When I asked the Head of Corporate Communications at a transportation agency last week, “What is your primary responsibility?,” she responded, “To always ask questions.” Through smart questioning, she explained, she is able to help the organization plan for what’s next and exceed expectations.

It struck me in that moment that the ability to ask the right types of questions—of senior leaders, internal clients, stakeholders, and communications staff—is a must-have skill for communicators.  If communicators fail to ask probing questions of the people they work with, and on behalf of, Communications the function will remain a service provider and not the consultative business partner it has the potential to be.

But what makes a good question? And hey, weren’t we taught that there was no such thing as a bad one?   Some questions—and questioning tactics—are better than others in that they help to uncover assumptions, build trust, show understanding, and discover root causes of challenges.

Rick Karlton of the Sales Executive Council, our sister program for Head of Sales, recently shared his thoughts on The DNA of a Good Question, posted below. Take a look. Could you imagine trying some of these tactics in your next conversation with internal clients? Do you already embed questions like this in your project management? We’d love to hear which questions you’ve used to help understand what clients really need versus what they say they want. CEC members, use this consultative workbook to diagnose and solve for business partner challenges. Don’t have time for the full workbook? Download and use Toyota’s Problem-Solving Worksheet instead.

THE DNA OF A GOOD QUESTION

What does the DNA of a good question look like?  Here are some helpful tips & advice about what comprises good customer-facing questions:

Tip #1: Prompt a reaction with your questions, don’t just ask for information
Questions should ask customers to DO something (e.g. make a tradeoff, consider a scenario, etc) – or help you understand the process in which they would do something.

• Good: Provoke a reaction using prompting phrases:  “Would I be correct to assume…”, “If this were to happen, what…”, “If you had to do without…”, “How would you know if…”, “If you had to choose between the two…”
• Bad: Just asking for information: “How many?”, “How much?”, “Who are all the stakeholders?”, “Is there budget?”, “Is it important?”

Tip #2: Ground questions in specific context
Questions should bring the customers’ world into the discussion – which gives them a frame of reference which is necessary for customers to answer your question appropriately and can spark ideas.

• Good: Situate questions within context:  “Compared to X, Y, Z on your plate…”, “Your competitors are at 70%, does that number sound familiar?”, “Based on these unique circumstances, what would you need to change…?”
• Bad: Speak in absolutes:  “Would $50K savings be valuable?”, “You’re running at 60%-does that bother you?”

Tip #3: Use pacing phrases
Confirm before asking a follow-up question in order to build trust and show that you’re listening.

• Good: Gain permission before asking follow-ups:  “It sounds like you’re saying…”, “To keep my comments relevant, may I ask…”, “Interesting, can you share more about why…”
• Bad: Probe abruptly or move forward with unrelated follow-ups:  “Why would you do that?”, “Ok, thanks for that, now let me tell you about…”

Tip #4: Ask open-ended questions
Depending on the answer, the rep could learn how important the problem is, or who to talk to next.

• Good: Ask open-ended questions:  “What would happen if…”, “Why…?”,  “What would you have to believe in order to…?”, “How will you…?”
• Bad: Ask yes/no/close-ended questions:  “Would it be valuable if…”, “Is XXX stakeholder bought in?”, “How many employees are there?”

Another way to diagnose if good questioning is happening is if the customer is actually talking during the sales call.  Does the customer show emotion?  Do they speak freely and for extended periods?  Do they show open, engaged body language?  If not, that’s a good sign that you need to work on the quality of questions you’re asking.