CEOs and business owners always want to know the answers to having a more successful and profitable business. As someone running a company, you probably have several business problems or issues on your mind that need answers right now. Unfortunately, there are no magic pills that when taken instantly give us the answers we are looking for.

You may want answers to a multitude of issues dealing with sales, marketing, employees, revenues, taxes and many other things that come across your desk each business day.

To grow your business, get the business answers you need by doing two things consistently :

1) Clearly state what the problem is – you can’t find the answer if you are not certain what the problem is.

2) Determine the question – you need to know the question before you can get the right answer.

The one word that will help you

• State the problem
• Ask the question
• Grow your business

Is…

Why?

Why are we not making sales projections?

Why did we not sign that contract everyone thought was a done deal?

Why are we not talking to more prospects?

Business, just as in life, is full of questions. It’s human nature to feel frustration, anger or disappointment when something doesn’t go the way you expect it to go. When that happens, you need to dig deep to determine what really went wrong. To dig deep means asking questions. Lots of questions.

Let’s look at two real life examples we can all relate to:

When you take the car in for repair, the mechanic will ask you: Why did you bring the car in today?

When you go to the doctor, the doctor will ask you: Why don’t you feel well?

Whether it’s the car mechanic or the doctor, it starts with one question that leads to another question and another question and another question. When you ask enough questions, you get the answers you need.

Think solutions. Not problems.

If you think solutions, then you will ask more questions in order to get the answers you need to grow your business.

As you go about your business day, be wondrous. Be curious.

Say to yourself throughout the day: What is the question?

Get the information you need to manage and run a successful, growing business. And don’t forget to teach your employees to ask why. Why should you be the only one in the company asking questions?

This post originally aired on Howard’s Blog Talk Radio show, Talk Business With Howard. Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11 AM/ET, Howard shares business advice and business wisdom with the 5 Minute Business Strategy.

This post was also published on BizEngine. To read the post on BizEngine, click here.