Business English - Effective Questioning Techniques for Business

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Think about this: In your experience, how can asking the right questions improve communication and outcomes in a business environment? Can you recall a situation where a well-phrased question led to a breakthrough or a deeper understanding for you or your team? What are some common mistakes people make when asking questions in a professional context?

Activity 2: New Vocabulary words and phrases

Here are some new vocabulary words and phrases. These words and phrases will help us talk about effective questioning techniques for business.

Open-ended Questions: Questions that encourage detailed, explanatory answers rather than a simple "yes" or "no." They often begin with What, Why, How, Describe, or Tell me about.

Example: "What are your main priorities for this project?" or "How do you see this strategy impacting our long-term goals?"

Closed-ended Questions: Questions designed to elicit a short, specific answer, often a "yes" or "no," or a single piece of factual information. They often begin with Do, Is, Are, Will, Have.

Example: "Have you submitted the quarterly report?" or "Is the deadline on Friday?"

Probing Questions: Follow-up questions used to gain more detailed information or a deeper understanding of a previous response.

Example: "Could you elaborate on that point?" or "What specific factors led you to that conclusion?"

Clarifying Questions: Questions used to ensure you have understood the speaker's message correctly and to avoid misunderstandings. Often involves paraphrasing.

Example: "So, if I understand correctly, you're suggesting we postpone the launch?" or "Are you saying that the budget is the main constraint here?"

Leading Questions: Questions phrased in a way that subtly prompts or guides the respondent toward a desired answer. Use with caution as they can introduce bias.

Example: "Wouldn't you agree that this approach is more efficient?" or "Surely, we can all see the benefits of this plan?"

Hypothetical Questions: Questions that propose a theoretical situation to explore possibilities, assess reactions, or stimulate creative thinking.

Example: "What if we invested more in digital marketing?" or "Suppose the client changes their requirements, how would we adapt?"

Activity 3 (Reading)

Let's read about Maria, a project manager, and how she uses questioning techniques to help her team member, David.

Maria noticed that David seemed stuck on a challenging task for the new software module. Instead of making assumptions, Maria decided to use effective questioning. She started with an open-ended question, asking, 'David, how is the work on the new software module progressing?' David replied vaguely, 'It's proving to be a bit more complex than I initially anticipated.'

To understand better, Maria then used a probing question: 'Could you tell me more about what specific aspects you find challenging at the moment?' David explained he was struggling with an API integration point. To ensure she had grasped the issue correctly, Maria asked a clarifying question: 'So, if I understand you correctly, the main difficulty lies with the API compatibility between module X and module Y, is that right?' David confirmed this was the core problem. Next, Maria posed a hypothetical question to encourage problem-solving: 'What if we considered using an alternative library for that integration, similar to the one we successfully implemented for the Zeta project?' This prompted David to think of new solutions. Finally, she used a closed-ended question to agree on a way forward: 'Would you find it helpful to schedule a brief session with Anna, who has significant experience with that particular library?' David agreed, feeling more supported and clear on how to proceed, all thanks to Maria's skillful and empathetic questioning.

Think about the story:

What was Maria's initial approach when she noticed David was facing difficulties?
Which type of question did Maria use to get more specific details about David's challenges?
How did Maria confirm her understanding of David's problem, and which questioning technique did she use?
What was the purpose of Maria asking a "hypothetical question," and what was the overall outcome of her questioning approach?

Activity 4: Role Play

Read this dialogue with a partner. One person is Sarah (a sales representative), and the other is Mr. Lee (a potential client). Notice how Sarah uses questions to understand Mr. Lee's needs.

Sarah (Sales Representative): Mr. Lee, thank you for meeting with me today. To start, could you describe your current workflow and some of the key challenges your team is facing with it?

Mr. Lee (Potential Client): Well, our main issue currently is the amount of time it takes to process customer orders manually. It’s leading to unfortunate delays and some occasional data entry errors.

Sarah: I see. Could you perhaps tell me more about the specific steps involved in that manual process from start to finish?

Mr. Lee: We receive orders primarily via email, then an administrator has to enter them into our spreadsheet system, and then another team member typically verifies the entries... it's quite cumbersome.

Sarah: So, if I understand correctly, the manual data entry and the subsequent verification stages are the primary bottlenecks causing these delays for your team?

Mr. Lee: Yes, that’s precisely where we lose a lot of valuable operational time, and unfortunately, where most of the input errors tend to occur.

Sarah: What sort of impact do these delays and errors typically have on your business overall – for instance, regarding customer satisfaction or perhaps operational costs?

Mr. Lee: Customer satisfaction has definitely been affected, and the internal cost associated with identifying and correcting these errors is also becoming a significant concern for us.

Sarah: Suppose for a moment you had a system that could automate the order entry process and the initial verification steps. How do you envision that would ideally change your team's daily focus and overall efficiency?

Mr. Lee: That would be a game-changer! It would undoubtedly free them up to concentrate on more proactive customer service and resolving more complex client issues, rather than just repetitive data entry tasks.

After reading, discuss: In this role-play, Sarah used several questioning techniques. Which technique do you think was most effective in uncovering Mr. Lee's core needs, and why? What other questions could Sarah have asked?

Activity 5: Let's Practice

Objective: Practice identifying and using different questioning techniques in a business context.

Scenario: Tom (a junior employee) is asking Sarah (a senior colleague) for advice on preparing for an upcoming client interview where he needs to gather crucial information.

Tom: Sarah, I have an important client interview next week to understand their project requirements. I really want to make sure I ask effective questions.

Sarah: That's a great focus, Tom. To start off, it's usually best to use questions to encourage them to share a lot of information openly and broadly.

Tom: You mean like asking, "What are your main challenges with your current system?"

Sarah: Exactly. And then, if you need specific confirmations or very direct answers, you can use questions, like "Is the current system more than five years old?"

Tom: Okay, that makes sense. What if they give a general answer and I feel I need more detail on a particular point they've made?

Sarah: In that situation, you should definitely use questions. For example, you could say, "Could you tell me more about that specific issue?" to dig deeper.

Tom: And to ensure I've understood what they've said correctly, especially if it's a complex point?

Sarah: That's when questions are very helpful. You can rephrase what you heard, like "So, you're saying that X is the main priority?"

Tom: This is very useful! I sometimes worry that I might unintentionally steer them too much if I ask a question, so I should probably be careful with those types of questions.

Sarah: You're absolutely right, Tom. Use those cautiously. And if you want to explore future possibilities or brainstorm solutions with them, try using questions. It can often spark creative ideas and help with planning.

Try to fill in the blanks with appropriate questioning techniques from Activity 2!