“I wish I had an answer to that, because I’m tired of answering that question.”
– Yogi Berra
Leave it to Yogi.
Yes, questions are very important, and they can factor in to our answers. Yep, you read that correctly…
How we answer questions is interesting, too. We can easily impose pressure on ourselves to answer the question we think they’re asking, or addressing the implication we feel from the question. Both are detrimental to furthering the relationship, conversation or the business. Better to answer with a question — to get to the real issue, than to just paint the surface with our best guess.
It’s also amazing how reticent people are to simply say, “I don’t know.” Culturally, we feel pressure to always know. It’s completely unrealistic, and it’s probably where any pressure to “interpret” the question comes from, or in sales scenarios it’s the pressure to advance our cause.
There’s something to be said for answering questions with questions. As long as the “answer questions” are aimed at clarifying the “question question,” it’s really less annoying than you think, and, executed well, it draws the questioner and the answerer closer together.
“That’s a great question. Why do you ask?” is a really strong “answer.”
So is, “Wow, I’d never thought of it that way, I’m curious, what led you to that perspective?”
Or, try this one; “You know, that’s a really interesting question. Before I answer, can I ask what YOU think?”
Or, most powerfully of all – in the event you don’t know – “I don’t know. But I can, and will find out, and get back to you. When would you like to have the response?”
Answers – and questions – will deepen relationships, if we contemplate them thoroughly, and deeper relationships will make a difference.
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