CAREERS / BUSINESS ADVICE

THE AWESOME POWER OF QUESTIONS

Whether you use a resume, or proposal, one of the basic ingredients for opening employment opportunities is wise questioning. In fact, a well thought-out line of questions can, by itself, position you as a desirable addition to a business, and in some cases even lead into an offer. One great advantage of questioning is that you don’t need to look for an opening.

THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

.Job offers are made to people who have a high potential of being a valuable team member. Wise questioning will not only give you precious insight, it will demonstrate your interest in the business and steer your quest for more information.

QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER when discussing products, processes and services.

Where is this done?

How do you do that?

Who else is doing this?

Do you intend to diversify?

What is the procedure for this?

What else are you interested in?

What are your nonfinancial assets?

What else would you like to be doing?

What equipment do you have that is not being fully used?

How long have you been providing (making, selling) this?

What is here (scrap or surplus) that is not now being used?

What do you wish you could do in this situation, or with this device?

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Who would profit from my success?

What company do I want to work for?

What would I love to do on a daily basis?

What other questions should I plan to ask?

How can I get the boss of that company re-enthused about his company’s prospects. And how can I be a part of his enthusiasm?

How can I help them turn their plans into reality? What information will I need to participate in, or launch those plans? Where can I find that information?

OPPORTUNITY FINDING QUESTIONS :

These are offered to get your brain in gear. Highlight the ones that apply and add others as you think of them. They are generic question that can be asked about most products, processes and services.

What else is like this?

What is being wasted?

What is similar to this?

What are the problems?

What else would work?

When does this happen?

Why is it done this way?

Where else is this useful?

Why do people want that?

How can it be made easier?

How can this be expanded?

How can this be done faster?

How else might this be done?

How can this be made newsworthy?

How can I include what I love in my career ?

Could this be used to market another product or service?

Each will inspire more questions. The point is, questions open new viewpoints and new viewpoints find new approaches. The questions you ask will help you and the people you question understand how things may be improved.

Questioning will also discover the dreams and frustrations, the accomplishments and problems of your target business, Questioning opens the door for new methods, new products, and cost savings. Questions will free you mind to devise ways for you and your potential employer to realize dreams and bury frustrations—to understand the reality of available time, talent, and physical and monetary assets.

QUESTION TRADITIONAL METHODS

Roger B. started a business with just a few hundred dollars. Seven years later, he was worth seven million. He made repeated fortunes by asking, "How can this be done easier, and what do I wish I could do?” Answering these questions made him the world’s leading expert in his field. It has lead to the creation of an extensive line of unique and highly popular tools and world-wide sales.

QUESTION SITUATIONS

Look through the "help wanted" ads and question “why,” especially where you find a business listing several openings in a variety of fields. Responding to an ad with the intention of exploring for opportunity may result in an offer. You certainly will make yourself much more interesting than any of the other respondents. Please don’t say, “I’m responding to your newspaper ad.” The creative guys don’t just stick to their field of interest. They can find ways to contribute in many places.

One of the best jobs I ever had started with, “what does your company do,” followed by an observation, “Every city needs that. If you are not millionaires now, you soon will be.”

What if . . . ?