You’ve been in that meeting where you want to scream at everyone to ask better questions. We have, too. The one when a close colleague raises her hand and proceeds to speak in circles for at least two or three minutes, until she finally hears your encouraging cough that will hopefully redirect her focus, and gets to her intended question: “Ummm, there was a question in there…hold on…what I mean to say is…well…we’re talking about…what were we talking about?”
Painful. But it happens to the best of us, at least once.
Questions are key to understanding. (Even Voltaire knew this, writing in the 1700s, “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”) If you want others to understand your content, you’ve got to ask better questions. Here’s how:
- If you can Google it, don’t ask. That seems obvious, but important to note nonetheless. The same goes for information you’ve already received. If a client has already provided his log in information and scheduling requests, those are questions you should not ask over and over again.
- Say what you mean to say. Don’t offer excuses as to why you might not know the answer, and don’t minimize your knowledge seeking as an inconvenience. If you treat your questions like a meaningless endeavor for which you should apologize, others won’t value your input, either.
- Use question marks with caution. In polite societies, there’s a two question maximum. You’ll run the risk of confusing the question-answerer, not to mention stealing time away from fellow question-askers. Ask what’s most important to know; anything else is best in a follow-up email.
- Pretend your question mark is a full-stop. The process should be as pure and simple as possible: there is an ask, and then an answer. Be concise, and resist the natural tendency to ramble. Your clarity will be appreciated and noted.
- Make sure your questions empower. We’ve all known the guy who asks questions solely to place blame or elevate his own stature in the group. Don’t be that guy. Ever. Instead, ask questions that promote trust, inclusiveness, and ones that encourage forward thinking.
- Don’t interrupt. Listen to the answer. Some of the best answers pop up just after the question has been answered. There may be a lull while the question-answerer thinks a bit more, and then offers up another version of their answer. Wait for it. You’ll be glad you did.
We’d ask you if this post taught you anything about how to ask better questions, but we tend to stay away from dead-end questions that require a simple yes or no answer. Think of this as Tip Number Seven, then.
And if you’d like to hear more about how better questions can grow your business, just ask us (the short answer: your prospects are searching right now for answers that you can help them with). We’re here to help.