Ask This, Not That

Questions are the answer to pretty much any business problem.

But most marketing teams and agencies suck at asking questions that make a tangible, bottom-line difference.

Here are some typical questions, along with an upgrade:

Bad Question: "Where do you/we see the brand in 5 years?"

(This question pisses me off because it's completely untethered to any present reality and purely hypothetical. Where do we see the brand? Idk on a beach?)

Better Question: "Why will you/we be as or more successful in 5 years?"

(Now we're talking tangible here. What are we doing currently that will ensure our success in 5 years despite increasing competition and changing markets?)

Bad Question: "What is your/our 'Why'?"

(Stop trying to be all Simon Sineky. Your Why is to make money so you can support yourself and your family. Sorry if that's too real.)

Better Question: "What is our How? How do we deliver our solution and why does that make any difference?"

(Again, this ties directly into day-to-day operations, not boardroom posters and imaginary TED Talks.)

Bad Question: "If your brand was a person..."

Imma stop you right there. No. Just no. This is Abstract Creative at its most infuriating, and one of the many reasons why business owners have such trust issues with marketing.

The ability to ask great questions is what separates The Obvious Choice brands from the Just Another Option brands.

That's why I put together a quick list of 5 questions you can ask that are guaranteed to yield greater clarity regarding your offer and help make you The Obvious Choice for customers, employees, and partners.