for following up?

How quickly does follow up typically occur?

Do you have a formal system for tracking leads?

Yes

Partially

If yes, what system or CRM do you use?

Describe your typical sales process from initial inquiry through purchase.

How many touchpoints usually occur before a sale?

How long is the typical sales cycle?

Who makes the final purchasing decision?

Who else is involved in approving the purchase?

Is price usually discussed early or later in the process?

Early

Later

Depends

What do prospects receive during the process?

Proposal

Estimate

Demo

Consultation

Trial

Sample

What percent of qualified leads become customers, if known?

Most common reasons prospects do not buy

Price

Timing

Competitor selected

No urgency

Budget unavailable

Decision delayed

Lack of trust

Did not understand the value

Could not reach the prospect

Not a good fit

Where do the greatest number of potential customers drop out of your sales process?

Section 4 continued. Purchase, Retention and Referral

Once someone says yes, what happens next?

How easy is it to complete the purchase? Note any unnecessary steps, delays, paperwork, or friction.

How is a new customer welcomed or onboarded, and what expectations are set?

What is the first experience you want a new customer to have?

What typically causes a customer to purchase again?

How frequently should customers return or repurchase?

Do you actively communicate with existing customers?

Yes

Occasionally

Describe your retention, renewal, or reactivation process, if you have one.

Are customers made aware of your other products or services?

Yes

Sometimes

How do you identify customers who have stopped buying from you?

What could increase the value of an existing customer relationship?

How much of your business currently comes from referrals?

Do you actively ask customers for referrals?

Yes

Sometimes

Do you have a formal referral program?

Yes

Do you ask customers for testimonials or reviews?

Yes

Sometimes

Where are reviews currently collected?

What typically motivates customers to recommend your business?

Section 5. Your Offer and Competitive Position

Primary competitor 1

Primary competitor 2

Primary competitor 3

Why do customers choose you instead of them?

Why do customers sometimes choose them instead of you?

What do your best customers value most about your business?

What do you provide that competitors typically do not?

Is your pricing higher, lower, or similar to competitors?

Higher

Lower

Similar

If your price is higher, can customers easily understand why?

What misconceptions exist about your business or industry?

What claims can you make that are supported by evidence, results, reviews, credentials, experience, or data?

Complete the sentence: Customers should choose us because...

Section 6. Marketing and Sales Alignment

What should your marketing accomplish?

Generate qualified leads

Increase sales

Increase repeat business

Increase average customer value

Launch a new product or service

Enter a new market

Increase brand awareness

Increase website traffic

Build an email database

Generate appointments

Increase event attendance

Generate donations

Increase memberships

Improve customer retention

Support the sales team

Select up to three.

Which channels are you currently using?

Website and SEO

Google Ads

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Email marketing

Social media advertising

Print advertising

Direct mail

Public relations

Events and trade shows

Networking

Referral marketing

Sales outreach

Which channels currently generate qualified leads?

Which channels generate measurable revenue?

Which channels receive significant time or money without producing clear results?

Section 7. Marketing Economics

If you do not know these answers, that is fine. Identifying what needs to be measured is part of the process.

Current monthly marketing budget

Percent of revenue typically invested in marketing

Which of these do you currently know?

Cost per lead

Customer acquisition cost

Which channels generate the highest value customers

Which channels produce the best return on investment

What is a new customer worth, and what would you spend to acquire one?

How quickly must marketing produce a financial return?

Section 8. Goals and Measurement

Your three most important business goals for the next 12 months

What revenue goal are you trying to reach?

Approximately how many new customers would that require?

What products or services need to drive that growth?

Which numbers should we use to determine whether marketing is working?

Revenue

Qualified leads

New customers

Conversion rate

Cost per lead

Customer acquisition cost

Average order or contract value

Customer lifetime value

Repeat purchase rate

Retention or renewal rate

Website conversions

Appointments

Store or location visits

Event registrations

Donations

Memberships

What are you currently able to measure reliably?

What would you like to measure that you cannot measure today?

Section 9. Marketing and Sales Infrastructure

Before increasing demand, we need to understand whether the systems to convert it are in place.

Do you currently have any of the following?

A website designed to generate leads or sales

Website analytics

Conversion tracking

CRM or lead management system

Email marketing platform

Automated lead follow up

Documented sales process

Customer database

Review or testimonial process

Referral process

Customer retention communications

Sales reporting

Marketing performance reporting

What is the biggest weakness in your current marketing or sales infrastructure?

Section 10. Final Clarity Check

Summarize the business in the simplest possible terms.

Our ideal customer is

Their primary problem or need is

We solve it by

The primary product or service we want to grow is

A typical new customer is worth approximately

Customers usually discover us through

The primary action we want a prospect to take is

The biggest obstacle between initial interest and purchase is

Our biggest opportunity for increasing revenue is

Our most important marketing goal is

We will know the marketing is working when

Your Contact Information

First Name(Required)

Last Name(Required)

Company Name(Required)

Email Address(Required)

Phone Number

Country Phone Number