What is that you say?
Business owners have picked up on the idea of asking more questions of their customers, their staff, and their vendors. They have learned that it is good for business. The challenge is to come up with the questions that encourage the other person to share what is important to them …or what is in their way of working with you. I recommend that you consider ways to start your question with the word “What”.
We know the bad results you get when you ask a teenager “why?” Anger, resentment, shut down. Results are similar when we ask why of our business associates. It causes people to become defensive. Instead try asking, “What might have caused that?” Or “What did you have in mind when you did that?”
QUESTION
What successful ways have you used the “What” question as you go about your business?
Chuck Scharenberg is the Founder of More Profit More Freedom, a consultancy that supports the execution of large-scale growth for small businesses. His practice has successfully grown businesses with processes that identify potential roadblocks and mitigation schemes to accelerate realistic execution.