THE BETTER QUESTION TO ASK

We usually ask questions to prove ourselves right. We frame the questions we ask to get the response we want. We all do this - as managers, sales people, partners and parents.

But rarely does that get the right result for everyone. Because while we think we are right, our staff, customer, partners and kids all think they are right too. The end result is disagreement that needs to be worked through. This creates more work.

To get around this, people focus on the type of questions they ask - open vs closed questions. While this helps, it misses the point - you’re asking questions to gather information, not to ask a specific type of question. Your focus should be on the information you receive, not the type of question you asked.

This results in people making lots of assumptions. We assume that we are all on the same page around the project, sale and next step forward. It’s only later when things don’t work out as we assumed that we realise the problem. This creates more work

There are four levels of questions to ask.

Abstraction - This is about understanding. At what level are you asking questions? Are you going for the big picture or the details? When do you use which one and when do you swap?

Language - this is about challenging and understanding the psychology of the other person. Why did they use that word and not another? When you know this, you can challenge their way of thinking.

Details - this is all about the level of knowledge you have of the customer’s problem, just as much as their understanding of their problem.

Personal - this is about connecting at a deeper level. Are your questions structured for them, about them and on them? Or are they focused on you, and what you want?

The Better Question to Ask program will give your team the skills to ask the right question in the right way at the right time to get what they want. It is a highly interactive program that will challenged the way your team thinks about questions and the answers people give them.

The Better Question to Ask Program is a standalone program that also sits within the More Sales More Profit program. It can be delivered online, or in the room.