Moving sculptures. Kinetic sculptures by Anthony Howe

19.03.2019

Many product managers never leave the office. They are too busy with their projects, holding meetings - and almost never talk to consumers. Ultimately, when making product decisions, they rely entirely on their intuition (or the opinions of colleagues), rather than sound data.

You do not need to be a professional researcher to carry out a remote customer survey and draw conclusions based on it. This method is especially suitable for those product managers who do not have time to conduct large-scale research. You just need to understand what to pay attention to.

Below are three stages of product improvement, each of which involves a number of questions to the direct consumers of the product - your customers.

Stage 1: Testing a New Idea

Before you start developing a complete solution, you need to carefully study the problem and how your customers on this moment solve it. This will help you better, and also such research will allow you to avoid unnecessary spending on tools to solve non-existent problems. Ask your users the following questions:

  • What do you want to do?
  • what problem are you trying to solve?
  • how do you solve this problem?
  • what do you like about this way of solving the problem? what don't you like?
  • how much are you willing to pay for ___ that will solve your problem?

Stage 2: Product-to-market fit

Once you've started working on a complete solution, it's important to build as quickly as possible. This will help you determine if you are on the right path. If, as a result of the survey, it turns out that you need to drastically change your strategy, then you will save time and money on development. In addition, the feedback received will help you work more fruitfully with the project designers.

At this stage, you need to ask your clients the following questions:

  • looking at the product prototype, what do you think of it?
  • What options will you have after purchasing this product?
  • What is the first action you would take?
  • if you had Magic wand what changes would you make?

If you have two versions of a design, then you should also ask:

  • Which of these two versions do you find the most convenient?

Such surveys, among other things, will help you to carry out competitive analysis. Chances are, you've already tried competitors' products yourself, but by looking at how your users interact with solutions from other companies, you will draw much more conclusions for yourself. Below is a list of questions to ask:

  • Have you used this product before?
  • what do you like about this product?
  • what's not to like?
  • if you had a magic wand, how would you change this product?
  • do you know of other companies producing similar products?

Stage 3: Optimization

Once you've tested all your ideas, you can start creating or removing product features. Interactive prototypes are very useful at this stage, as they allow you to observe users as they interact with the product. Ask your clients the following questions:

  • what features should be added?
  • Which of the existing features do you find the most useful?
  • what features do you think are useless?
  • does anything seem out of place to you?

As you monitor users, also pay attention to what features they don't use. If they're ignoring core functionality, then you should rethink the concept!

Instead of a conclusion

A good product manager spares no time to communicate with users. In the process of this interaction, he extracts for himself useful ideas to improve the product - after all, only in this case he can be sure that the audience will like the product and will generate income than if he simply trusts his intuition.

The quality of the answer depends not only on who we ask the question to, but also on how we ask it. By asking the wrong question, you are almost guaranteed to get the wrong answer. The right questions significantly increase the chances of a consultation, useful information. Let's try to figure out what needs to be done for this.

5 Asker Mistakes

1. Ask a question that already has an answer

Very often the questioner has his own version of the answer, and he wants to check it. In this case, it is important that the question does not contain indications of the "correct" answer. Examples of such questions are: “Do we need to take on this order?”, “I think it will hold up, do you think so too?”, “Do you agree that it will work?” and so on. When the question is directed from the boss to the subordinate, the probability of getting the desired answer increases many times over. If you really want to know the opinion of the interlocutor, and not just decided to share with him, do not let us understand that you are only waiting for his approval.

2. Ask a closed question

Closed questions are those that have a limited number of answers. Usually two or three. Most famous example- Shakespeare's "to be or not to be." If you are not Shakespeare, you should not drive the respondent into the framework. It is possible that there are many more possibilities beyond. A simple example: bosses put pressure on you extra work. "Agree or refuse?" - you ask a friend, thereby missing the option "Agree, but for an increase in salary."

3. Pretend to understand the answer, although it is not.

Not all answers are equally clear. An obscure answer is useless. If you are not sure that you understood the interlocutor, you should not hide this fact. Often managers are afraid to ask for clarifications, as this supposedly demonstrates their incompetence. Meanwhile, former CEO General Electric's Jack Welch, in his book Winning, argues that executives should be the ones who ask the most questions and their questions should be the best.

4. Put pressure on the responder

"What the hell are you doing with the project?" “Are you even going to work?”, “What the hell are you showing me?” - in all these cases, the questioner will receive only . If your goal is to get the employee to admit guilt, then you are doing everything right. If the goal is to understand the problem, then pressure on the respondent will only hurt. Business consultant Michael Marquardt writes that when defensive, people tend to see themselves as part of the problem rather than as a source of possible solutions.

wittaya2499/depositphotos.com

5. Ask a series of questions

This method is so good that it is used deliberately when they do not want to hear the answer. Just ask the interlocutor a lot of questions in a row, preferably interrupting him. And that's it. Him, and you will not receive an answer to any of the questions.

Asking the right questions eliminates the need to know all the answers.

Donald Peterson, Ford CEO (1985–1989)

5 good ideas for the right questions

1. Prepare

If you have a conversation where you will ask important questions, it makes sense to prepare in advance: determine the essence of the problem and the purpose of the conversation, sketch out a list of questions.

2. Formulate the question in one sentence

Business consultant Jeff Haden suggests using this technique to get rid of the "clues" in questions. Plus, short questions tend to be easier to understand. Trying to keep within one sentence, you yourself will better understand the essence of the problem.

3. Formulate several options for the question

In the process of preparation, it is advisable to choose several options for the same question. This will allow you to look at the problem from different parties. It can be useful to set the same one for different time intervals. For example, not “What can be done to increase sales?” But “What can be done to increase sales in the next month?”.


eteimaging/Depositphotos.com

4. Start questions with the word "why"

Such questions are aimed at identifying the cause. "Why" softens directive questions very well. For example, instead of “You still haven’t submitted the project. What's happening?" it is better to ask “Why can’t I deliver the project on time?”. There is even a special technique for detecting hidden reasons - .

5. Ask clarifying questions

Among important issues there are few that offer a short, clear, and single answer. Much more often, we are faced with problems that have many solutions, and the consequences are difficult to assess. Several consecutive questions, each of which develops and refines the previous one, allow you to get deeper and more useful answers. If a question becomes an occasion for dialogue, discussion, discussion, this is a good question.

For most people, asking questions is as natural as walking or eating. They don't think about whether it's good or bad for them. But if it depends on the correct answer, it makes sense to work on the quality of the questions. Do you use any special techniques to ask good questions?

Don't know how to interest a pen pal? Why not ask him a couple of original and provocative questions? In our article, we will talk about what questions you can and should ask men when communicating on VKontakte. We have compiled detailed list questions: provocative, funny and original, about women and love, about life and hobbies. You will also learn what questions to avoid when corresponding with a man.

Ask the interlocutor about the simplest, not requiring self-disclosure and reflection. The conversation will start easily. These questions will help build trust. Talk about what he was doing today, what he saw interesting, about his work (study), about what is happening in his city now, if you live in another city, discuss the latest news.

  1. Was it a good day?
  2. How are you?
  3. What are you doing right now?
  4. Do you go to the cafeteria for lunch or do you take food from home?
  5. Has your project been accepted?
  6. Did you get home from work without incident?
  7. It's cold here, how's the weather for you?
  8. What places would you advise a tourist to see in your city?
  9. Have you already had a vacation this year?
  10. Did you go for a run today?
  11. How do you like the news that the dollar fell a little?
  12. Have you heard what happened in [name of region] yesterday?
  13. How did you celebrate February 23 (Airborne Forces Day, New Year)?
  14. What did they give you for your birthday?

Questions about life and hobbies

These questions are great for online dating. Touch on the topics of hobbies, achievements, family and childhood memories, pets. All this will help you get to know each other better.

In order to choose questions that will be of interest to him, carefully study his page in contact. Everything you need, he has already written in the "About Me" section.

  1. Do you like traveling to distant lands?
  2. What kind of music do you listen to?
  3. What are you reading?
  4. How do you feel about computer games?
  5. What movie would you like to watch right now?
  6. What do you prefer: football or hockey?
  7. Can you swim?
  8. Why do you value your friends?
  9. Do you have brothers or sisters?
  10. What did you like to play the most?
  11. Did you want to be like your father as a child?
  12. Do you like it when the family gathers for a feast?
  13. Who would you take home: a cat or a dog?
  14. Can you hang a shelf or picture on the wall?
  15. Do you love making things?

Would you like to receive detailed step by step instructions how to meet men online We recommend reading free checklist Alexey Chernozem "How to build relationships on the Internet and translate them into happy real ones." You will learn how to create an attractive image on the network, where to start dating and how to transfer them from the Internet to the real plane.

The book is free. To download, click here on this link, leave your e-mail and an email will be sent to the mail with a link to the pdf-file.

Funny, original questions

Ask these questions, and the atmosphere will take on a relaxed character. The opportunity to joke back will help the guy feel relaxed and charming. This will help diversify the correspondence and win his sympathy.

  1. What do you do with an alarm clock when it wakes you up too early?
  2. What color would you paint the refrigerator?
  3. What kind of weather do you associate yourself with?
  4. How do you fold your socks?
  5. Have you ever gone outside in slippers?
  6. Do you like to crunch thin ice in the puddles?
  7. Ever thought it would be cool to be able to fly?
  8. What do you say when you see yourself in the mirror shaggy and unshaven in the morning?
  9. Could you eat soup for breakfast?
  10. What kind of tree would you be?
  11. Do you like bursting bubble wrap?
  12. Have you ever sung while stuck in an elevator?

Questions about women and love

To satisfy your curiosity about how a guy behaved with girls before and how he will behave with you, questions about his previous experience and his beliefs will help. Here are some hot, tricky relationship questions:
  1. What do you value most in a girl?
  2. What character traits of a girl can turn you off?
  3. Is the profession of your future wife important to you?
  4. What do you think about cheating?
  5. Should a woman wait for a man at home or accompany him in his affairs?
  6. Can you remember the first time you fell in love with someone?
  7. What do you think about girls who are the first to talk about their feelings?
  8. Was it that you were not reciprocated?
  9. Would you call yourself in love?
  10. Love at first sight - is it a fairy tale?
  11. What does romance mean to you?
  12. Is polygamy allowed?
  13. Could you fall in love with a girl by correspondence in VK?

provocative questions

This difficult questions, with a trick. They take time to think, to choose the most accurate answer.

  1. Do you use obscenities in speech and why?
  2. Do you believe in friendship between a man and a woman?
  3. What can scare you?
  4. Do you consider yourself gambling?
  5. Tell us about your cherished dream.
  6. When you last time crying?
  7. What do you value most in life? Would you like to live forever?
  8. Have you had problems with alcohol, drugs?
  9. What do you think about people with a criminal past.
  10. What would you never do even for money?
  11. When you can save your wife or child, who will you save?

vulgar questions

Ask about intimate sphere need to be careful. There is a very thin line between arrogance and vulgarity. And, of course, you do not need to start such a conversation if you have known each other recently. Here are some dirty questions to ask a man:

  1. Have you ever watched other people have sex?
  2. What kinds of sex have you tried?
  3. Which actress would you like to share a bed with?
  4. When was the last time you watched porn?
  5. Do you shave underarm and groin hair?
  6. Would you agree to a threesome?
  7. What do you think about when you look at a girl's breasts?
  8. Would you like sex with a stranger?
  9. Name the most unusual place you've had sex.
  10. Is it true that the shape of the tip of a man's nose indicates the shape of the head of his manhood?
  11. What in sex makes you squeamish?
  12. What do you like most about foreplay?

The most difficult thing in dating on the Internet is to write him the first message. In our article, we have collected the most complete.

From this article you will learn how, which will be of interest to both.

What questions should be avoided in correspondence with a man

  1. Refuse questions that you are not ready to answer yourself. So you will get rid of the awkwardness when he gives you a complete answer and asks what you yourself think about this topic.
  2. Refrain from direct exam questions that force you to demonstrate knowledge in any discipline (Are you fond of chemistry? Then tell me which element is in 75th place in the periodic table. Do you know German? Translate in a nutshell what Rammstein is singing about).
  3. It is extremely careful to discuss the separation from his previous partner (wife) or the desired number of children. Wait for him to speak.
  4. Avoid questions about the amounts in his account and about the property he owns. Do not ask about it at least in the first conversations. If you can't help it, ask indirect questions (Could you live a year without working? Would you give your mom a car/new kitchen set/a trip abroad for her birthday?). Curiosity and direct questions about the financial condition will show the guy that in front of him is a mercenary and tactless person.
  5. Many pitfalls in conversations about politics, religion, social activity. Incorrect question asked can offend, destroy the established intimacy. Enthusiasm, fanaticism will certainly emerge in his statements. And you will have to decide whether these views are acceptable.
  1. Try to start a conversation: push for a conversation, and do not demand an answer at all costs.
  2. Know the measure in questions. After fifty questions in a row, there is a feeling that he came for an interview or for testing.
  3. After sending a question, let the interlocutor answer in detail. Take your time with the next question, do not interrupt, starting to share your own experience.
  4. If you are already asking questions, remember the answers or create a separate file where you save the guy's remarks. It will be very embarrassing if you ask the same question again. The situation will also be unpleasant when you start dreaming out loud about a joint weekend at barbecue, forgetting that your interlocutor is a strict vegetarian. Also, in order not to seem intrusive, mark for yourself the topics from the discussion of which he seeks to avoid.
  5. Make it easy for him to understand your goal. Please explain why you asked this particular question. It is good to lead to the question by writing a few introductory phrases. For example, you want to know if there were any cases of alcoholism in his family. Complain that the neighbors are making noise again, the drunken father of the family is chasing the household. Then ask him if he is familiar with this situation. Let him answer a little not what you wanted to know, but maybe it will turn out how he relates to drunkards or how he can successfully reason with a brawler.
  6. Be careful with diminutive suffixes. Many men cannot stand lisping speech, and its bearers seem to them narrow-minded, infantile. The meaning of your statement may be distorted, acquire an undesirable connotation, depending on whether there is a diminutive suffix. The question "How are you?" shows interest, and “How are you doing?” may sound either childish or slightly dismissive.
  7. Show genuine interest. If you are bored with him, even a hundred questions will not hide it. On the contrary, a man will appreciate the attention to himself, so the chances of an attentive and active listener will be higher.

Everyone can ask questions, but not everyone will be able to do it in such a way as to win over the interlocutor and evoke the desired reaction from him. Especially if this interlocutor is a girl that you really like. What questions will interest her, intrigue, make her laugh, dispose to you, and which ones will be unpleasant for her? That is what we will talk about in this article.

Learning to ask detailed questions

A detailed question does not require a short, specific, monosyllabic answer. It usually starts with these words:

  • For what
  • Why
  • Which

By asking your interlocutor such a question, you make it clear to him that you are interested in the conversation and its development.

Any question is welcome, with ease convert to extended. For example:

  • "Do you like apples?" - closed. What fruit do you like the most in summer? - open.
  • "Are you a lark or an owl?" - closed. “What time do you wake up and what is your daily routine?” - open.

Using questions in conversation

With the help of questions, you can start a conversation with a girl (“How are you?”, “How are you?”, “Where were you today, what did you see new?”), Maintain it and, if desired, transfer it to another topic.

For example, the conversation is about films, but there is a desire to talk about more personal topics. Here's how to do it:

AND: Most of all, I like melodramas and films about love.
M: Many films show love at first sight. Do you think it exists? Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?

The main thing in a conversation with a girl is to choose the right topic. Detailed article with examples good topics for communication .

An important part of communication is compliments. With the help of this article, you will learn.

And here you will find a detailed list of compliments that you can make to the beauty of a girl.

Do not forget from time to time to do in the social. networks.

List of questions that should not be used

There are also questions that you should not ask girls under any circumstances. They will always regard them as "bad".

  • How much do you weigh?
  • How many boyfriends did you have before me?
  • This lipstick doesn't suit you. Don't you think so?
  • Why aren't you blonde?
  • What is your IQ level?

Questions to ask

Here are a few general rules that you will definitely need:

  • girls love interesting, original, creative questions. Don't hold back your fantasy. Do not be afraid that the question will seem stupid to her. Be afraid that it will seem boring.
  • All questions must be positive. Don't ask the woman about things that will bring up negative memories in her. If the conversation took unexpected turn- change the subject.
  • Every question your time. The closer you get, the more personal questions you can ask.

There are also a number of questions that can be categorized as "good". They can be safely asked when meeting and on a first date. They allow you to learn a lot of new and interesting things about a person.

  • How did you learn to draw so well?
  • How many friends do you have and what are their names?
  • What result do you want to achieve in life?
  • What is your favorite color?
  • What time of the year are you most looking forward to?
  • Where do you like to spend your free time?
  • What are your favorite flowers?
  • Who is your favourite actor?
  • What movie has stayed in your memory for a long time?
  • Where do you go to dance?
  • What is your favorite singer?
  • How to understand that you can not live without another person?
  • What impressions did you have after the trip to Paris/London/Petersburg?
  • What vacation do you like more?
  • What kind of music do you listen to?
  • Where does a beauty like you live?

funny questions

Laughter is powerful weapon. Here cool selection, which will help to make your chosen one laugh.

  • Bet on a kiss that I kiss better than you?
  • Who do sheep count to sleep?
  • What will a cat do if a dog is doused with valerian?
  • If you can’t eat at night, then why was the light in the refrigerator invented?
  • If you first drink an energy drink, and then a sleeping pill, who will win?
  • What would you be doing now if you didn't answer my questions here?

trick questions

This tricky questions which look innocent but touch on personal topics. They allow you to move from general topics to more sensitive ones.

  • Do you fall in love often?
  • How old were you when you first kissed?
  • Who do you want? Son or daughter?
  • What do you think, who likes whom more: you to me or me to you?
  • The most romantic day of your life?
  • Who will you choose: a guy with money or a good one?
  • What music will be at your wedding?
  • Do you want to fall in love?
  • Have you ever dynamite a guy?

This category includes all the questions that cause girls lung confusion. They turn a calm conversation into flirting, provoke a girl to straight Talk, help to smoothly move on to more intimate topics.

  • When I start to pester you, how will you behave?
  • How do you feel about kissing on a first date?
  • Do you love kissing?
  • When you fall in love, will you say it yourself, or will you wait for recognition?
  • Have you ever fought a girl over a guy?
  • Forgive cheating with your best friend?
  • Shall we have a photo session together?

vulgar questions

Vulgar questions directly affect sex and erotica. This type can be used if your relationship has already taken a horizontal position. They will be good as a foreplay. Do not ask them at the first meeting.

Don't overuse sexual questions unless you're sure she likes it.

  • In which unusual place would you like to have sex?
  • Do you believe in true love?
  • Rude girls are said to be very passionate in bed. This is true?
  • How often do you watch porn?
  • Do you need a good lover?
  • What song would you like to make love to?

Much needed in modern world. "What is difficult?" - you ask. We have been able to speak since kindergarten. Indeed, all people talk, but some are always surrounded by a crowd of people who catch their every word, while others, trying to build a verbal construction, get confused in the simplest phrases, which does not set the interlocutors for long and fruitful communication.

Today we want to talk about how to ask the right question. This skill can be useful to you in any situation, when passing an interview and concluding a deal, at a meeting and when making a presentation, in any domestic conflict and a difficult conversation with a teenager. As you read on, you will realize that asking is sometimes more difficult than answering. Moreover, if you know how to ask the right question, then you already know the answer to it and can calculate how the dialogue will unfold further. That is, the one who asks questions, sets the direction of the conversation, structures and directs it in the right direction.

Why ask questions

Even he himself reminds us of a fishing hook. Indeed, in any dialogue, it is the question that is the baited hook that can catch the interlocutor. If you know how to ask the right question, then you can easily turn the conversation in any direction. However, this does not mean that questions are used exclusively for manipulative purposes. Not at all, in fact well worded, it suggests enough a large number of possible alternatives. The question helps new information, opens the interlocutor to dialogue, directs the conversation and helps to clarify certain points.

But that's not all. Since asking the right question is not as easy as it seems at first glance, it remains a minority skill. It is these people who can easily transfer the conversation to another topic, suggest the answer. The functions of the question are also the demonstration of one's assessment, one's opinion, setting the interlocutor's emotions in a certain way.

If we consider the process of mastering new knowledge, then here the ability to formulate a question is a kind of measure of the depth of awareness of the material received. No wonder they say that only those who know how to think ask questions. That is, to ask questions, you need to be very well versed in this topic.

Developing the ability to ask questions

Speaking about how to learn to ask the right questions, you involuntarily recall your school years. The first skills come from there, and often they are formed incorrectly. The standard form of education forms the idea in children that there is only one correct answer to any question. That is, the desire to think is killed, only memorization is used. At the same time, the situation when a question is asked for which there is no ready answer is perceived as unpleasant. Although this situation completely normal. Realizing that we do not know the answer to the question, and trying to find the answer to it, we are one step closer to learning how to ask the right questions. At the same time than older man, the more rigid his thinking becomes and the more difficult it will be for him to adapt to new skills, so you need to learn to ask with early childhood. And questions, in fact, are needed to better navigate the world around us. Therefore, if you have learned to ask them, you will be more successful than those who have not been mastered.

Where is the best place to ask questions?

In fact, it is difficult to describe any area of ​​life that requires the development of this skill. On the one hand, you can do without it, and on the other hand, you will be more successful in any field if you know how to ask the right questions. In any conversation, even a personal one, asking the right questions will help:

  • Show interest in the interlocutor, no matter the professional side of his personality or personal qualities.
  • Ensure that the interlocutor understands his values ​​and discovers his politics.
  • Take the lead in the conversation. This is the most important skill of a novice speaker or any public figure. Questions will help keep the conversation for the right amount of time, change the subject, interrupt the interlocutor's monologue.
  • Depending on your goals, questions will help you acquire necessary information, hint at a personal position, show trust or willingness to devote the right amount of time for a conversation.

In order to develop this skill, you should learn how to conduct internal dialogues, as well as practice external dialogues.

What is internal dialogue

This is the first step you need to take if you want to know how to ask the right question to a person. It will allow you to learn how to formulate thoughts. Moreover, this process should not be allowed to proceed chaotically. It has a specific purpose - detailed analysis certain situation or problem. And there is a list of questions that apply in this case. The first option includes classic questions“What?”, “Who?”, “Where?”, “When?”, that is, a description of the situation as a whole. The second group of questions allows us to consider each of these in more detail. They are related to the aspects of facts and desires, feelings, time, obstacles and means. That is, questions should clarify these aspects within the framework of a given topic. It is they who help in understanding and making decisions based on their needs, preferences and determining the influence of other people on the situation. This makes it much easier to understand your inner world, organize internal dialogue and get meaningful answers.

Question words

To hone this skill and transfer it to the external dialogue, there is the following exercise. Since asking the right questions when communicating is not at all easy. We will learn from the very basics. You need to come up with a specific topic for yourself, such as "Conflict". Now remember various concepts related to this topic and write them down in the right margin of the table (sheet divided in half). It can be anger and unjustified expectations, misunderstanding and breakup of relationships, stress relief and reconciliation. Question words are added to the left side (at least 10). Now you have to formulate as many questions as possible that combine elements of both columns. Recall situations of conflicts, the causes of which were unclear to you. After carrying out this work, you need to analyze the list, select a couple of questions, the most insightful, productive, and try to argue for yourself, based on what criteria such a choice was made.

Such different questions

Here you will need an interlocutor, on whom you can practice the ability to find the most appropriate question in a given situation. The essence of the method is very simple. You need to decide on a topic that would be of personal interest to you. Now write down for yourself a few questions on it, which can be answered in monosyllables "yes" or "no", as well as others that imply a detailed answer. For example: “Have you heard about our company before”; What do you know about our company? Try to conduct a dialogue using both options and compare the results.

Question with no answer

This is another great game that is great for training the ability to ask the right questions. Remember the children's game "Buy words": how desperately they were looking for the right answer, bumping each time on "everyone says, but you buy an elephant." In addition to endurance and patience, she develops the ability to find such a verbal construction that will allow her to successfully get out of difficult situation. In a dialogue, we do not always ask questions, we have to answer. So the reverse skill is also very helpful.

"Chamomile of Questions"

You can practice the theory of asking questions using this simple technique. You will again need to choose for yourself interesting topic, it may relate to relationships in a team, in a family, or something else of your choice. Now you have six petals in front of you, each of which will contain only one question option:

  • Practical questions. That is, the relationship between theory and practice (“Analyzing the situation, what would you do in this place?”)
  • Simple questions. This is the usual clarification of facts, events, certain information.
  • Evaluation questions. Everything is simple here, it turns out what is the difference, why this is good and this is bad.
  • Clarifying questions ("That is"; "If I understand you correctly...")
  • interpretation questions.
  • Creative questions (“What would happen if this situation unfolded 2000 years ago?”)

Such classes will allow you to develop the ability to ask questions, but without practice, in a dialogue, you will not be able to develop a skill.

Start with Yourself, or Preparing for Dialogue

No wonder professionals say: ask the right questions, get the right answers. However, it's easy to be a genius in casual, friendly conversation. In any other situation, it is unacceptable to appear unprepared at a meeting. You should have questions drafted in advance. Moreover, when starting a conversation, be sure to try to establish with a person a good relationship. Before asking the interlocutor about what interests you, it is worth showing him how interesting he is to you. Open-ended questions are perfect for this, in which you ask the person to tell a little about themselves, about how they spent the day, how they got to the meeting, is it convenient for them now. As soon as the conversation turns into a business channel, it will be possible to move on to questions prepared in advance. This will give you a psychological advantage.

Ability to ask open-ended questions

Speaking about how to ask people questions correctly, it should be noted that usually it comes down to the ability to ask an open question (it implies a detailed answer). That is, you, as an interviewer, do not expect a prepared answer, you want to hear a person's opinion on a given topic. Already this itself disposes to a conversation with you, in this way you show respect. If you need to know more facts about the situation, you can ask clarifying questions: “Who is involved in this?” It is very important to find out how the interlocutor feels about this situation. To do this, be sure to ask: “What is your opinion?”

It is very important for a good interviewer to be able to maintain a neutral position. Do not impose your opinion, although you can ask: "Have you considered this option?" Be sure to regularly ask your opponent what caused such a decision, how he came to such a conclusion. That is, open questions are a way to engage the interlocutor in a dialogue, bring him out of a state of isolation and set him up for a dialogue.

Ability to ask closed questions

It would seem that open-ended questions are ideal for conducting any conversations and interviews. However, there are times when they are indispensable. For example, to ask the right one in discussions, it is worth formulating it as clearly and concisely as possible in order to get the same answer. Business men, as a rule, do not like lengthy dialogues; they need a clearly structured dialogue. The better you prepare for it, the better it will go. In addition, open-ended questions are always fraught with the danger that the interlocutor will lead the dialogue to the side. Therefore, you need to be on the lookout for closed questions (that is, those that require an unequivocal answer or a yes/no answer) to bring the interlocutor back to the point. To do this, in your arsenal there are a number of questions "how?", "What?", "Who?", "Where?" and the like.

Theory without practice is useless, therefore, in order to really learn how to ask the right questions, you need to hone your skills in dialogues every day, analyze the course of the conversation and the result achieved. Do not be afraid of failure, this is also an invaluable experience, thanks to which you will understand what tricks are best not to use.



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