My friend Jim Carrington had a mantra at MBNA America: Try a lot of things and keep what works.
Chris Brogan recently suggested how I could improve this newsletter (besides making it shorter): "Curate something VERY cohesive" rather than just compiling disparate stories under a general "questions" theme. So I'm testing a tweak to the format to focus each issue on one benefit of asking more questions. We'll start with CLARITY.
Justin Welsh, who has built a successful business advising internet solopreneurs, says his goal is to "help 1M people escape the rat race, build thriving one-person businesses, and enjoy freedom-filled lives." This goal isn't a Justin outcome; it's a "customer" outcome. He suggests answering three questions to give you the clarity that will help you set goals:
But here's a fourth question you can ask. Who CAN'T benefit from my services? Be transparent. Communicate your answer across different platforms (website, LinkedIn profile, or other platforms). Put it in a video or in your sales pitch. Being clear will focus your sales conversations on people who will be great customers.
I'm sure you know people who have been laid off in 2023 or have been affected yourselves. Big banks have collectively laid off more than 20,000 people, and the list of 2023 tech layoffs gets longer by the week. I help people with their LinkedIn profiles and resumes, and I'm focusing on older workers who get no responses to their applications and recent graduates competing for entry-level jobs against people who've been let go with 3-5 years of experience. What I say: Clearly and concisely communicate your differentiated value.
Jay Acunzo wrote last week about the "content hamster wheel" and three reasons others ignore your ideas. Jay believes what we say often doesn't make the uniqueness of our ideas clear because what (and how) we say sounds eerily similar to everyone else in our space.
Clarity can mean different things. I hope this issue offers you some clarity on questions that will deliver it to you. Please hit Reply and let me know what you think of the new approach.
1. BBC journalist Ros Atkins talked to McKinsey about his new book, The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence. I found this particularly interesting: "When I feel myself not communicating as clearly as I would like to, not using precise language, with a single person, a group of people, or an audience on TV, generally, it means that I haven’t understood two things completely: “What specifically am I trying to communicate?” and “Have I properly understood the details of that subject and how I’m going to express myself on them?”
2. Can I See Fresh Questions? Tom O'Leary ponders this question in a recent post, observing that looking for new questions can be about delving deeper, looking at the familiar from a different perspective. Familiar questions have their place and can offer comfort and clarity in certain situations. And yet, he adds, "they can also lure us into a sense of complacency, where we stop challenging ourselves and cease to grow."
3. Strategy From the Group Up. Kyle Morck says too many people think strategy is "a 100+ page slide deck of big ideas packed with tons of completely unapproachable research." His three questions for developing greater clarity and a more strategic mindset: What problem are you solving? Who is the intended audience? What do you want them to do or feel?
4. The Secret to Getting Clarity (podcast). Jay Papasan, co-author of The One Thing, talks to Mo Bunnell about a range of topics, including the power of consistently writing to your email list and getting clarity on what you need to be doing to achieve your goals.
5. Four Questions When Seeking Clarity. Dan Rockwell says, "What should I do?" is the wrong first question because there are a million things you could do. He says the first question to clarity is about identity, not options.
I help clients identify the questions that will deliver clarity to their customers and differentiate them from competitors. Just hit Reply and tell me how I can help. Here are two ideas:
I welcome your comments or topics for future issues. If you found this on LinkedIn or had it forwarded to you, you can subscribe by clicking the button below.
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My weekly Frictionless newsletter coaches readers to ask better questions so they can resolve customer pain points. Think of me as Communications Windex -- an experienced ghostwriter and award-winning business journalist who supports executives and teams with lots of knowledge but a scarcity of time & resources to answer the questions their customers and prospects have. Between the newsletter and my services, I coach busy executives to POLISH their unique insights, transforming them into sought-after industry experts who drive visibility, trust, and revenues. I also help sales teams move prospects through the sales process more quickly. My tagline is "Answer Their Questions. Close More Deals." I subscribe to 80+ newsletters and Google Alerts so you don't have to.
STARTING LINE Quick reminder that I've got a survey to learn more about how this newsletter can help me help you. The average time it has taken readers to complete it is under three minutes. I helped a client last week whose most significant customer is up for renewal. She wanted help with questions she and her team should ask themselves (and the customer) during the early stages of the renewal. Allow me to share a few of them, keeping in mind these do have other applications than contract...
STARTING LINE Quick reminder that I've got a survey to learn more about how this newsletter can help me help you. The average time it has taken readers to complete it is under three minutes. I helped a client last week whose most significant customer is up for renewal. She wanted help with questionsshe and her team should ask themselves (and the customer) during the early stages of the renewal. Allow me to share a few of them, keeping in mind these do have other applications than contract...
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