“Daddy, will you tell us all the things you and mommy do?”
Gulp.
I thought I was in for it. She’s only five and asking questions like this already?
“Sure honey,” I said as I picked her up where we stood in the kitchen.
“What did you want to know?”
“Um, how do you reach the cookies up there?”
Phew. That was an easy one. And no where even close to where I thought it was going to go. It’s a good thing I let her ask first.
The questions won’t always be that easy
But today that’s all she wanted to know. And she was satisfied with having her one question answered.
Don’t we all feel a bit better when our questions are answered?
When it comes down to making a decision, we’re usually choosing between different options. Most times the more we know the easier it is to make a decision.
So let’s say you were buying a new HD TV
You can buy from Store A or Store B. All things are equal. The same TV. Same price.
The only difference is Store A doesn’t offer you any other info. Store B on the other hand gives you tons of help. Store B answers the questions you have running through your mind.
Which do you think you’d choose?
I know I’d be more comfortable choosing the option that helped me by answering my questions.
Answering questions is a good place to start
When you need to put together copy for a project start with the basic questions — The Who? What? Where? When? Why?
But remember to come at it from the perspective of your audience. These questions are not always the same as the ones you think they’ll be.
So encourage questions and feedback
This accomplishes two things:
1. People tell you what they need to know
When we’re too close to what we do, sometimes we leave out what seems obvious. But what may seem obvious to us, is not always obvious to the people we’re trying to communicate with.
2. They also let you know if you’re missing the mark
If you’re getting questions about things you thought you explained. You know you need to make adjustments, or tweaks.
This applies across the board
Whether you’re trying to get someone to come to an event, buy a product or even hire you. People have questions. Anticipate and adjust for the right ones in your copy and you’ll see better results.
I’d really like you to reach your cookie. =)
Action Plan:
Next time you’re in a buying or time commitment related situation, make a list of the questions you ask yourself. Then see how those same questions can apply to your work and answer them.