There is a great article in Harvard Business Review called “The Surprising Power of Questions” by Alison Brooks and Leslie John (https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions). The ability to ask relevant questions is one of the most important for a sales person so the results of this work are worth reviewing in that context.
Among the most common complaints people make after having a conversation, such as an interview, a first date, or a work meeting, is “I wish he/she had asked me more questions” or “I can’t believe she/he didn’t ask me any questions.”
This is because
People can be egocentric
They can be apathetic
They may be overconfident
They worry that they’ll ask the wrong question
Dating back to the 1970s, research suggests that people have conversations in order to exchange information (learning) and form an impression of the other person (liking). Recent research shows that asking questions achieves both. During a sales meeting, we are trying to build trust with our customer and getting them to like us helps in achieving this. As a result, asking good questions results in building trust and establishing needs – two of the three elements in The Equation of Sales (https://www.hoolock-consulting.com/equation-of-sales).
People who ask many questions are:
Better liked by their conversation partners;
Learn more about their partners’ interests;
Are more likely to arrange a further meeting.
The first step in becoming a better questioner is simply to ask more questions. Of course, the number of questions is not the only factor that influences the quality of a conversation. The type, tone, sequence and framing of the questions also matter.
There are four types of questions:
Introductory questions (“How are you?”),
Mirror questions (“I’m fine. How are you?”),
Full-switch questions (ones that change the topic entirely),
Follow-up questions (ones that solicit more information).
Follow-up questions are particularly important. They signal to the other person that you are listening, care and want to know more. People interacting with a person who asks lots of follow-up questions tend to feel respected and heard.
When we prepare for a meeting, we should plan all of our opening questions. However, follow up questions are more difficult to plan; we need to react to the information that we are given. In terms of preparation, you need to consider what possible answers might be provided and what a follow up question might be. However, the best way to prepare is to role play the scenario with a colleague who is familiar with the customer. Get them to play the role of the customer and to react to your questions so that you can practise your possible follow up questions.