![Just Ask](https://www.wearetheliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/jus-ask_iancooper.jpg.pagespeed.ce.NwtlLv4jpb.jpg)
- ISBN-10: 0273712780
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- ISBN-13: 978-0273712787
This is a short book but is going to be a difficult book to summarize as it as numerous short chapters with valuable content. The index itself itself runs four pages, so I am going to just give you enough info to prompt you to pick the book.
Why asking the right questions is important?
One who asks the questions, owns the conversation. We are inherently tuned to answer any question posed in front of us. So by asking the right questions, we can direct our and the other persons thing in the direction we want.
Golden Rules
-> The key is to ask clearly for what we want. Ask for – date, business, better rates, discounts, favours, sale. You would be surprised how often you can get a ‘Yes’ by just asking.
-> Build Rapport before you ask for a Favour. For example, address the customer rep and compliment them for something before you put forth your big request.
-> Ask for specific questions to obtain useful info. Eg: Instead of asking ‘Can you tell me how you started your freelancing career, ask ‘How did you get your first 3 clients?’
-> To get out out of the box solutions, ask out of the box questions – ‘How else can we accomplish what we want to do ?’
-> Ask questions sensitively. Remember the insensitive questions that the journalist put to the victims of the Nepal Earthquake. Don’t be that person.
Technology of Questions
-> Ask the right person at the right place, time and environment through the right person.
-> Focus on tone, body language, emphasis and other verbal and no-verbal cues to send out the right message.
-> Make the other person receptive by asking, ‘Can I ask you a question?
-> Provoke empathy by asking ‘What would you have done in this situation?’
-> Answer question with a question if you want to gain time.
-> If you want to discourage someone, sow seeds of doubt about their proposal.
-> If you want them to change their mind – ‘What can I do to change your mind?’. The answer to this question can be very revealing.
-> Ask people what you want them to ask you. For Eg: If you want to talk about your work, ask them about theirs.
-> In choice questions, don’t make both options negative.
-> Don’t get stuck with analysis paralysis. Inaction is often costlier than a wrong action.
What you must remember?
These are great techniques and they work. But you could still fail, be turned down. They increase your chances of success and not assure it. Risk success than accept an assured failure.
Ask yourself
Questions that we ask other persuade, but it is the questions that we ask ourselves define who we are. The book also analyzes intelligent questions to ask ourselves to improve our life. Some of the great questions to ask yourself are:
-> What would I like to change in myself
-> Who are my top 10 most admired people. How can i incorporate those qualities into myself
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So true. Without the right questions, a conversation won’t go very far. A must-read book.