Children ask loads of questions. From the moment they learn to utter the word ‘why’, every syllable that passes their lips seems to start with that word. It makes good sense. The world is new to them, and they are exploring everything with fresh eyes. As adults, we glaze over a lot of things because we have seen it or done it before, so of course we know (but actually, in truth, we don’t always).
As a marketer, we can learn a lot from children.
I’ve been known to ask a lot of questions when it comes to my work. I wear that as a badge of honour, and here’s my why.
When you are marketing, you need to be curious – you need to understand the product or service, the overall strategy of the business, the success outcomes desired, possible friction points, how employees support the offer … and the list goes on.
When asking questions, a challenge you may face is in a meeting with many stakeholders and feeling overwhelmed by the stature of those sitting around the table, or on the other side of a video call. My encouragement to you is to find your voice and not be afraid to use it. Asking many questions at the onset will set you up for success. Not only that, but I’m willing to bet it will have your audience thinking as well; you’d be surprised how many people have not thought through some of the questions you pose.
Every project will have a different set of questions, but to get you thinking, here are a few discoveries you can ask:
How does this initiative tie into the overall strategy/direction of the organization?
What will success feel like by <insert period of time>?
When you look at the results, what will meet your overall objectives?
Tell me about what you know of the audience you are engaging with.
Do you use any third party/market data? If so, share more about what this is.
How do you use your first party data today (such as information from a CRM or internal system, surveys, etc.)?
Walk me through the user experience.
Walk me through the internal processing of this service (what staff do to get the service complete).
Tell me how staff interact with customers/members when offering this. What support do they need to be successful? How do they delight the customer/member when offering this?
Have you identified any friction points – both external and internal?
Is there a time delay from the offer to completion? Help me to understand this process.
What kind of feedback have you received on this product/service before?
Have you marketed this product or service before? If so:
What roadblocks have you encountered?
What was your approach?
When thinking of marketing of any product or service, what types of approaches have worked well with your audience? What hasn’t?
Did you read this list as a new marketer, or experienced with your company? Either way, I am challenging you to ask these questions, even of yourself, so you can view it with fresh eyes.
When you ask a lot of questions, you get a well-rounded understanding of the support you provide to the business. This is important. Without it, the hard work of your marketing can be lost in issues and obstacles that can arise throughout the campaign that could have been avoided, not to mention the lost dollars and time because you may be presenting in a way that doesn’t align with goals, objectives and expectations of all parties involved.
So, ask lots of questions, dear Sherlock, and uncover your success.
Keep on being amazing,
Lyanne
Whether you are interested in learning more about how blue dragonfly can help your business, are interested in joining or learning more about Mastermind groups, would like to chat about a speaking engagement, or just want to meet with me, this is a great way to get started. https://www.bluedragonflystrategies.ca/contact
Cheers to the beginning of a great relationship.