Don't ask questions for which you already know the answer
I was recently completing an online form to submit a proposal for speaking at a conference. I had to log in to the system for it to recognize me (which it did). One of the first questions it asked me was "Have you ever spoken at this conference before?"
So the system knows who I am, but it doesn't know if I've ever spoken at this conference before? (I have.) Why are they asking me things they should already know?
And this is my message to you: Don't ask questions that will make your members or customers say "Wait, you should know that already!" Because every time you do that, you are telling them, "You're not important enough for me to bother working on getting this information. I'll just ask you for it because that's easier for me." (And as an aside, the customer may not know the answer, or may give an incorrect answer, in which case the data is useless anyway!)
I know how difficult it can be to integrate disparate systems or reference data from past events. But if that question is truly important to you, do the work beforehand or afterward. Don't make the customer do the work for you!
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Motion vs. Action
In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. …
Are You Answering Your Calls?
I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve …
Who do you trust?
Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for …
Set benchmarks to measure progress
It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, …
You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.
A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set …
You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it. Read More »
"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."
In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except …
"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to." Read More »
Know Your Audience Before You Speak
This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, …
"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."
Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was …
"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment." Read More »
Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how …
Consultants bring perspective
Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is …