Understanding the Client’s Real Goal

Date: July 8, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. (MDT)
Location: Zoom

Understanding the Client’s Real Goal

How understanding a client’s intended use of the research can lead to better questions, better guidance, and better outcomes.

Professional genealogists are often asked, “Can you research my family?” But before developing a research plan, perhaps the more important question is, “What do you hope to do with the results?”

The answer can fundamentally shape the engagement. A client may be pursuing citizenship by descent, seeking enrollment in a Native American tribe, applying to a lineage society, preparing for probate, resolving a DNA question, or simply hoping to verify a long-held family story. Understanding the client’s ultimate objective allows us to ask better questions, identify potential obstacles early, and provide advice that extends beyond the research itself.

This month’s Genealogy Café will explore how understanding a client’s intended use of the research can improve both the client experience and the quality of our professional guidance. Through discussion and shared experiences, participants will consider questions such as:

– How much should we know about a client’s ultimate objective before accepting a project?
– When should we research the requirements of a lineage society, tribal enrollment process, or citizenship program before proposing a research plan?
– How can we identify potential roadblocks before a client invests significant time and money?
– What questions belong in every client intake interview?
– How do we provide honest guidance when the desired outcome may not be achievable?

The discussion will include several real-world examples, including a case involving Native American ancestry and tribal enrollment, while inviting participants to share experiences from many areas of professional genealogy.

Whether you work with DNA, lineage societies, citizenship, probate, forensic genealogy, or traditional family history research, this conversation offers an opportunity to explore how understanding a client’s real goal can lead to better consulting, better communication, and better outcomes.