Are we asking the right questions?

Photo: Getty Images

At the recent BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, I presented “Asking the Right Questions” at the start of the innovation track. One of my themes was to encourage people to ask questions of customers to discover insights. Then, I encouraged asking the next question. Never settle for a “good” answer when a much larger opportunity — a great answer — can be uncovered by asking the next question.

The images in the presentation started with a photo of a red sports car on an open mountain road. I asked, “Do you enjoy the experience of driving?” I’m sure most said “yes.” Then we shifted to a photo of a highway in total gridlock, and then to a woman texting in a car. I asked, “Really? Wouldn’t most people today, in most driving situations, rather be able to text than to drive?” The fact is, most of the time, the freedom of the road is akin to a moving prison. The freedom to text (legally) can entice us to allow Uber to do the driving for us. Will this evolve into a tomorrow with self-driving cars that encourage us to text, watch Netflix, or enjoy the scenery? It could happen.