I have written about how asking questions and being a great listener can be the cornerstones of successful business communication and negotiations, but how do you know the right questions to ask? Is asking about the weather and the local college football team going to be enough to close an important sale?
As a guideline, you want to learn to ask questions that are going to help you see where the other person is coming from—what he or she wants and needs, what the motivators and values are. This is how you will be able to figure out what you and your business can do for the other person. If you are negotiating with someone, you want to find out exactly what they want to happen and what they are willing to settle for—this will help you know where you stand.
Now that you know what you are trying to achieve, you need to figure out how to craft questions that help you reach this end. I find that asking people “why” and “how” questions gives me a lot more information that simple “what” and “where” questions. For example: “How did you come to work for XYZ company?” can give you more information about a person’s values and personal history than “What do you do at XYZ company?”
Other options: “How would you like to see our product used?” and “How long have you lived here and why did you settle?” You can see how the way you form questions that are really not terribly personal, can garner you all sorts of information that can make business discussions and negotiations more productive. There is no reason you cannot ask a person exactly what they are hoping to achieve or what they are looking for. They might not know, for sure, which is why knowing how to ask the right questions can help you gather that information and more. Once you get comfortable asking your questions, you also have to work on the listening part!
Also: Too Pushy or Just Good Follow-Up
Conversation Starter Trick–What do They Have in Their Hand?
Don’t Overlook the Power of Small Talk