In a recent podcast, author Toby Goodman revealed a small change in the language he uses to get more referrals for his podcast.
He used to ask: Do you know anyone who would be a good fit for our podcast?
He now asks: Who do you know who would be a good fit for our podcast?
The difference in the words is small, but the second question garners a much better response.
Toby explains why:
“Do you know anyone…?” is open-ended and quite overwhelming.
It likely will produce the respectful response: “Well, I’m not sure, I’ll think about it.”
“Who do you know who…?” will likely move your guest into searching their mind for just one person who might be a fit for you.
You’ve given them a specific and more doable task to accomplish that will result in immediate positive feedback (i.e., they’ll be thought of as a connector).
When you’re trying to change the behavior of another person, the expert communicators know that how and what they say matters.
