Predictive questions are questions that can lead to better recommendations. By asking your customers the right question, you can more easily connect them with the right product or the right service. The two questions might not even seem to be related. 
The predictive question, “Do you like to dance?” correlates with, “should you switch to a Mac?” I heard that example in a session at SXSW. I think it was Making Content Relevant.
At the liquor store we ask, “Do you sweeten your tea?” to find out what type of wine customers might like.
Because the predictive question seems unrelated to the purchase decision, it can feel less intimidating to the customer, and easier to answer.
What seemingly unrelated questions might lead you to better answers for your customers?
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
- How cooperatives improve small town economies - May 8, 2022
- Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide - April 15, 2022
- Make extra money from extra workspace: co-working and 3rd workplaces in small towns - March 28, 2022
- Trade show booth design trend: hand drawn visuals - March 21, 2022
- New business sign design? Don’t use cursive script - February 14, 2022
- Way more people prefer rural than urban, new Pew Research study finds - February 1, 2022
- Top 5 Rural and small town trends 2022 - January 3, 2022
- How to start a real small small business - December 17, 2021
- Tip for better pop-ups and shed businesses - December 5, 2021
- Small town business idea: cat grooming - November 15, 2021
I think I am beginning to understand the tea question, but I have no clue about the dancing one. I probably need more explaining to make more sense of this idea.
Think of it this way: the kind of people who like to dance are the same kind of people who would be happy with a Mac.
Here’s another example they gave. Asking whether someone wants the top floor apartment or the ground floor apartment could tell you something about their risk tolerance.
You’re collecting data, but not by asking the direct question. You’re asking a question that seems easier to answer, and using that to predict something else.