Questions are an integral part of effective communication. Questions help us understand one another. Questions convey interest. Questions clarify intent. Questions engage. When we think of who a great questioner might be, we usually think of lawyers/attorneys, news reporters/journalists, doctors and therapists/counselors. However, we tend to overlook the people and professions that may benefit the most! Think about Leaders, regardless of industry. What about parents? Perhaps Coaches? Students? Definitely Salespeople. In fact, the optimal range of questions asked for a strong sales conversion rate is roughly 11 to 14 questions. (Allison Brooks, HBR) The truth is EVERYONE benefits from improving their questioning skills. Here’s how to hone your questioning skills instantly! 1) Listen. It will be nearly impossible to improve your questioning skills, if you first cannot listen intently. During a conversation, most great questions are built upon real time information and dialogue. The old sales adage of the 80/20 rule is quite helpful here: listen 80% and speak 20%. 2) Open Ended. The fastest way to more engaging conversations, better understanding and overall better questioning, is to simply make your question open ended. For example, instead of asking your prospective Customer “Is this something you’d like to buy?”, ask them “How many would you like to purchase?”. Eliminate the easy no, while opening the door to understand more of what is going on inside your customer’s mind. For those in Leadership, open ended questions are great for uncovering details, opinions and to transition into feedback or coaching conversations. For parents, try asking more engaging, open-ended questions such as “What was the most exciting part of your day today?” instead of simply asking “How was your day?”. Even reframing the most insignificant of questions throughout your day can help build good questioning habits. 3) Give Options When you need to maintain control, whether on a sales call or at home with your toddler, asking strategic questions with options is a great tool. This questioning tool only works if there are two different options you will be satisfied with, regardless of what is chosen. On a Sales call, instead of asking your potential Client/Customer “When should I follow up with you”, ask them “Would you prefer I follow up with you in one week or in two?”. Perhaps you ask an employee of yours “Would you prefer to write up your report before or after our team meeting?” And for the parents, this approach can work wonders. It’s empowering to the child and can help foster a sense of confidence for them as well. The next time you start to demand your child pick up their toys, try asking this instead: “Would you like to pick up your toys before or after dinner today?”. In my opinion, great questioning is simply muscle memory. It takes practice and repetition to develop, along with usage to maintain. For additional information on the Art of Questioning or for a personalized Coaching session to improve your questioning, regardless of industry or application, email kat@thekoway.com