The Power of Questions

From early on, we're schooled on how to say things. Sentences. Statements. Paragraphs. Pitches.

Lots of commas, periods, and exclamation marks.

And, descriptive words undeniably have power (that's my mission, after all!) But: the most powerful words have a question mark at the end.

I use questions as my main tool to arrive at clarity.

From a post on my blog this week:

"I was speaking recently with a new consultant who was figuring out their value proposition. What we had to do was define the Who (bullseye customer), Why (compelling customer pain), What (specific offer), How (unique superpower/value), and Where (title/role/industry/division) of their potential customers.

"Answering those 5 key clarity questions is what will transform your random business development efforts into targeted, focused, and clear strategy (and messaging)..." (read the entire article).

An effective consultant - and premier networker - is a great question-asker. Some of the most helpful people in my inner circle are those that dig in with warm and sometimes challenging questions.

At a conference I attended recently, a new acquaintance asked me an insightful question that hit me like a ton of bricks, and helped reshape my approach to daily life. He simply asked, (paraphrased) "Are you measuring EVERYthing you do and every choice you make by immediate business revenue?" Gulp. I was. And it was a problem that he could see right off, to which I was blind.

Here's another awesome power of questions: people love it when you take an interest in them and make insightful queries about their purpose, their work, their hopes, and their plans. There is a bond you build which is the secret key to effective networking.

Here's your takeaway: when you strike up a conversation with a colleague or a customer this week, ask this simple question - "So, tell me how you arrived at the company and the role that you have today?" Then just listen. Be curious. And keep asking for more details.

Ask intelligent questions, and people will be drawn to you - and you to them. How does the old saying go? People do business with the people they like, know, and trust. Asking good questions is the quickest shortcut to that kind of relationship.

If you need to develop your messaging, or are seeking to train your team in clear communication skills, let's talk.

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"I've been blown away by Steve Woodruff's ability to distill complex ideas into memorable, actionable insights that actually stick. His Memory Dart approach transformed how we communicate with our podcast clients - helping them cut through the noise and connect with their audiences in ways they never thought possible. He served our podcast audience on Dealcasters with tremendous value as well. If you're creating content and struggling to stand out, Steve's clarity framework isn't just helpful - it's the difference between being forgotten and being unforgettable. Worth every minute I've spent learning from him." - Chris Stone, Podcaster and Content Entrepreneur