The right questions is the essence of effective communication and information exchange. Using the right questions in a certain situation, then you might create a whole range of communications skills: for example, you may prefer to gather information and learn more, you can build stronger relationships, manage people effectively and help others to learn.

So here are some common questions techniques, and when (and when not) to use them:
Open and closed questions

A closed question usually receives a word or a very short, factual answer. For example: "Are you thirsty?" The answer is "yes" or "No", "Where do you live?" The answer is usually the name of your town or your address.

Open questions raise more answers. They usually begin with what, why, how. An open question asks the respondent for his or her knowledge, opinion or feelings. "Tell me" and "describe" can also be used in the same way as open questions. Here are some examples:

What happened at the meeting?
* Why did he react that way?
* How was the party?
* Tell me what happened next.
* Describe the circumstances in more detail.

Open questions are good for:

* Develop an open discussion: "What have you on vacation?"
* To find our more detail: "What should we do to make this a success?"
* Finding the other person's opinion or ask "What do you think about these changes?"

Closed questions are good for:

* Testing your knowledge, or other person: "So, as I interpret, I get a salary increase?"
* Closing a discussion or make a decision: "Now we know the facts we all agree that this is the right thing to do?"
* Frame set: "Are you satisfied with the service of your bank?"

A misplaced closed question, on the other hand, can kill the conversation and lead to painful silences are thus best avoided when a call is in progress.
Questions Funnel

It helps to start with general questions and then homing in on one point for each answer, and requires more and more detail on each level. It is often used by investigators to take a statement from a witness:

"How many people were involved in the fight?"
"About ten."
"Were they children or adults?"
"Usually children."
"What kind of ages were they?"
"About fourteen or fifteen."
"Was one of them wearing anything distinctive? "
"Yes, some of them had red hats on."
"Can you remember when a logo on one of the caps?"
"Now you come to mention it, yes, I remember seeing a large letter N."

Using this technique, the detective helped the witness re-live the scene and gradually focus on a useful detail. Perhaps he is able to attract young men with a hat like this from the CCTV images to identify. It is unlikely that he received this information when he was just an open question like "Is there information you can give me what you saw? "

Tip:
When using funnel questioning, starting with closed questions. As you progress through the tunnel, start using more open questions.

Funnel questions are good for:

* Getting more details on a specific point: "Tell me more about Option 2."
* Gaining the interest of increasing the confidence of the person you speak with, "Have you used the IT Helpdesk", "Did they solve your problem?", "What was the attitude of the person who took call you? "

Probing questions

Asking probing questions is another strategy for finding more details. Sometimes it's as easy as asking your respondent an example to help you make a statement they have made. At other times, you need additional information to clarify, "When do you need this report by, and do you want to see a draft before I give you my final version?", Or to examine whether there is proof of what was said, "How do you know that the new database can not be used by the sales force?"

One effective way of probing is to use the 5 whys method that can help you get to the core of a problem.

Tip:
Use questions that the word "exactly" probe, "What do you mean by fast track", "Who exactly, did this report?"

Probing questions are good for:

* Gaining clarification to ensure you the whole story and that you thoroughly understand and
* Drawing information from people trying to avoid telling you something.

Leading questions

Leading questions to try the respondent lead to your way of thinking. It can do this in several ways:

* With an assumption: "What time do you think the project will deliver?". This implies that the project will certainly not on time.
* Adding a personal appeal to agree at the end: "Lori's very efficient, do not you think?" or "Option 2 is better, is not it?"
* Framing the question so that the "easiest" answer "yes" (our natural tendency to prefer to say "yes" or "no" an important role in the question of the referendum questions): "Shall we all agreed Option 2? "is more chance of a positive response than" Do you want option 2 or not to approve? " get. A good way to do this is to the personal. For example: "Would you like me to proceed with option 2? "Instead of" Should I opt for option 2? ".
* Giving people a choice between two options, both of which you would be happy with, instead of choosing one option or do not do anything. Strictly speaking, the choice of "not" is still available when you ask "What would you prefer A or B, but most people will be caught up in deciding between your two preferences.

Note that leading questions are usually closed.
Leading questions are good for:

* On the response you want, but let the other person feel that they had a choice.
* Closing a sale: "If the answers to your questions, we will meet for a price?"

Tip:
Use leading questions with care. If you use them in a self-serving way or the interests of another person harm, then they can rightly be seen as manipulative and dishonest.
Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are not really questions at all, because they do not expect an answer. They are really just statements formulated in the form question: "Is not John's design work is so creative?"

People use rhetorical questions because they are interesting for the listener - as she prepared to agree ("Yes it is and I love working with such a creative fellow") - rather than feel they are "told" something like " January is a very creative designer. " (What they can say, "So What?")

Tip:
Rhetorical questions are even more powerful when a string of them. "Is not that a big screen? Not you love the way the text picks up the colors in the pictures? Does not really use the space? Would not you like a display like that for our products?"

Rhetorical questions are good for:

* Engaging the listener

Using questioning techniques

You've probably used these questions before techniques in your daily life, at work and at home. But by deliberately applying the right kinds of questions, then you have the information, response or outcome that you want even better.

Questions are a powerful way of:

*

Learning: Ask open-ended and closed questions, and using probing questions.
* Building Relationships: People generally respond positively when you ask questions about what they are doing or about their opinions. If you do this in a positive way, "Tell me what you like about the best works here, will help you to build and maintain an open dialogue.

* Managing and coaching: Here, rhetorical and leading questions are also useful. They can help people to think and to commit to courses of action that you have proposed: "Would not it be great to have some qualifications to win?"

* To avoid misunderstandings: Use probing questions for clarification, especially when the consequences are significant. And to ensure that you have to avoid hasty conclusions, the ladder of Inference tool also help.

* Dissemination of a heated situation: You can calm an angry customer or colleague by asking them to funnel in more detail about their complaint. This will not only depend to lead them out of their emotions, but often will help you to practice a little thing that you can do, which is often enough to ze to feel they "won" iets, and no need to be angry identify.

* Convincing people: Nobody likes to be lectured, but asking a series of open questions will help others for the reasons behind your position to embrace. "What do you think about bringing the sales force for half a day to their custom laptop?

More tips:
Make sure you give the person you're hearing enough time to react. This may be necessary to include to think before they answer, not just a pause to interpret as a "no comment" and the team.

Skilful questioning should be adjusted by carefully listening, so you understand what people really mean by their responses.

Your body language and intonation may also play a role in the responses you get when you ask questions.