Welcome to Frictionless, where we focus on Unleashing the Power of Questions to resolve customer pain points, write stronger long-form content (case studies, RFP responses, articles/op-eds, and website content), and be more confident asking important questions. I subscribe to 80+ newsletters and Google Alerts so you don’t have to.

June 29, 2023

STARTING LINE

A Google Search for asking better questions yields 1.3 billion results. My Google Alert on the same topic yields dozens of weekly responses, including 28 questions to ask your boss in your one-on-ones, nine questions to help you make wiser food choices, and 50 powerful sales questions.

I avoid giving you menus of questions to parrot to customers, preferring instead to help you figure out what questions are called for in any given situation. I do have a list of questions I ask profile subjects to get outside their preferred talking points. I have created planners that provide direction to users to strengthen their customer relationships. I've helped account executives respond to common objections with questions that narrow down their "real" concerns rather than immediately launching into an oft-used answer that raises more questions (because the same issue may come from different concerns).

But is there a question that all of us should ask every day, a question that would help us understand a customer's pain point, a child or spouse's frustration, or a co-worker's angst?

The rain we've had here in the Northeast has put me back on my stationary bike. It's a good opportunity to binge shows that don't interest my wife, and I stumbled across New Amsterdam last week. About three episodes in, I realized there IS a question all of us can- and should- ask daily. As a hint, you'll know the answer if you've ever interacted with a Walmart greeter

​You can find it here.

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING ME

1. Why can't HR departments just let me know when I'm eliminated from job consideration? I don't know the answer but I regularly get (and see) this question and would love your thoughts. Is it really that difficult to automate the process and/or avoid doing the things that make me feel like human eyes never got close to my application? This is, in part, a brand alignment question and a topic that the company's communications team should be looking at.

2. What’s a great question for a profile or networking encounter to learn more about them? Try "What are some of the books/TV shows/podcasts that have moved you?” Try to avoid questions that include the words best, most, or least (e.g., What's the BEST book you've ever read) because it puts too much pressure on the person.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

1. The Right Marketing Question: Seth Godin makes the succinct case that we shouldn't be asking how we can more effectively promote a project or product that isn't performing well. The question we should be asking is far more important.

2. In this 37-second video, Dan Pink suggests a nine-word question that will help you make better decisions. The technique is called self-distancing, and it helped me with a difficult decision about the direction of a new project this week. Dan is the author of five NY Times bestsellers about business, work, creativity, and behavior.

3. Are You REALLY Ready for a PR Push? Michelle Garrett wrote this a few years ago, but I'm finding some prospective clients equate PR with sponsored content. Read these 10 questions before you dip your toe into the water.

4. Gated content warning: Wharton School Professor Jonah Berger, the author of Magic Words and other great books like Contagious, has published a useful guide called 4 Strategies for Asking Better Questions as part of the Magic Words release. But it does require you to provide your email address.

5. Tired of getting caught in what author and influencer David Brin calls "tired ideological rifts and fixations" in conversations and social-media interactions? Brin offers a set of questions that will help you understand why you feel as you do about today's issues.

6. What are the Seven Brilliant Questions Emotionally Intelligent People Ask Themselves (Over and Over and Over)? Inc magazine's Bill Murphy Jr. offers his thoughts.

7. It's Family Summer Barbecue Time, and Alexandra Franzen offers 100 questions that could spark conversation among family members. Yes, this list was originally created with Thanksgiving in mind, but if you're tired of discussions about politics and Chat GPT it's worth a click.

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THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUOTE

Christopher S. Penn during MarketingProf's AI for Content Creators session (6/28/23)

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TWEETS THAT ACTUALLY RULE

Great advice from Jay Acunzo that includes the killer advice: "Don't be brilliant. Be curious." Check out the whole tweet here.​

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SHAMELESS PLUGS: LINKS TO MY CONTENT

Looking for an impactful project during the summer months between co-workers and clients' vacation schedules and family carpooling. Most of us have computer-generated customer letters that we never think about unless someone sends a tone-deaf one to the CEO's next-door neighbor. Pull them out and arrange them around a big conference table and check to see if they need a refresh. This happened to me, and it turned out we had 1,400+ that needed a friendlier voice. We were also able to sharply reduce the number too.

If you've been part of the many layoffs in the news, you may have considered telling your (former) boss off. Don't. Just because you've been let go doesn't mean there won't be project opportunities if your company or another one went too deep or added a new customer. Check out Don't. Burn. Bridges.

Here's an ungated template for creating a Request for Information to find a new product or service launch partner.

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