This One Habit Could be Costing Your Company MILLIONS
One of the first things I taught in Sales School was this:
"The expert asks. The amateur answers."
At first glance, that sounds backwards. Aren't experts supposed to have all the answers? Not at all. Experts have better questions.
Over the years, I've noticed something fascinating. Most people don't answer the question you asked. They answer the question they think you asked. And that's a massive difference.
Ask someone: "So, what do you do?" Nine times out of ten, they'll answer: "I'm a _____."
But that wasn't the question. I didn't ask for your job title. I was asking how you create value. How you spend your days. What problems you solve. What you're passionate about. The title is simply the shortcut your brain has been trained to provide.
Think about your sales people out networking... how many opportunities are they missing by not answering that simple question as it was asked?
Recently, I experienced this while evaluating software. I asked a simple question: "If I need X and Y, what will my monthly cost be?" The response? "The best package for Z is..." That's AN answer. Just not an answer to the question I asked.
This happens ALL. THE. TIME. (And if you didn't notice this conversation tick before, I'd like to apologize in advance, because you're about to hear it everywhere!)
In sales conversations where they focus is on KPIs and quick closes - not quality of conversation, length of call, value of the connection - how many millions are on the table from missed opportunities, unclosed sales if they had asked one more question, referrals in real time...
In customer service when the representative sticks to the script rather than truly actively listening - how many millions in customer churn are you experiencing?
Meetings, interviews, and even everyday conversations - how much are you missing the magic because the conversation is focused on key words versus connection?
This isn't something ai can solve—this is something ai will magnify.
We run the risk of becoming the LLM that is outdated if we're not actively updating it regularly. We're programmed and conditioned to hear one familiar phrase and immediately reach for the response that's been practiced a hundred times before.
Here's the rub: we can't see our own faces.
The closer you are to the problem, the easier it is to mistake assumptions for answers.
But here's the good news... it doesn't have to be this way. Consultants, fractional leaders, and great advisors operate differently. We're professional question askers.
Curiosity is part of it. But the real value is that we don't stop at the first answer.
We notice when the response doesn't quite match the question, so we ask again. From a different angle. Without ego. Without making anyone wrong until we get to what's actually happening beneath the surface. Where the real problem lives. Finally getting someone to say the quiet part out loud.
And that is where the real opportunity begins.
If you've ever left an encounter thinking, "That's not what I meant...", or, "Why is no one answering the question I'm ACTUALLY asking...", or worse, you've been told you're "difficult,", "argumentative," or "adversarial" because you're asking questions... YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Sometimes the most valuable person in the room isn't the one with the quickest answer. It's the one willing to slow down long enough to ask a better question.
That's what we do. That's what being Fractionally Focused is all about. To be part of us,
PS: You made it to the end. But we’re just getting started! The Daytona Beach Entrepreneurial Center is connecting experts and executives to bridge ideas, solve real business challenges, and create more opportunity starting locally.
Connections are the new economy. The right expertise at the right moment can change the trajectory of an entire organization. And with more opportunities than grains of sand, let's keep Connecting Daytona!
That's what we do. That's what being Fractionally Focused is all about. Join the conversation and let's discuss the possibilities at ConnectingDaytona.com/Schedule
