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Closure: 3 Questions Every Architect Should Ask At The End of Client Meetings

December 3, 2023

Tyler Suomala

Founder of Growthitect

Early in my career, I used to focused too much on “next steps” with prospective clients. I would tell myself things like:

“This lead will go cold unless I get something on the calendar.”
“I hope they stop talking so we have time to go over the next steps.”
“If they don’t want to schedule another meeting then they’re not interested.”

That’s a lot of pressure! Yes, next steps are incredibly important. Yes, there is some truth to the things I told myself.

But do you know what’s more important? (If you’ve been following this newsletter long enough then you probably do…)

Deeply understanding your prospective client!

What are their pain points?
What are their challenges?
What are their concerns?
What are their feelings?
What are their goals?

You get the picture.

Denying closure

The problem I kept running into when I heavily focused on “next steps” is that I inhibited prospective clients from getting closure in the conversation.

Closure usually comes at the very end of the conversation. After so much has been covered. And there’s been a lot of back and forth. But you know your time is coming to an end and so does your prospective client.

At this point, everyone in the room is coming to terms with the conversation. In their mind, they’re lapping back to all the topics covered. Checking to make sure they didn’t forget something. Or even second-guessing something they’ve already said.

And guess what? There is so much value in pulling those closing thoughts out of your prospective client.

You can learn:

What they’re focused on moving forward
Important aspects that you didn’t cover
How they feel about the conversation
What they value most
Lingering concerns

If you skip over the closure then you miss out on that value. And your client walks away feeling like they didn’t quite get to say everything they wanted to say.

Open the floor before next steps

So instead of rushing to end the conversation, scheduling next steps, and pushing them out the door just…pause.

Let the conversation naturally slow down.

And then drop one of these 3 questions to pull out those valuable final thoughts:

01 // Is there anything else you think I should know?

This question is crucial in a discovery meeting where you're still gauging the client's needs and expectations. It encourages the client to share additional information that may not have been covered in the structured part of your conversation. This could be anything from specific design preferences, budget constraints, to long-term goals for the project.

By asking this, you're showing that you value their input and are willing to listen, which builds trust. It also helps you gather as much information as possible to tailor your services to their needs effectively.

02 // Share with me how you think this can benefit you?

This question is particularly useful after presenting a plan or proposal. It shifts the focus from what you're offering to how the client perceives the value of your services.

It also allows the client to verbalize and affirm the benefits they see, which can reinforce their positive perception of the project. This insight is invaluable for fine-tuning your proposal to better align with what the client values most.

03 // What’s stopping you from moving forward today?

One of my favorites! This question is a powerful tool to uncover any hesitations or obstacles that the client may have in committing to the project. It's particularly effective when you sense reluctance towards the end of a conversation.

This question prompts the client to articulate any concerns or issues they might have, whether it's budget, timeline, or specific aspects of the project. Understanding these roadblocks allows you to address them directly, either by providing additional information, adjusting your proposal, or alleviating their concerns.

This can be the key to moving from discussion to action, helping to close the deal.

TL;DR

Next steps are important. But don’t rush to next steps and deny a prospective client an opportunity to offer their closing thoughts. Ask one final question to understand their valuable takeaways: