Answer Questions As Asked

Last night I was a teacher – dispensing lessons learned to a group of incredibly bright young women from Stephens College.

One sage piece passed on was simply to answer questions as asked.

Simple, right? If someone asks you what time it is, you don’t tell them how to build a watch, you tell them “8:26.” If someone asks you the price of something, the first thing out of your mouth better darned well be a number.

Only it’s not so simple for some of us, is it? Flights of fancy and delight and well-intended enthusiasm often build tall walls between ask and answer.

This morning, the teacher became the student.

For a couple months, I’ve been in discussions with an awesome, major radio group in the midwest to come and conduct a workshop. When the general manager first contacted me, he had been to the speaking page of my website and had a very specific request:

I’d be interested in getting a little more information, including the cost of bringing you to Sioux Falls, S.D.

To do some training for my team of 15 marketing reps, two sales managers and myself.

I went to your site and three of the sessions would be very relevant for my team.

1. Ad-Writers 18-Pack
2. Value-Able Advertising
3. How to Write Ads that draw a Crowd

How long is each session and what would be your fee?

At the time, I gave him a figure and some other information I thought pertinent, and we’ve been discussing off-and-on via email over the past several weeks.

Only, in my enthusiasm, I took my eye off answering his very specific question as asked. I started suggesting other things we could do … several other things.

I wasn’t trying to pad my fee, mind you. I was just excited about this new stuff I’d been developing and thought the general manager would be as well.

I wasn’t just trying to tell him what time it was, I was trying to tell him how to build a watch … and a grandfather clock … and London Bridge.

And, so, I got this email today:

Tim, you  just committed the most common mistake retailers make.  Too many offerings. Now I’m confused…been given more choices and distracted from

What I actually wanted. Hmmmm.

The morning after I got done teaching the importance of answering the question as asked …

(Teacher lowers head in shame.)

So, I promptly replied:

Ha! Well played, sir!

Answer the question as asked … just taught that as a lesson to some soon-to-be college graduates last night.

You originally asked:

1. Ad-Writers 18-Pack
2. Value-Able Advertising
3. How to Write Ads that draw a Crowd

How long is each session and what would be your fee?

1. Ad-Writers 18-Pack can either be 90-minutes … or two hours if your team would like to submit 5-10 ads in advance that incorporate into the presentation as examples that either reinforce one of the 18 principles or could benefit from one of them.

2. Value-Able Advertising (as an old farmboy, this is one of my favorites) – It’s interactive, and it takes about 90 minutes as I lead the team through exercises to help them understand the principles.

3. How to Write Ads that Draw a Crowd – Just 30 minutes. It would be a good capper to the day.

The half day would be $2000. If you’d like to add a couple more things, the full day is $3000. And if you like, you could add a free public seminar (typically 3-hours) on a second day for just another $1000. I would do the Pendulum, 12 Most Common Mistakes (includes a wonderful bit about sound vs. sight), and end with a Q & A.

And we’re back on track and discussing a date for my visit to his market.

Which brings us to another lesson from last night that I first heard a few years back from the local Harley-Davidson shop owner, Steve:

Hopefully, we all keep learning. Hopefully, we all keep trying to do better the next time.

Until next time … class dismissed.

Oh, and P.S. – speaking of speaking to the students … there were some really good additional pieces of advice in the comments to yesterday’s post.