The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
Time to Read: 1m 40s
Providing Guidance through Inquiry
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Photo credit: Sullivan Ng / iWoman / CC BY-SA[/caption] A few years ago, I took a trip to San Francisco. As I wandered through Chinatown, I saw a sign for a free tea tasting. Because I drink a lot of tea, I decided to have a mini adventure, and stepped into the store. Inside the store, there was a long counter where several people were seated. A man behind the counter poured tea into tiny ceramic cups. He asked me what kind of tea I wanted to try. I looked around. There were jars of tea lining every wall. I spotted a big jar labeled 'Lemongrass.' "Um. Lemongrass?" I said. "That's not really a tea," he replied. He stared me down. I shifted nervously. I felt pressured to make a decision, but I knew nothing about the teas on the wall, so I felt completely lost. "Um...I don't know," I said finally. "Well," he said, "if you don't know, I can't help you." He sounded irritated. I got up and left. Any money I might have spent on tea in his store left with me as I went off in search of a burger and Diet Coke. This man made a crucial mistake that cost him a sale: he failed to ask the right questions. It's a fact that, when faced with a huge range of choices, people find it harder to make decisions. It gets even harder when people know very little about the product. In a situation like this, a broad question like "What kind of tea do you want to try?" leads to nowhere. Instead, the man should have focused on specific questions. For instance, he could have asked what kind of flavors I like. Or, because many of the teas were for medicinal purposes, he could have asked if I have any health concerns. If he had, I would have been able to answer that I like fresh, fruity teas and that I sometimes have trouble sleeping. He then would have been able to select a tea for me to try. Had I liked it, he would have made a sale.