Two Questions

Keith Starcher
DayStar Consulting

I was challenged by two questions this week which I would like to share with you.

1.In my business, am I delivering the promise no one else in the industry dares to make? (I saw this in The E-Myth Revisited by Micahael E. Gerber)

As usual, a question like this produces more questions, such as:

·        Do I know what industry I’m in?  Who are the major players?  Where do I fit in regards to the competition?

·        What single benefit for customers does the industry shy away from?  Do I know my target market well enough to even know what that benefit is?

·        Could I be so bold as to offer that benefit?

·        If I did offer that benefit, would I be able to deliver on my promise?

I think of a recent example of this happening when Apple Inc. decided to offer music downloads for 99 cents via iTunes.  The convenience of this benefit (only paying for the songs I want) was shunned by the traditional music retailing channels where I had to pay for an entire CD even if there was only one song that I really liked on the CD.  The music industry is still roiling from Apple delivering on a promise no one else in the industry dared to make.

How about your customers or clients or employees?  Why not take some time with your staff and brainstorm 10 benefits that no one in your industry is offering—perhaps because they wouldn’t dare (too costly, etc).  You might even consider asking some of your loyal customers or employees for their opinion. 

Then narrow your list down to one key “promise we could make that our competitors would not dare to make.”  Could you deliver on such a promise?  Could you do it consistently---profitably?

The second question really jolted me as an educator. 

2. Am I answering questions my _________ are not asking?

Obviously, for me, in my role as a professor, “students” goes in the blank.  But as a consultant, I must also be wary of pulling out trademark solutions to problems not even presented to me by my clients.  You know the old adage, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything starts looking like a nail.” 

How about you?  Fill in the blank with various stakeholders:

Are you answering questions your employees are not asking?

Are you answering questions your customers are not asking?

Are you answering questions your family is not asking?

Don’t get me wrong.  I understand that many times we must be proactive in our roles by presenting questions and appropriate answers.  For example, in my Foundations of Business class, I must share with students some basic questions about economic systems, management systems, etc.  But, if I’m not careful, I’ll never frame any of this information in terms of questions the students have about business and markets and life in general.  To avoid this trap, I’ve got to get to know my students and listen for the questions—even those directly asked. 

The same goes for your customers or employees or other stakeholders.  You must develop a sensitivity (and a system) for understanding and responding to their key questions—the questions that matter most to them.  And realize that new questions keep surfacing all the time. 

So the next time you stand in front of your ___________, before you begin pontificating on this or that, make sure you are attempting to answer questions that really matter to them.  Unless you do, all your answers will get lost in the noise of their concerns and desires.

There you have it:

• In my business, am I delivering the promise no one else in the industry dares to make?
• Am I answering questions my _________ are not asking?

Two questions worthy of your consideration.

Keith

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