Shut up and eat your french fries: Asking Effective Questions
I suck at marketing. There I said it.One of the best received sessions I have delivered in the last two years has been one about asking better questions. The trouble was, few people attended. It sounded way to boring. I tried a few different titles:
- Asking Better Questions
- Asking Effective Questions
- How to ask better more effective questions
Then I came across a comedy routine performed by Louis CK about his daughter asking him, as daughters are want to do, over and over again, "Why?" The routine ends with him muttering, "Shut up and eat your french fries." It is hysterical, but also makes some great points. Inspired, I renamed the session, Shut up and eat your french fries. Voila! People started showing up!A few months back I had the honor of presenting it at the Los Angeles Accounting and Finance show at the LAX Hilton. Coincidently, my daughter, Éirinn, happened to be in LA at the time and was able to see me deliver this.
Abstract
This session is dedicated to the possibility that professionals can greatly increase the value they provide to their customers if they hone their skills at asking better, more effective questions. Developing an enhancing this skill is not easy because it requires us to rethink the paradigms and prejudices of the past. If you would like to contribute to a conversation about this topic, please join Ed Kless, Sage senior director of partner development and strategy.
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