How to use questions to strengthen your brand image.
As an outsider-insider to my clients, my role is often “questioner-in-chief” (to use a borrowed term from management expert Tom Peters). Recently, I was conducting a brain-/brand-storming session with an energy company client when one of the employees pulled me aside during a break and said, “I didn’t want to ask this question in front of the group because I was afraid it would seem silly…” and then proceeded to ask me a very important and profound question pertinent to our strategic planning work. I encouraged her to ask the team that question when we regrouped, as I wanted her to experience the collective “aha!” that would arise as it did for me with her provocative question.
Which makes me wonder about the importance of questions and the cultural dynamics that enable some companies to encourage healthy questioning behaviors while other companies seem to squash them without saying a word. Questioning is often the precursor to innovation, and after almost two decades of questioning, I have come to believe that there really are no silly questions.
For example, Jerry Greenfield’s (of Ben & Jerry’s fame) lighthearted question “If it’s not fun, why do it?” is one of utmost importance to its brand. Fun is a key brand attribute of Ben & Jerry’s. It’s even a tab on their web site. To Ben & Jerry’s fun is something taken seriously and that this question frames its decision making.
Author James Thurber wrote, “It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” What other questions is your brand grappling with, or perhaps should be grappling with, these days?
First, do you cultivate a question-asking environment? Without the freedom to raise questions or question decisions appropriately, your brand may have a blind spot.
Secondly, can you handle the answers to tough questions? Many brands have solid customer loyalty programs in place. These are indeed important parts of retention strategies, but take a moment to turn that question around for your brand… Just how loyal is your brand to your customers? What have you done for them lately?
Thirdly, as a “questioner-in-chief,” I like to encourage my clients to uncover their customers’ pain points. What makes them mad, frustrated or just plain tired in relation to your product, service, category or overall brand experience? If you spend time uncovering these issues and then creatively addressing them, both your customers and your competitors will take note.
So, take time to question your culture, your customers and your results. And then, ask Dr. Phil’s favorite question: “How’s that working for you?”
Excerpted from June 2009 edition of TargetMarketing magazine.
About Wendi McGowan