4 Responses

1. Questions are the Answers
   Michelle

   I am presuming that your aim is to get the delegates to ask questions so that they can provide the perfect holiday for each customer?

   In addition to open and closed questions there are many other questioning styles that can help find out about what types of holidays appeal/customers have been on in the past that could help the advisor produce a tailor made holiday.

   I would strongly recommend looking on TrainerBase (http://www.trainerbase.co.uk) as I am confident you will find some activities there. I do have several activities around questioning that I would be more than willing to share if you would like to drop me an email at [email protected].

   Neil

2. What works for you?

   Firstly, forget about open and closed questions. A survey by the Huthwaite group, some years ago, showed that even when people are asked so-called “closed” questions, approx. 60% of the time they will give “open” answers.

   Two things that might be more useful are:

   1. Develop a flow chart, with check boxes, that the questioner can use to guide their questioning – “Do you want to stay in Britain/go abroad?” “Do you want catered/self-catering?” “Do you prefer to go on holiday in a group/just the family/on your own?” etc.

   2. For a real breakthrough try this simple approach: “What was the most enjoyable holiday you’ve ever been on?” followed by “What was so special about that holiday?”

   Of course it won’t bring home the bacon EVERY time, but it’s amazing how easy questions of that kind make it to find the right solution, in all kinds of contexts.

   (I’m not suggesting that everyone will want to keep repeating their “best holiday”, only that their answers will often give a general guide to what they’re looking for, even if they aren’t consciously aware of of what those qualities are.

   Be well

   Andy B.

3. Questioning – open and closed questions
   Hi Michelle,

   There are many more types of questions than just the open and closed type. You should be covering these others – probing, rhetorical and focused, all positioned carefully by using the tried and trusted “funnelling technique”. If you want to discuss this off line, please give me a call 024 7668 3447 or 078 1205 0098.

   regards

   Pashori Lal

4. Form and intention
   Just a thought – aren’t ALL questions either “open” (cannot sensibly be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’) or “closed (capable of being answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, even if the answer to any particular question is somewhat longer), regardless of whether they are probing, rhetorical, etc.?