Better answers start with better questions.

Most people jump straight to answers.

But great researchers, salespeople, and problem-solvers start somewhere else:

They ask better questions.

There are two places information comes from:

Public Information - This is anything you can search or access without talking to a person.

Private Information - This comes from conversations with people

Public data helps you prepare smarter questions.

Private conversations help you see what’s really happening.

Ask the basics:

Simple questions unlock deeper insight.

Imagine asking five people in a company to describe their sales process.

You won’t get one answer.

You’ll get five different perspectives.

Each answer is like a brushstroke on a painting.

The more brushstrokes you gather, the clearer the picture becomes.

The real insight isn’t in one answer. It’s in the pattern across many answers.

Try this the next time you research a problem:

Better questions → Better answers → Better decisions.

“Want better answers? Ask better questions.”
- Mike Simmons

Yeah, we know it sounds obvious, but we know plenty of leaders and sales teams that skip this step entirely.

They jump straight to solutions, strategies, and tactics before they’ve done the research. And in our experience, when that happens, teams end up solving the wrong problem.

The real work should start earlier and with curiosity.

At the core of great research is a simple framework most of us learned as kids:

Who. What. Where. When. Why. How.

It’s the journalist’s approach to understanding a story. And when you apply it to business problems, customer conversations, or sales opportunities, magic happens or at least something interesting.

You start seeing the full picture.

Instead of assuming what’s happening you begin to map the situation from multiple angles. Who is impacted? What problems are they trying to solve? Why does it matter now? How are they solving it today?

When you start asking those questions across different people, you will quickly realize that most organizations don’t see the problem the same way.

Where we see many people and teams get tripped up is when they assume that they already understand the situation.

So they move. But the reality is that most problems in revenue, sales, and growth don’t come from a lack of effort, they come from a lack of clarity.

Clarity only comes from asking better questions and doing the research to answer them.

Better questions build better trust, uncover better problems, and ultimately lead to better revenue outcomes.

One Small Step to Start This Week:

Before your next important meeting, whether it’s with a customer, prospect, or your own team, do two things:

That’s it. Not a full research report. Not a perfect strategy.

Just better questions going into the room.

The moment you start asking better questions is the moment you start getting better answers.

One of the fastest ways teams improve their thinking around problems like this is simply by getting everything out of their heads and into the open. That’s exactly what happens during the Strategic Whiteboard sessions Mike facilitates. Instead of jumping straight to solutions, the team slows down and works through the questions together. Who’s involved, what’s actually happening, where the gaps are, and why it matters. The result isn’t just better answers. It’s shared clarity and when a leadership or revenue team gets aligned around the right questions, the strategy and execution tend to follow much more naturally.

If helping your team think more clearly and solve the right problems sounds valuable, a Strategic Whiteboard session might be a good place to start.

High-performing revenue teams know that growth doesn’t come from activity alone. It comes from clear thinking and disciplined execution.

Mike works with GTM leaders and revenue teams to step out of the daily pressure long enough to challenge assumptions, refine strategy, and strengthen the processes that drive consistent results.

Through keynotes, workshops, and facilitated discussions, teams leave with sharper focus, stronger alignment, and a clearer path forward.

If you’re interested in bringing Mike in to work with your team, reach out. We would love to start the conversation.

Did you know many of our YouTube conversations live on the Find My Catalyst site?

We’ve pulled them together in one place so you can easily find discussions on leadership, strategy, and the real challenges revenue teams face every day.

If you’re looking for something thoughtful (and useful) to listen to this week, you can explore them here.

Keep putting one intentional step in front of the other - the view gets better and better as you climb.

We’d love if you would share this with someone who is ready to build their sprints for the new year.

The Find My Catalyst Team