Different
Type of
questions
Source
Tomm, 2001, p. 179 ff.
http://www.centernorth.com/index.php?/articles/text/reflexive_questions_in_a_coaching_psychology_c
ontext/
# 1
Clarifying
questions
# 2
Questions that
seek to find
connnections
# 3
Strategic
questions
# 4
Questions
that encourage
reflection
# 1
Clarifying
questions
 To get information about a problem, i.e. be
curious.
 To define the reasons for a problem.
Goals
 What is the problem in one word /
sentence?
 What exactly happened?
 Which events led to the problem?
 What kind of help do you need?
 How did the problem happen?
 How is…. done at the company?
 Who did what?
 Where did it happen?
 When did it happen?
Questions to define the problem
 Why do you think it happened? Ask 5 x why.
 Could it be that it happened because ..…?
 Why are the values of the company not
practiced in interaction with customers?
Questions to define reasons for the problem
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34918427/Problem-analysis-methods
# 2
Questions that
seek to find
connections
Goal
To find connections between
persons, objects, actions,
perceptions, ideas, feelings, events,
beliefs, context.
 What relation do you see between events A and
B?
 What relation do you see between what person x
did and….?
 What connection do you see among activities?
 What impact will the activities launched have on
customers and people who work for the
company?
Examples of questions - What
 How does person x get along with person
y?
 How does person A think about person B?
Examples of questions - How
 Who do you think worries the most about this
problem?
 This seems to be a problem for
you. For whom is it not a
problem?
Examples of questions - Who
# 3
Strategic
questions
To influence / lead / help a person do
things in new ways, for example by
encouraging the person to challenge rules
/ assumptions.
Goal
 What have you done to solve the problem?
 What do you intend to do to solve the problem?
 What is the most important question you could
ask yourself in order to make situation x really
great?
 What alternative solutions do you see?
Open questions
 What would it mean for your life, if you don’t …..?
 If you had a meeting with the people in 1
hour, what would you do dramatically
differently
– compared to how you have held meetings
earlier?
 If you take step # 1, what would your step #
2 be?
 Have you thought of the following
possibility:…?
 How about doing…?
 Does person A need to do activity B in that
way?
 Why don’t you….?

Confrontive questions provoking action
# 4
Questions
that encourage
reflection
 To encourage a person to think / reflect
about his/her own way of doing things?
 To help a person discover himself / herself
in new ways.
 To call forth personal or tacit knowledge.
Goals
 Reflecting on what you have done, what do
you think you did well?
 Looking back, what would you have done
differently?
 Reflecting on the experience you had,
which personal values of yours have
become
more important for you?
 What would be different in your life, if ….?
 How do you think others experience the
conflict you are having with your colleague?
 Think of someone you truly respect and
admire. What would he / she do in your
position?
 What is blocking you from doing ….?
 How did it make you feel, when …..
happened?
 How can I challenge you – while you still
feel that I am being respectful?
Some sources
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/11/to_have_the_most_impact_ask_qu.html
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/01/14/coaching-advice-from-the-
pros/
http://www.centernorth.com/index.php?/articles/text/reflexive_question
s_in_a
_coaching_psychology_context/
Edgar Schein.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bknGdA_xdw
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34918427/Problem-analysis-met
hods

Types of questions in the selling environment .pptx