I have a toddler who’s going through the “why?” stage. I’ve learnt to answer him in short, one fact at a time responses because I know it won’t end until he’s either bored or you give a good, show-stopping answer that he’s completely satisfied with.
Having a constant stream of whys makes you really think about your response and that got me thinking, this simple three letter word is really quite powerful. It’s how toddlers learn about the world around them but also how marketers (and all employees) should approach everything they do.
Why do we exhibit at this event each year? Why do we answer the phone that way? Why don’t we provide our customers with personalised options? Why don’t we meet our customer more often? Why can’t we support more local charities? Why must we present using PowerPoint? Why do we always pay our suppliers late?
Asking why means you question the norm and that’s a really good thing. The responses you receive may surprise you: because I said so (run a mile!); because no-one’s ever questioned it before (you’re clearly showing initiative); good question, how can we do it better? (bingo!)
So I’ve decided that even though I may sound like a petulant toddler, why is my all-time favourite question. What’s yours?