Effective vs. Ineffective Questions

The CEO of a $12-billion company shared a straightforward view on how he forms opinions about people in business. He looks at "the quality of their questions and how well they listen." According to him, asking good questions is more valuable than giving good answers. He believes that powerful questions can lead to better conversations, open up new opportunities, and quickly address important matters.

œWhat Would You Like to Know About Us?

In a meeting, three consultants met with five senior executives hoping to win a contract. The meeting started with a basic question: œTell us about yourselves. The lead consultant discussed his firm™s history, teamwork, and listening skills for 30 minutes. The client™s VP abruptly ended the meeting due to another appointment, leaving the consultants unaware of the client™s goals or challenges. In another year, a consultant found himself in a sales meeting alongside a seasoned partner, DeWitt, who had been through countless such encounters. When the prospect posed the familiar opening question, DeWitt didn't rush to answer. Instead, he calmly asked, "What would you like to know about us?" He patiently waited for the response. The client then specified their queries, asking about the consultancy's potential impact on their company and its internal operations. DeWitt countered with more questions to pinpoint exactly what the client needed and to spark a constructive conversation.

DeWitt's Winning Strategy

DeWitt found out that the client had a bad experience with a consulting company claiming to be global but had internal issues. Instead of boasting about his 25 years of experience, DeWitt surprised everyone by praising the younger consultant who was with him. As a result, the prospect became DeWitt™s client for eight years. When the senior consultant retired, the client continued working with the younger consultant.
When someone in a job interview or meeting asks, œTell me about yourself or your company, reply with, œWhat specifics are you interested in? This question helps you understand exactly what they want to know, guiding your response to meet their needs and interests.

œWhat Do You Think?

The importance of asking questions in communication is often underestimated. People tend to appreciate being listened to rather than being talked at, even if they are talkative. Asking questions signals to others that you value their perspective and input. By being curious and listening actively, you can gain valuable insights, even if you don't necessarily agree with everything you hear. Each answer received presents an opportunity for learning and understanding, whether you're discussing a problem, making plans, presenting your own ideas, or responding to someone else's concerns. Asking questions is a powerful way to engage in meaningful dialogue and promote mutual understanding in any conversation.

œAre They Ready to Buy?

Dean Kamen, an inventor with over 100 patents to his name, has developed groundbreaking devices like an insulin pump, a portable kidney dialysis machine, and an electric wheelchair. In December 2001, Kamen introduced a new invention he believed would revolutionize transportation. This invention, called The Segway, is a battery-powered stand-up scooter designed for personal use. Kamen envisioned a vast market of six billion potential users for this innovative product, expecting it to significantly impact the transportation industry. Kamen's ambitious goal of selling 10,000 Segways per week at $5,000 each fell short when he only sold about 10 per week and a total of 50,000 over 10 years. The main issue was that people didn't see the Segway as a necessary solution to their transportation needs; they continued to rely on bikes, cars, or walking instead. This lack of perceived usefulness ultimately hindered the Segway's success in the market.

Key Factors for Product Success

To ensure a product's success, three essential conditions must be met: 

• First, potential buyers must identify the problem the product aims to solve; 
• Second, they need to trust that the product offers the best solution available; 
• Third, these buyers must possess the authority to purchase the solution.

Consider whether buyers believe in your product as the optimal choice and are ready to make a purchase.

œIs This the Best You Can Do?

Steve Jobs often challenged his team with a powerful question, and it consistently yielded results. During Super Bowl XVIII in 1984, an unforgettable commercial for the Apple Macintosh debuted. The ad depicted a woman in sports attire breaking free from a subdued crowd and smashing a screen displaying a dictator's image with a sledgehammer. In his pursuit of efficiency, Steve Jobs expressed concern over the slow loading time of a computer before a commercial launch, closely overseeing his engineers™ progress. Despite their initial improvements, Jobs pushed for more, emphasizing the broader impact of shaving off even a few seconds from the boot time. He stressed that saving 10 seconds per boot for five million users would cumulatively save 50 million seconds daily, equating to potentially saving multiple lives”an illustration of Jobs' relentless drive for perfection and the significant implications of seemingly minor technological advancements.

œWhat Did You Learn?

A company's stock is dropping, causing its top executives to worry about their worthless stock options and vulnerability to a hostile takeover. To tackle this, they hire consultants who team up with a finance expert to create a detailed 172-page report on capital markets theories and models. However, the executives remain unimpressed and decide to bring in their own economist to challenge the analysis. After their project fell short, the consultants™ boss asked them a crucial question: œWhat did you learn? Reflecting on their missteps, the team realized they should have engaged more with the company™s top executives. Pressed for details, one consultant admitted they needed to connect on multiple levels logical and emotional to gain their support. The team also recognized the importance of being more inclusive in their approach. Research indicates that many individuals struggle to learn from their experiences, often attributing success to themselves and blaming external factors for failures. To address this, use a powerful question: "What did you learn about...?" This question is effective in discussions following events, meetings, or interviews, as well as during mentoring sessions, encouraging individuals to reflect more deeply and facilitating genuine personal growth.

œCan You Tell Me More?

Margaret, the vice president of the private banking division, has been trying to arrange a meeting with a client who has a business bank account for over a year. After persistent efforts, he agrees to a lunch date. Margaret arrives first and warmly greets him with a handshake when he arrives. During lunch, Margaret spent the entire time talking about herself to her client. She mentioned her long tenure at the bank, and her recent Hawaii vacation, and even showed pictures of her grandchild. However, she didn't ask the client anything important about his own business or needs. Margaret missed a chance to learn about his goals or how the bank could assist him, focusing only on promoting herself.

œCan You Tell Me About Your Plans?

Top executives from a leading global financial institution gathered for presentations by three consulting firms vying for a prestigious project with the bank's CEO and team. Westervelt, the lead partner of a consulting firm, delivered a flawless hour-long presentation showcasing his deep understanding of the bank's business and its competition. Following the presentations, the executives discussed their impressions. Peter, the head of global corporate banking, was visibly upset. He firmly stated that he would not consider hiring Westervelt's firm. Peter's main complaint was that Westervelt lacked listening skills and empathy. When asked to explain further, Peter said that Westervelt and his team barely asked any questions about the bank's strategy, plans, or decisions. This absence of engagement left Peter and other executives feeling overlooked and unheard.

Assess Workplace Fit

Jennifer, who has worked at the bank for 30 years and serves as its chief human resources officer, later mentioned to the CEO that Westervelt didn't make eye contact with her and didn't acknowledge her presence. Jennifer remarked, "It makes you wonder what it would be like working with them every day. I don™t think their approach fits well with our company culture." According to the CEO, Westervelt could have won their business if they had simply asked about their plans. Good listening means being humble, curious, and aware of yourself. When you want to know someone's intentions and priorities, ask them about their plans before suggesting what you think they should do.

œIf the Circumstances Were Turned Around, How Would You Like to be Treated?

John Kirkman, the owner of a small manufacturing company, was upset when he discovered that his chief financial officer, Bob, had stolen $100,000 by depositing company checks into his account. In their 16-year professional relationship, John and Bob, who are close friends, faced a difficult moment when John suspected Bob of theft. Realizing his indirect approach wasn't working, John directly asked Bob if he had stolen the money, to which Bob confessed. Now uncertain whether to involve the police, terminate Bob's employment immediately, or allow him to resign discreetly, John considered Bob's family circumstances and pondered what he would do if their roles were reversed, adding complexity to his decision-making process. John realized that if he were in Bob's shoes, he would appreciate a second chance. So, he decided not to tell Bob's wife or colleagues about what happened. Instead, John gave Bob 120 days to pay back the money. Bob agreed and put in extra effort at work. Eventually, he celebrated his 25th anniversary with the company. This approach, asking what you would want in the other person's place, offers more flexible solutions than just following the Golden Rule.

œWhat™s Your Question?

When someone seeks advice but beats around the bush, it can be confusing. Just like a consultant struggling with a tricky client. He poured out details to his mentor, who cut to the chase: "What's your question?" This simple question helped the consultant get straight to the point: "How do I handle an overly controlling client who micromanages everything?"

œWhat™s the Most Important Thing We Should Be Discussing Today?

Kathleen, a co-chair at a large professional services firm, had a meeting scheduled weeks in advance with a consultant. However, during the meeting, after just twenty minutes, the consultant noticed Kathleen seemed distracted, fidgety, and frequently checking her phone. Realizing he had lost her attention, he asked a straightforward question: "What's the most important topic we should be discussing today?" In a pivotal meeting, Kathleen expressed frustration about her team not grasping the project. Her consultant responded with a direct query: "What's not working?" This sparked a 30-minute conversation pinpointing issues. Kathleen sought further discussions. Six months later, after making significant team changes, she revisited the consultant. This time, each team member was individually supported. Through this simple yet powerful question, their relationship deepened, demonstrating the value of this approach in various settings from professional meetings to personal relationships.