Most of the aspiring Entrepreneurs are interested in telling about their products and services than asking questions. We don’t ask enough questions.

It’s the same with marketers. If you are marketing your stuff to people, then, ask questions to them.

• What do they do?
• what are their desires and biggest roadblocks?
• What is that one big problem, which, if we take care of, their life would be so much easier?

Remember, the goal of an entrepreneur is not to sell stuff or be clever. It’s to solve the problem. Give the solution. The money is just an unavoidable outcome. Solve the problems, and to do that, ask questions. It’s the most effective way to grow.

Ask questions to people who are there, where you want to be.
Ask them what they were doing, when they were at the stage where you are right now. Ask them how you can do better. How you can do more in less time.

Remember, when you talk to someone, when you chat with someone, the person who is going to be more curious, will walk out more knowledgeable than the other guy.

Ask Questions with a curious mind.

If you are in sales, then don’t start the same sales tape for every person you see. Remember, everyone is different. With different skills, flaws, and desires.

Understand the specific problems of people and then decide if your product and service can really help them achieve their desired outcome.

Most of the time, I have observed, our customers’ problems are really simple but they get overwhelmed by our solutions. And end up not taking any action.

But we wouldn’t know that unless we ask questions with a curious mind.

Let me tell you a story.

This happened around 5 years ago when I was in the 12th standard. I was sitting in a class. There was an event.

The teacher came to the stage and said, there is a presentation. You are supposed to choose the topic, prepare for a day or two, come on the stage, and present your topic. Speak about it. It’s not compulsory but I think everyone should participate.

You know when someone says something, ask something, immediately in our mind, we decide if we are going to do it or not.

We think, oh yes, that’s amazing I am going to do it. Or we go, Nah man. I am never going to do that. Now, how can I say no politely?

We think all these things immediately when someone says something. It’s an impulse reaction.

And let me tell you, I had intense stage fear. Not just that, I was very introverted. It was hard for me to go out of my shell and talk to another person, much less express my thoughts.

So my reaction was, immediately, NO… A big hard NO!

But that’s not the complete truth. You see, back in the day, and still today, I am very obsessed with inspirational people.

People like Simon Sinek, Sadhguru, Tony Robbins.

One of my friends introduced me to their literature and their videos. I was reading their books, watching their videos, listening to their audio-books and following them around everywhere.

I knew that this is the chance to, sort of present the thoughts that need to be presented.

A chance to share the message
that need to be shared.

I mean, I knew that most of the people, including the teachers, sadly, don’t know the intricacies of the mind, and productivity and success.

Now, I am not so sure, that I did, or do, even now, but at that time, I thought, someone has to present the “start with productivity, front of them. Someone has to. It is very important.

And I asked my best friend that, hey man, you can, you know, talk to people, you are an extrovert, how about you take this opportunity to present the thoughts, and explain these points from the presentation “start with why” to the students and teachers.

And we were discussing… of course, he knew that I have this intense stage fear.

So he said, “I am not going to do it.”

“If you want to convey the message, you will have to get on the stage. You will have to look people in the eye and they are going to stare at you and you have to smile, and you have to present the message. If you think the message is worth it.”

Such a cruel friend…!

Now you see, at one side, there was this intense fear and on the other side, there was this intense need that I was feeling. The need to convey the message because I knew the message is really good and people need to hear it.

But I guess the second need was more important than the first fear.

Every time this happens in your life, every time your goal seems bigger, better and worthwhile to you, then the fears around it, you dare, you try, you jump and you take chances.

Otherwise, you stay where you are, not moving an inch above, you stay cooped up and die eventually without ever living.

But If your goal is so big and exhilarating, if your goal excites you, if your goal is about other people, you will find a way to manage the time, you will find a way to do more stuff in less time, you will find a way to be more productive to take risks, to develop new skills and as a result, you grow faster.

Everyone has fears, you know. Maybe not as intense as I had, but everyone fears something. But as long as your goals, matter, your fears can’t stop you.

So I planned, I practiced and I practiced again.

I went to the class and I was still practicing. My mind went blank. I was trying to remember the words and points.

I was shaking. And I went up there on the stage. It was brutal. I started talking and I forgot some points. The sentences did not make much sense. While people got the gist of the talk, I knew,

It was a disaster.

But it was not the only time I made a joke out of myself. I mean, I was exceptionally bad at talking to people. The same thing happened in college. The same thing happened at the friend’s gatherings and the same things happened everywhere.

But here’s the kicker… Even though, I was thinking about, what would people say, if and when I fail? What would people think of me, what would they remember me like, I was learning how to talk, and how to present my thoughts in a structured manner and how to write all the while. And I am still learning that.

About 4 years after that, one of the guys, who have seen me making a joke of thoughts, lots of times, he met me on the street. Now mind you, by this time, my ‘official education’ was finished.

By that I mean, I dropped out.! I was making videos and doing website-development as a full-time job.

His eyes were twinkling. He said, “it’s nice to run into you. I saw some of your stuff online, it’s good.”

Turns out, people don’t really make fun of you when you win. They don’t make fun of you when you succeed. And they actually forget every stupid mistake you ever made when you get at some level.

It’s not like, I am very good at what I do, mind you. I am still learning how to make good videos, how to write better. But I can say for sure that Now my videos are getting more bearable and sufferable than 4 years ago.

Do it. People are not going to remember your past mistakes anyway.

That’s what my best friend used to say and that’s my message for you.

On this channel, on this website, in our workshops, or anywhere, you might think, oh, how can I ask this question? This must be a stupid question. Oh, I don’t know if people might think of me as a dumb, foolish or worse, a different person than them…

Guess what? They don’t matter. You do.

They might have forgotten all about you by tomorrow and you about them.

But if you hesitate now, then you will, without a shred of a doubt, lose the chance to try, fail, learn, try again and grow.

So, Don’t give in to any social pressure here. This is your space. This is your time to learn and grow. No one matters. Only you. You getting the most out of these videos and workshops and articles. That’s what matters,

So, Ask Questions. It’s the most effective way to grow.

What do you think? What are your thoughts?

What are the questions that you’ve asked your clients or mentors that changed the way you look at the business forever? Tell me your story. I would love to know.

Did you like this article? Do you want articles like this more often? If you have a problem that you are facing right now in your business, tell me about it.

If I can help you get even a slightly different perspective to look at the problem you are facing, it would seriously make my day. So comment below and let me know.

Now I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, every blogger wants people to comment because it builds more engagement. Which means more views for the article. You are absolutely right.!

But here’s the thing.

I really want to know what you think. You can even email me at hello@kaivalya.me or you can just comment below. It’s much easier.

To your success,