Are you making a marketing mistake that could cost your business thousands of dollars a month?

Question

Pretty compelling, isn’t it?   

Questions have a unique power.  They open our minds.  Even if we don’t really want them to be opened.  Humans are naturally curious. 

When someone asks us a question, even one that doesn’t really matter to us – we have to wonder.  We can’t help ourselves.

If I ask you what was the name of the ad agency that employed Darrin on the TV show Bewitched, most of you aren’t going to remember.  Everyone will wonder for a few seconds.  (Some of the younger readers may wonder what the heck is Bewitched!)  Some will dismiss it.  Others will ask around.  Some will even research it on the internet.

All for a trivia question about a 60’s TV show.  Knowing the answer to that question won’t make you any money, save you time or impress your friends.  Yet, you’ll wonder.  At least a little.

That’s the secret of asking questions.  You can use questions to create demand.  To stimulate doubt.  To intrigue.  Or to inspire.  Questions invite your audience into the conversation.

Sometime this week, ask yourself this.  How could you use questions more effectively in your marketing efforts?

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12 comments on “Are you making a marketing mistake that could cost your business thousands of dollars a month?

  1. John Wall says:

    This also makes me think of questions that arise even though you don’t intend it. You recently reminded me of the “4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident” campaign. What’s up with the 5th dentist?

  2. John,

    Perhaps he’s just stubborn? Or refuses to run with the crowd?

    Drew

  3. Matt,

    Questions are one of the most powerful tools a marketer has — in any phase of the process. And yet, most marketers are guilty of talking far more than they listen.

    I think that’s one of the reasons social media has taken off. Consumers crave the opportunity to be listened to.

    Drew

  4. Jeff Gwynne says:

    Which Darrin – Dick York or Dick Sargent?

  5. Wow….a true Bewitched fan. Did the Darrens work at different agencies? I thought they both worked for McMann and Tate?

    Drew

  6. Jeff Gwynne says:

    Drew-

    I was (still am, I guess) a Bewitched fan. And you are correct, both Darrin Stephens’ worked for McMahon and Tate – Dick York from 1964-1969 and Dick Sargent from 1969-1972.

    I always thought this would be a great SAT question: Dick York is to Sean Connery as Dick Sargent is to Roger Moore.

    Jeff

  7. Jeff,

    What was/is it about the show that appealed to you so much? I always love when people find out what I do for a living and then say “Oh, like Bewitched?” (Or Thirtysomething, depending on their age.) I just tell them….yes, just like that.

    Except for the magic wife and the pun filled ads!

    Drew

  8. Toby says:

    Great question Drew! Another use of the question technique is to use it as part of “active listening” with your clients. What question shall we ask at Blogger Social?

  9. Jeff Gwynne says:

    Drew-

    As you know, Bewitched was an icon of the 60s (you know a TV icon when it later becomes a movie). I think the general appeal was that for the first time on television, the lead woman was empowered (and the brains of the family).

    For me, it is always about the dialog and being able to use the lines in everyday conversation, mainly with other liked-minded people. The dialog in Bewitched was very clever, especially for the era.

    “When I think of you as a blood relative, I long for a transfusion.”

    -Jeff

  10. Toby,

    You’re very right. Asking questions is a wonderful way to engage in any conversation. I love it when a client says “no one has ever asked us that before.”

    As for Blogger Social, I wonder if people will come up for air from all the hugging long enough to ask questions!

    Drew

  11. Jeff,

    That’s what I remember the most too. Endora usually got the zinger lines! And the other thing I enjoyed about the show were the zany cast of characters that would pop in and out of any given show — Sam’s relatives.

    As a writer, I always think about a show in terms of if it would have been fun to write. Bewitched would have been a blast, don’t you think?

    Drew

  12. Jeff Gwynne says:

    Drew-

    Absolutely. I always wanted to be a writer of television comedy.

    Jeff

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