How do you ask open-ended questions and listen actively during follow-up calls?

1 Why ask open-ended questions?

Open-ended questions are those that require more than a yes or no answer. They invite the other person to share their thoughts, feelings, opinions, or experiences. Asking open-ended questions during follow-up calls has many advantages; it can help you engage the other person in a meaningful conversation and build rapport, discover their pain points, needs, expectations, and motivations, explore their level of satisfaction, feedback, or objections, demonstrate your curiosity, respect, and professionalism, and encourage them to open up and trust you more.

2 How to ask open-ended questions?

Asking effective open-ended questions requires you to plan ahead and prepare questions that are relevant to your purpose and the context of the call. Utilize words that start with who, what, when, where, why, or how to encourage elaboration. Additionally, steer clear of leading, biased, or loaded questions that suggest a desired answer or imply a judgment. Ask one question at a time without interrupting or jumping to the next question. Additionally, use probing or clarifying questions to delve deeper or verify understanding.

3 Why listen actively?

Active listening is the process of paying full attention to what the other person is saying, understanding their message, and responding appropriately. During follow-up calls, actively listening can provide several benefits, such as demonstrating interest, empathy, and respect for the other person. It can also help to avoid misunderstandings, errors, or conflicts; confirm or clarify the information received; identify opportunities, solutions, or recommendations; and build trust and loyalty.

4 How to listen actively?

In order to listen actively, you should eliminate any distractions and focus on the other person's voice, tone, and emotions. Additionally, using verbal and non-verbal cues such as nodding, smiling, or saying "uh-huh" or "I see" can show your attention and encouragement. Paraphrasing or summarizing what the other person said can help check your comprehension and demonstrate your interest. Open-ended questions can be used to explore or confirm their points while reflecting or empathizing with their feelings or concerns can further demonstrate your understanding. If appropriate, providing feedback or suggestions is also beneficial.

5 How to combine open-ended questions and active listening?

Asking open-ended questions and listening actively are complementary skills that can improve your phone etiquette for follow-up calls. To combine them effectively, you should balance the amount of talking and listening, while also adapting your questions and responses to the situation and the other person's needs and preferences. Additionally, it’s important to use a friendly, polite, and respectful tone and language. Expressing appreciation and gratitude for the other person's time and input is also essential. Lastly, confirm the next steps or actions and follow up accordingly.

6 How to practice and improve your skills?

To hone your skills in asking open-ended questions and listening actively, you can practice by role-playing with a colleague or friend and asking for feedback. Additionally, record your calls and review them to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can also seek coaching or training from experts or mentors, read books or articles on phone etiquette, communication, or sales, or learn from successful examples or case studies. All of these strategies can help you improve your skills and become a better listener.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?