According to psychologists, an important component of any communication is the ability to ask questions. And what are questions? Questions are not only a way to obtain information, but also a way to switch the interlocutor’s thoughts in the direction necessary for you. And this corresponds to reality – after all, the one who asks, he controls the conversation.
How to ask questions correctly
But, unfortunately, quite often in the conversation you can hear the following – “I misunderstood you”, which means that you asked the question incorrectly or did not ask it at all. No need to be afraid to ask questions – neglecting them, we create a wrong opinion about others or attribute to these people unusual qualities and character traits, which in the future leads to conflicts. Therefore, to each of us, whoever we are, the ability to ask will be useful. It is about how to ask questions correctly, and a conversation in this article will go.
To master this art, let’s first consider the main types of issues. There are only two of them. It:
Closed questions are questions to which you can give a definite answer. As a rule, this is either “yes” or “no”. Such questions should be asked to the interlocutor in the case when you need to get an unequivocal answer from him, which will help you understand in which direction you will conduct a conversation with him further. Closed questions are recommended to be asked at the end of the conversation to allow the interlocutor to make the right decision during the conversation.
The next type of question is open questions that cannot be answered unambiguously. Such questions make a person think before answering, which will help you understand the interlocutor’s attitude to the case under consideration. Open questions are a great way to get detailed information from a person, so when talking should be used as often as possible. With the help of such questions, you can learn a lot, for example, ask about any facts, about the attitude of a person to the situation that is discussed. With the help of questions of this type, you can also clarify everything that is not clear to you – all the moments, doubts or fears of your interlocutor.
How to ask questions correctly
Also, all the questions that people ask in the process of communication can be divided by semantic load. There are also several types of such issues, so it makes sense to consider each of them in detail.
The first type is the main issues that are customary to plan in advance. They can be either closed or open.
Subsequent questions or, as they are also called, secondary issues can be planned and spontaneous.
Clarifying questions, as follows from their name, are asked in order to clarify something. Typically, such questions suggest short answers. Feel free to ask clarifying questions if you want to be to the end are sure that you correctly understood your interlocutor. As a rule, people willingly give answers to questions of this kind, so there should be no problems.
The next type of questions are leading questions, that is, questions, in the sense of which there is already the desired answer. Twisting questions are appropriate in a conversation with indecisive or timid interlocutors. Such questions can also be used to summarize negotiations or in order to return the conversation in the direction you need.
If you like to ask leading questions, then you should know that from the outside they look pretty obsessive. With the help of such questions, you have psychological pressure on the interlocutor and practically force him to admit your case. In this regard, it is still recommended to use them, but, if possible, rarely.
Rhetoric questions, as you know, do not require an answer and are asked often in order to strengthen the emotional impression of what has been said. They make our speech brighter and more expressive, so do not forget about them either.
How to ask questions correctly
And the last type of questions that are recommended to use – these are provocative issues. They set up in order to call a person with whom you speak, a flurry of emotions. While in this state, your interlocutor may tell everything that he had previously kept secret. Deciding to ask a provocative question, be sure to weigh all the risks associated with this – remember that in response you can hear something that you would not want to know about at all.