Asking the Right Questions can lead to the Right Solution

Many years ago, I hosted a television talk show. My guest was the then nation's drug czar under Ronald Reagan, William Bennett.

I asked him why Americans have such an insatiable appetite for drugs. He seemed a bit stunned by the question and allowed that he really didn't know.

Until you can answer that "why" question, the solution will remain elusive.

What's going on in the lives of American drug abusers? Are they frustrated, angry, disillusioned, in pain? Why do some alienated Americans turn to drugs, while others don't?

Bennett and his successors needed to have a deep understanding of these people. The tactics and strategies of ending drug abuse depends on having a keen awareness on what motivates those who take illegal narcotics.

Okay, let's stipulate that you are probably not in the business of stopping people from taking illicit drugs or convincing them not to be junkies.

But the principal of knowing how your customer or client thinks and feels is the same.

No matter what you are selling, an idea or a product, you need to speak to how your customers see themselves. What are their goals, their dreams, their aspirations? What do they secretly want in life? What are their frustrations? What are your customers telling you about your product?

Those who connect to their customers in an empathetic and intuitive way more often than not wind up getting the business.