Tips on How to Ask the Right Questions
One of the most basic ways that people exchange ideas and information when communicating is by asking questions. However, the way questions are phrased will largely determine the sort of information you receive. Open-ended questions are great conversation starters, especially when you don’t know how to begin. They are invitations to give you longer, personalized answers to what somebody is thinking and feeling.
Open-ended questions are useful for three main reasons:
1. They allow you to gather information on the person you are speaking with, without working too hard. In most cases, the other person will offer it willingly. This can help you form a more complete impression of who they are - their motives, values, and what is important to them.
2. By inviting someone to follow their own train of thought, open-ended questions allow you to see what is really happening within a person’s mind. This will give you an easy entry point into the conversation so you can speak more intelligently.
3. Open-ended questions give you time to assess and observe someone while they speak. You can get a baseline on their body language so you can read them better. Their mannerisms, hand gestures, postures - how they present themselves.
The easiest way to ask open-ended questions is by using the acronym TED. This stands for:
Tell: “Tell me what’s important to you and your company.”
Explain: “Explain what you’re looking for in the partnership.”
Describe: “Describe to me what your expectations are for this venture.”
TED is a great tool because it allows you to phrase questions in a neutral way, without assuming how someone is going to answer. They don’t lead a person in a particular direction with your own biases or expectations.
