They Ask, You Answer, 2nd Edition

5 They Ask, You Answer Defined

What is “They Ask, You Answer”?

More than anything, it’s a business philosophy.

It’s an approach to communication, company culture, and the way we sell as a business.

It starts with an obsession: “What is my customer thinking?”

And when I say “obsession,” I really mean that. It extends past “What are they thinking?” to “What are they searching, asking, feeling, and fearing?”

Some companies think they understand these questions, but the fact is most do not.

And having a set of defined “buyer personas”—at least the way many are defined—doesn’t count as sufficient either.

When an organization embraces They Ask, You Answer, they believe it’s their duty to be the teacher, the go-to source within their particular industry. One that’s not afraid to answer any and every question the prospect or customer may have. For them, it’s a moral obligation to provide this level of education, regardless of whether the question is perceived as good, bad, or even ugly.

Not only are they willing to address these things better than anyone in their space, but they also allow this to dictate the direction of their business as the future unfolds. Because they are so keenly in tune with what the marketplace is thinking, feeling, and asking, they see where their business model needs to go, evolve, and head toward.

Throughout the remainder of this book, we cover—extensively—this philosophy of They Ask, You Answer.

You’re going to not only understand its dramatic impact on ...