I am very likely to get some flak for what I’m about to say but I think elevator speeches are bullshit. Everyone even remotely engaged in networking will profess the absolute need for a canned and short verbal snippet that you can whip out at a moment’s notice to wow some prospective client. The theory is that everyone is sooooo damn busy and in such a hurry that you only have 30 seconds tops to hook them and make them beg to know more about how your product/service will rock their world. Anyone not able to master this artful verbal pitch is doomed to fail in the lightning quick business world we inhabit. Once again, I’m calling bullshit.

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A recent situation has me pondering the idea of question asking. As I see it, there are three reasons to ask questions:

Seek knowledge: This is the most basic and obvious reason to ask a question. I might ask a plumber how to repair a toilet or I might ask a friend to explain how to get their house.

Stimulate thought: What’s the best way for us to develop our brand? & How can we best use our resources to accomplish our goals? are examples of this type of question. The goal of this type of question is to open up dialog and solicit conversation. 

Show off: ”What is the best way to develop a brand?” & “What are 5 ways to eliminate inefficiency” This type of question is asked for the purpose of showcasing the asker’s knowledge. The asker of this type of question has a specific answer in mind and they are challenging the askee to come up with that one specific answer. It is also used to prove to the askee that they just don’t get it. Continue reading »