A friend of mine is an executive coach. Julia gets hired to work with top leaders in companies to help them manage through difficult situations, challenging problems, and critical junctures in a business’ life. There are many lessons I have learned from Julia, but what fascinates me the most is that she will spend an hour with her clients only asking questions and never offering advice.
The power in this dynamic is that she is like a navigator, asking why are you going left instead of right? Or, what did you decide to make this choice versus another? Her clients benefit from talking through their thought process and being accountable to someone who is there to help, not interfere. In her sessions, the client does all the talking, and she does all the listening.
Julia is like an business therapist who wants to have her client reveal their truth.
A Questioning Board, not a Sounding Board
Julia has been coaching for decades and serves her clients not by being a sounding board, but by being a questioning board. The questions penetrate under the surface to get deep into understanding a decision. But she isn’t speaking, Julia is listening with compassion, curiosity, and concern. By not giving advice, she lets her client discover the essence of the problem. This is a more effective way to change behavior.
Understanding Customers
I embrace the Julia model in my marketing efforts to always trying to understand why? I’ll ask simple questions, and then another and another so I am clear why a business leader made a decision. When I do interviews with my client’s client, I don’t offer my opinion or thought, but ask questions.
Eventually, I’ll create a marketing plan based on what I learned, and I let the plan speak for itself. But listening is the key to finding insights. If I’m talking, I’m interfering with the process.
The better you are at asking questions, the easier it becomes to market your brand. Challenging, learning, and listening are building blocks to creating a marketing plan and effectively getting someone to notice you and your products.
Are you like Julia asking harder and more insightful questions?
Or are you jabbering when you should be listening?
Does your business need a marketing coach, guide or sherpa? Are you generating enough leads? Is your marketing underperforming? I can help.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash
