Would you like to sell more? Would you like to work more effectively with Clients, coworkers, vendors, your spouse, children, those relatives of yours/hers/his? Would you like to be a better leader?

Greg Koukl in his book, Tactics, asks two questions to help you think better, increase your knowledge, make wiser decisions, and improve how you relate to others:

1. We (you and me) rarely use these questions verbatim / exactly as written them below.  You adapt them based on the situation.
2. We ALWAYS ask these questions sincerely, respectfully, in a tone of voice, and with body language that communicates we care.
3. There are other aspects to our conversations with others beyond these two questions, but these questions are a wonderful way to better understand someone and encourage them to explain what they mean.
4. Greg's focus is helping Christians discuss their faith in a more loving and respectful way, but we can apply his questioning technique to improve our relationships with anyone!  His book is fabulous, but it does have a lot of the "J-word" (Jesus) and Christian perspective to it.

I believe Tactics is one of the best leadership, company culture, and sales training books ever written. No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, you should consider reading it. Here are Greg's two Columbo-like questions:

1. What does that mean?
2. Why do you believe that? 

Three quick examples of how you can put this into practice at work:

EXAMPLE #1

A Client says you did not fix their tech problem. You might respond "I'm sorry.  What is happening now?" and discuss the problem.

Then you might say, "Well it sounds like we need to re-open this ticket.  Let me confirm what I'm hearing you say.  My understanding is we were asked to do X.  The notes on the ticket indicate the work was done, and the problem was not recurring in testing.  Is there anything else happening now that makes you think the work was not completed?"

EXAMPLE #2

A sales prospect says your price is too high. You might respond "Oh, it shouldn't be.  Let's walk through my quote so I can understand specifically where our pricing appears to be uncompetitive."

Then you might say to a specific complaint: "That's interesting.  Why do you believe that price is high?"  Your response to their answer varies based on what they say, but it might be a series of value explanations with questions to confirm they agree.

EXAMPLE #3

An employee says they think one of your company policies are wrong / should be changed. You might respond "Great.  What do you think it should be instead?" and discuss the policy.

Then you might say:  "I think I see where you're coming from.  Help me understand specifically how your approach is better than what we are doing today."

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Inspirational 3strands LEADERS ask great questions.  I love Greg's approach because it sincerely seeks better understanding and truth.  Every leader can benefit from developing these questions as a habit.

I also love helping companies implement these approaches to improve their productivity and client experience.  Do you need help? I work with entrepreneurial leaders to develop NEW habits to overpower their less productive ones.  Our work often extends into company culture and employee training to "make price irrelevant."  Contact us if you'd like to talk.