A couple of years ago I was having a bad time. Sales were down. Business was non-existent. The wind had gone out of my sails. I had a sinking feeling, like I was going down for the third time . . . and I couldnt even recall the first two. Yet, each time someone asked me, Hows business, I would reply, Good. Its kind of a natural reply to a rhetorical question. No one really expects an answer. No one wants to hear bad news, or so you would think.

One day, however, a friend asked the same question and I replied, Horrible. His response was, You, too? We then openly shared information about how we were coping, and what we thought the problem was. I left the conversation feeling much better.

A day of so later I visited my A/V supply store, where I have ordered video and photographic gear for years. I looked around and asked, Wheres Jorge? I was told Jorge didnt work there any more. I was shocked. So, my next question was, Who took his place? The response was even more revealing, You cant replace a Jorge. Business was down so badly that they had let go one of their best employees. He was a business resource with a vast knowledge of photography and equipment. This didnt make me feel better. It was actually a little frightening, but it was interesting information.

A short time later a really good friend of mine asked the Hows Business question and I thought I recognized a forlorn look in his eye. I replied, with candor and his next statement said it all, This is the worse July weve ever had . . . and we keep records.

The next month business improved for me, and Im guessing for my fellow entrepreneurs. Its strange, but I think it was the sharing of the bad news that gave me the strength to continue. By finding out that others were having as tough a time as I was proved that it wasnt just my business that was in trouble. The Business Gods werent out to make an example of me. It meant to me there were possibilities of improvement. I had hope. I felt encouraged.

When people ask a rhetorical question, it might have more meaning that a simple greeting. Think before you answer. You may find that others are in the same boat. The boat may not be sinking, but merely taking on a little water.

Don Doman

Don Doman is a published author (How to Produce a First-Class Video for Your Business: Work with the Pros or Do It Yourself, Market Research Made Easy, and Out of Work? Get Into Business: a Guide for the Middle-Aged Entrepreneur. He has also been a corporate producer for over two decades.

Don and his wife Peg are local food and theatre critics in the Pacific Northwest, where they write about their adventures.