Most people think SQL is just about writing queries.

But in real jobs, SQL is used for one thing:

Answering business questions

You don’t need advanced SQL.
You don’t need complex window functions.

With simple SQL, you can already answer the questions businesses care about most.

Why Business Questions Matter More Than Syntax

Companies don’t ask:
“Can you write fancy SQL?”

They ask:
“Can you explain what’s happening in our data?”

If you can answer business questions with SQL, you’re already thinking like a data analyst.

16 Business Questions (Answered With Simple SQL)

Assume common tables like sales, customers, products, and orders.

1. How many total orders do we have?

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM orders;

Measures business activity.

2. How much revenue did we generate?

SELECT SUM(amount) FROM sales;

Tracks overall performance.

3. What is the average order value?

SELECT AVG(amount) FROM sales;

Helps evaluate pricing and customer behavior.

4. Which customers spend the most?

SELECT customer_id, SUM(amount) AS total_spent
FROM sales
GROUP BY customer_id
ORDER BY total_spent DESC;

Identifies high-value customers.

5. Which products sell the most?

SELECT product_id, COUNT(*) AS total_sales
FROM orders
GROUP BY product_id
ORDER BY total_sales DESC;

Reveals best-selling products.

6. Which products generate the most revenue?

SELECT product_id, SUM(amount) AS revenue
FROM sales
GROUP BY product_id
ORDER BY revenue DESC;

Supports product strategy decisions.

7. How many customers do we have?

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT customer_id) FROM sales;

Measures customer base size.

8. Which customers haven’t placed any orders?

SELECT c.id
FROM customers c
LEFT JOIN orders o ON c.id = o.customer_id
WHERE o.id IS NULL;

Highlights inactive customers.

9. What are sales by month?

SELECT MONTH(order_date) AS month, SUM(amount) AS total_sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY MONTH(order_date);

Shows trends and seasonality.

10. Which region generates the most sales?

SELECT region, SUM(amount) AS total_sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY region
ORDER BY total_sales DESC;

Guides marketing and expansion decisions.

11. What percentage of orders were completed?

SELECT 
COUNT(CASE WHEN status = 'Completed' THEN 1 END) * 100.0 / COUNT(*) 
AS completion_rate
FROM orders;

Measures operational efficiency.

12. What is the highest sale value?

SELECT MAX(amount) FROM sales;

Identifies outlier transactions.

13. What is the lowest sale value?

SELECT MIN(amount) FROM sales;

Helps detect pricing or data issues.

14. How many orders does each customer place?

SELECT customer_id, COUNT(*) AS order_count
FROM orders
GROUP BY customer_id;

Measures customer engagement.

15. Which days have the most orders?

SELECT order_date, COUNT(*) AS total_orders
FROM orders
GROUP BY order_date
ORDER BY total_orders DESC;

Helps with demand planning.

16. How many orders failed or were cancelled?

SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM orders
WHERE status IN ('Cancelled', 'Failed');

Highlights operational problems.

Why Simple SQL Is Enough

Notice something?

All these insights use:

• SELECT
• WHERE
• GROUP BY
• ORDER BY
• JOIN

That’s it.

No advanced SQL.
No complex logic.

Common Beginner Mistake

Beginners often:

• Focus on memorizing syntax
• Ignore the business meaning
• Write queries without explaining results

SQL without interpretation has no value.

Why Interviewers Love These Questions

These are the same questions interviewers ask:

• “How would you find top customers?”
• “How do you track revenue?”
• “How do you measure performance?”

If you can answer these with SQL then you’re ready.

SQL is not about code.

It’s about answers.

If you can answer business questions with simple SQL, you already have a real data analyst skill.

FAQs