In his powerful book, Tools of Titans, Tim Ferris interviewed Alex Blumberg, the founder of Gimlet Media. Alex is an award winning radio-journalist and creator of the mega-hit podcast Start-up. One of the surprising key points that Alex hit on was the importance of asking what appears to be “dumb questions”.
According to Alex, “Often there’s a very dumb question at the center of a story that no one’s asking. One of the biggest stories that I ever did, “The Giant Pool of Money.” was predicated on just such a dumb queston: “Why are the banks loaning money to people who can’t possibly pay it back?”
Asking the right dumb question is often the smartest thing that you can do.
This makes sense, we have heard it said many times that there is no such thing as a dumb question. If this is true, why do we so often hold back on asking the one question that could unlock growth for ourselves and our business?
In some cases, it is simply a case of intellectual insecurity. Some people are afraid that they may ask the wrong question at the wrong time exposing their lack of knowledge and looking dumb. Some people are egocentric and are too busy trying to impress others with their own thoughts, stories, and ideas. Their ego prevents them from expanding their knowledge base. Sometimes people are just too passive and don’t even care enough to ask a simple question that could change everything.
Do you want to change your business? Ask the dumb questions. Ask the question that is burning in your head. It is there for a reason.
Do you need to know more about what a successful sales week should look like? Ask.
Do you have a gap in your product knowledge? Ask.
Do you need help with your sales script? Ask.
Do you need help with dealing with objections? Ask.
Do you need help with pricing your products? Ask.
Do you need clarity on something that someone explained before? Ask.
Stop suffering in silence to protect your ego. Here is the great news, if it really is a dumb question, then there should be a simple answer!
The truth is: there is no such thing as a dumb question. You have heard it your whole life, and it is true. There are questions and answers. That is it. The only thing that makes it dumb, is how you feel about it.
Trust me, everybody feels this way. The trick is understanding how powerful these questions really are and how much they will help you. Asking questions is the only way to grow and gain understanding. Knowledge is directly transferred through questions and answers. There are people who want you to win, and they are willing to walk alongside you to help you find your answers, regardless of how simple they may seem to you.
If you have any questions about your sales or your business, we would love to hear from you. To us, there is simply no such thing as a dumb question. We may have the answer for you, and if we do not, we will find it with you.
