Albert Einstein said: “If I had one hour to solve a problem and my life depended on its solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes formulating the question.” And he was right: asking a question correctly is the most important step towards solving problems and achieving goals.

Lifehacker selected seven questions from the books “ Important years" and "Be the best version myself". Every person should ask themselves these questions.

1. What am I giving into the world?

The main question for today is: how do you transmit into the world what you receive from it?

A person's success is ultimately determined by what he is willing to give to the world.
Dan Waldschmidt, author of Be Your Best Self

So what exactly are you giving to the world? What are you creating? Take the time to write down the answer to this question on paper. It is not necessarily something monumental or visible. For example, you may find that you are best at supporting strong relationships within your family. Write it down like that. In what coin do you pay the world? Are you just taking or are you ready to give?

2. What do I really want?

Some will be fleeting, and some will take hold and sound in your head louder and more often. This is you and your true desires. Don't listen to what others say about what you want. If you want, do it!

The second method comes from the opposite. Get rid of everything you don't want to do and don't need. On a piece of paper, write down all the obligations, beliefs, that is, all the “shoulds” that you have. Then answer yourself three questions for each “should”:

Where did it come from?
Is it real?
Do I want to follow it?

Cross out all those beliefs that do not suit you. This way you will free up time and space for the real you.

3. How long can you excuse yourself?

Almost any of our desires that contradicts the brain’s ideas about safety, any action that will somehow get us out of our comfort zone, encounters powerful resistance. This is called the resistance force.

For the brain, our exit from the comfort zone is like a fire. To prevent this from happening, he sends his fire crews in the form of excuses. Now listen and hear their loud signal. They are driving, and your mind begins to pour fire foam in the form of excuses:

It's so disgusting outside, let's stay home...
If you leave work, you will starve!
Don't open your own business. None of your friends can do it.
“Don't leave the room. Don’t make a mistake” (Brodsky’s fire foam).
Don't go to this training. Otherwise you won’t have enough money to survive until the end of the month.

All this is the power of resistance. How often does this defensive reaction interfere with your life?

4. What gives me the most energy?

In The Important Years, Meg Jay writes: “Understanding what we love most is very simple. Favorite things give us the most a large number of energy."

This means paying attention to when you have the most energy. For example, if you feel uplifted when you draw pictures, paint pictures. If you feel you have the most energy when you organize big events, organize them. If you feel energized at the gym, do it.

Don't try to follow the imposed path and become a lawyer because your parents wanted it that way. Or because you read the rating “The most in-demand professions of the future.” Follow the energy - and your passion will definitely find a way out.

5. Important or urgent?

It happens that we are so tired of everything that we don’t even want to get up in the morning. We don't have any desires. Complete apathy. All this happens because we drive ourselves into a swamp of obligations from which we cannot get out. Due to the fact that we often do what we need, and not what we want, we stop wanting anything at all.

We miss this moment because the frantic pace of our lives does not allow us to stop and think about ourselves and our dreams. And, most importantly, about our priorities. What are your true priorities? Perhaps it’s a career, changing the world for the better, a strong family, health, a favorite thing...

Harmony with yourself will allow you to put the most important thing in life first and stay on course.

6. Am I growing or declining?

A person always wants to grow. Sideways, crookedly - anywhere. If a person does not grow, he degrades. And period. This is why it is so important to constantly develop in your business. If we don't make an effort and challenge ourselves every day, we will deteriorate.

Everything around is striving for growth. If a tree root is blocked from growing by placing a concrete slab, then what will happen? The tree will begin to grow sideways. It's the same with people. Degradation is the same as growth. Only to the side.

The more you listen to yourself and do what your inner voice tells you, the more harmonious you will be. Have the courage to admit to yourself what you really want and don't want. And also the courage to be true to yourself. Then you will not need any other motivation.

7. Do I often read books?

How many books have you read this year? And in the past? Is this enough or can you read more? Ask yourself important questions read more often and smart useful books. The word is eternal, and books will always be that in a fast way upgrade your mind and skills without making your own mistakes. Look for interesting books on the shelves in cozy coffee shops, at the homes of friends and parents, leaf through bright editions in bookstores, ask your friends to recommend their favorite literature. And a taste for books will definitely come.

An interview with a candidate usually includes a review of the documents submitted by him and subsequent dialogue aimed at finding out how well the applicant is suitable for the position for which he is applying. The employer, by asking questions, tries to determine what personal and business qualities the candidate has, to the extent his knowledge, skills and abilities meet the requirements for the position.

No less important is the final part of the interview, during which the employer, as a rule, gives the applicant the opportunity to ask questions that interest him. In this way, HR employees can find out some additional details about the candidate’s personality: his motivation, level of aspirations, ability to clearly formulate his thoughts, level of conflict, and so on.

When you reach this part of the interview, try to create a favorable impression of yourself with the interviewer and demonstrate interest in the company and future activities.

An employer will be more sympathetic to a candidate who is actively interested in the field in which he will work, and is not simply determined to take the first vacancy that comes his way.

What questions should you ask your employer?

When, at the end of the main part of the interview, you are asked to ask questions that interest you, show interest in future cooperation. Find out more about your job responsibilities and skill requirements practical activities. It is important for you to accurately understand what official or production tasks management will set for you. This will allow you to avoid hassle and conflict situations when, after starting work, it suddenly turns out that your level of training does not correspond to the position.

Find out if the company has prospects for professional and career growth. Take an interest in the current position of the enterprise in the market. Does the company plan to expand its activities and open new representative offices? What guides management when nominating employees for promotion? You may need to undergo certification or gain a certain amount of experience for career advancement. Let the employer know that you are ready to connect your life with the company you like for a long time.

Ask a question about working conditions. This will allow you to better imagine what the internal routine and operating mode of the enterprise is. If this is important to you, check whether your position will require weekend work and out-of-town travel.

Very often, the need to go on long business trips brings conflicts into the family and disrupts the usual rhythm of life.

Be careful when asking about salary. It is best to wait until the employer himself says so. If this point was not covered during the interview, ask what salary you can expect. Be prepared for the employer to ask you what your expectations are in this regard.

Prepare in advance by finding out what the salary range for the position is in your area. Typically this indicator has a lower and an upper limit. Try to set a level for yourself that is slightly higher than what you actually expect.

Refrain from asking questions at the very beginning of the interview, since during the conversation you will probably be able to clarify most of the points that interest you. As a rule, the company employee conducting the interview builds the conversation so that all the main questions related to the subject of the interview are covered in full.

Sources:

What questions should you ask an employer during an interview?

To successfully pass an interview, the applicant must be prepared for a variety of, even strange, questions from a potential employer. Answers to some of them can and should be prepared in advance, but when answering others, the candidate must show his skill in improvisation.

The most common interview questions concern the applicant’s education and professional skills, reasons for leaving a previous job, expected salary wages, benefits for the company when hiring a candidate, life plans and goals for the coming years.

Answers to these questions should not be formal; try to prepare succinct and concise answers to them, showing your strengths.

Think about the answers to these questions in advance:
- What can you tell us about yourself?
- What attracted you to this vacancy?
- Why are you better than other candidates for this position?
- How do you see your life in a year?

Non-standard questions

Sometimes during interviews, recruiters ask strange, perhaps even funny questions. With their help, personnel selection specialists determine the ability logical thinking, attentiveness and imagination of the candidate.

How would you answer the question: how much? door handles at the company office? Just use logic! Correct answer: twice as many as doors. Why don't polar bears eat penguins? Some live in the Arctic, others in Antarctica.

But for some non-standard questions There simply cannot be any single correct answer.

How to move a mountain?
- Imagine that you have shrunk a thousand times in size, and you have been sucked into a vacuum cleaner. How will you get out of it?
- Rate your inadequacy on a ten-point scale.

With the help of your answers, the HR manager wants to assess creativity and the ability to creatively approach solving problems, and sometimes this is how stress resistance is tested.

Projective questions

HR managers know that often applicants, wanting to get a job, come to an interview with the “correct” answers to typical questions already prepared in advance. Therefore, experienced recruiters ask the candidate not only to tell about himself, but also to explain the motivation of people in general or of some fictional character. These are called projective questions.

What attracts people most to work?
- Why do conflicts happen in a team?
- Why do some people steal?

When people answer these questions, they subconsciously transfer their own experiences and judgments about life onto others. Thus, projective questions help the selection specialist assess the applicant’s motivation, conflict, attitude and ability to steal. It is impossible to prepare for such questions in advance, so when answering them, try to just be yourself.

Video on the topic

When applying for a job, you usually need to go through an interview. And it is quite clear that for many this is a rather difficult and exciting moment. After all, it depends on how successfully will be interviewed depends on whether you will be hired by this company or not. In order to advantageously show your strengths at the first meeting with the employer, it is worth paying attention to some points.

Competent resume

Regarding education, list all places of study, including courses. If you have worked in many places and even in several specialties, it is not necessary to indicate everything. Choose those positions that will show that you have the knowledge and skills necessary for the job you are applying for now. When highlighting your personal qualities at the end of your resume, don’t be modest. The main thing is to focus on those character traits that you think will be useful for your main job.

Blitz training

Do it with yourself before the interview. Better out loud. List all your positive sides and traits, convince yourself that no one is better suited for this job than you. This blitz training has two main goals. Firstly, it will help to collect all the information needed for the conversation. Secondly, overcome shyness and uncertainty before the meeting. And most importantly, get ready to win.

Speech preparation

When telling about yourself, build on the information that was presented in your resume. But go into more detail about the experience and qualities that are required. As the conversation progresses, try to better understand the employer’s needs and give him the information that will show you in a favorable light. Here it is appropriate to show in more detail than in a resume your knowledge of areas related to your main profession. And even talk about hobbies, if they are somehow useful for future work. When asked about shortcomings, it’s better to laugh it off.

Optimistic attitude

Don’t go into an interview with a “now or never” mindset. This can make you feel extra nervous, assertive, and aggressive, which will alienate your employer. It is better to immediately prepare for the meeting with the desire to do everything necessary to win, but also with the readiness to accept its outcome, whatever it may be. In any case, trying is an experience from which you can learn for a future interview.

During an interview it is unacceptable:

Late. It's better to arrive ten minutes early.
Sloppiness in documents. A crumpled resume, a poorly folded portfolio.
Speak poorly of colleagues and management from previous jobs. If at your previous job you had any conflict situations, do not under any circumstances talk about this.

Everyone can ask questions, but not everyone will be able to do it in such a way as to win over the interlocutor and evoke the desired reaction from him. Especially if this interlocutor is a girl you really like. What questions will interest her, intrigue her, make her laugh, make her like you, and which ones will be unpleasant for her? This is exactly what we will talk about in this article.

Learning to ask detailed questions

A detailed question does not require a short, specific, monosyllabic answer. It usually starts with these words:

For what
Why
Which

By asking your interlocutor such a question, you make it clear to him that you are interested in the conversation and its development.

Any question is possible, with ease convert to expanded. For example:

"Do you like apples?" - closed. “What fruits do you like most in summer?” - open.
“Are you a morning person or a night owl?” - closed. “What time do you wake up and what is your daily routine?” - open.

Using questions in conversation

Using questions, you can start a conversation with a girl (“How are you doing?”, “How are you feeling?”, “Where were you today, what did you see new?”), maintain it and, if desired, transfer it to another topic.

For example, the conversation is about films, but there is a desire to talk about more personal topics. Here's how to do it:

AND: Most of all, I like melodramas and films about love.
M: Many films show love at first sight. Do you think it exists? Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?

The main thing in a conversation with a girl is to choose the right topic. Detailed article with examples good topics for communication .

An important part of communication is compliments. With the help of this article you will learn.

But you will find detailed list compliments that can be given to a girl's beauty.

Don't forget to post on social media from time to time. networks.

List of questions that cannot be used

There are also questions that you should not ask girls under any circumstances. They will always regard them as "bad".

How much do you weigh?
How many boyfriends did you have before me?
This lipstick doesn't suit you. Don't you think so?
Why aren't you blonde?
What is your IQ level?

Questions you can ask

Here are a few general rules that will definitely be useful to you:

Girls love interesting, original, creative questions. Don't hold back your imagination. Don't be afraid that the question will seem stupid to her. Be afraid that it will seem boring.
All questions must be positive. Don't ask a woman anything that will bring back negative memories. If the conversation takes an unexpected turn, change the topic.
Every question its time. The closer you get, the more personal questions you can ask.

There are also a number of questions that can be classified as “good”. They can be safely asked when meeting and on the first date. They allow you to learn a lot of new and interesting things about a person.

How did you learn to draw so well?
How many friends do you have and what are their names?
What result do you want to achieve in life?
What's your favorite color?
What time of year do you look forward to most?
Where do you like to spend your free time?
What are your favorite flowers?
Who is your favourite actor?
What movie has stayed with you for a long time?
Where do you go to dance?
Who is your favorite singer?
How do you understand that you cannot live without another person?
What impressions did you have after your trip to Paris/London/St. Petersburg?
What vacation do you like best?
What kind of music do you listen to?
Where does a beauty like you live?

Funny questions

Laughter is a powerful weapon. Here is a cool selection that will help make your beloved laugh.

Let's bet on a kiss that I'm a better kisser than you?
Who do the sheep count to fall asleep?
What will a cat do if a dog is doused with valerian?
If you can’t eat at night, then why was the light in the refrigerator invented?
If you drink an energy drink first and then a sleeping pill, who will win?
What would you be doing now if you weren’t answering my questions here?

Trick questions

These are tricky questions that look innocent but touch on personal issues. They allow you to move from general topics to more sensitive ones.

Do you fall in love often?
How old were you when you had your first kiss?
Who do you want? Son or daughter?
Who do you think likes whom more: you for me or me for you?
The most romantic day of your life?
Who will you choose: the guy with the money or the good one?
What music will be at your wedding?
Do you want to fall in love?
Have you ever dynamized a guy?

This category includes all questions that cause girls light confusion. They turn a calm conversation into flirting, provoke a girl into a frank conversation, and help smoothly move on to more intimate topics.

When I start pestering you, how will you behave?
How do you feel about kissing on the first date?
Do you like to kiss?
When you fall in love, will you say so yourself, or will you wait for recognition?
Have you ever fought with a girl over a guy?
Will you forgive cheating on your best friend?
Shall we have a photo shoot together?

Vulgar questions

Vulgar questions directly affect sex and eroticism. This type can be used if your relationship has already taken a horizontal position. They will be good as foreplay. You shouldn't ask them at the first meeting.

Don't overuse sexual questions unless you're sure she likes it.

What unusual place would you like to have sex in?
Do you believe in true love?
They say that rough girls are very passionate in bed. This is true?
How often do you watch porn?
Do you need a good lover?
What song would you like to make love to?

If you can't wait to check out how it works, you'll definitely find someone to practice your new communication skills with on badoo

Many young men are embarrassed to meet girls because they don’t know what to talk to them about. to interest her?

You should start a conversation with a girl with natural and very simple questions. They can be different and on almost any topic. The main thing is that you behave naturally and believe in what you say.

In no case should you allow an abundant series of questions, otherwise the girl will consider you intrusive. Questions should be asked at intervals and only if there is a clearly established dialogue. Perfect option communication - if the question asked is followed by an answer, as well as some explanation or story on the topic. To interest a girl, express your opinion, argue first, and then give in and agree with her.

Insert your own phrases into the story so that the girl understands: you are not just listening to her, but you are interested in everything she is talking about.

Try to listen to the girl’s story, react more often to her statements, add phrases into the conversation: “Yes, I had this happen too,” “Very interesting,” “That’s cool!” and the like. And also try to pick up any thought and statement, and then develop them.

Don’t let the conversation die out, try to keep it going with new statements that can interest the girl. Tell something new, argue about something and bring different examples from own life. If the girl does not respond to the proposed topic, then try to develop a new one. Ask a cool question to a girl that will make her think. For example: “What action were you most ashamed of?” Always remember that you are able to find an approach to any representative of the fair sex.

What question to ask a girl about vacation:

What are your favorite places in the city?

Do you have faithful friends? How often do you see them?

Do you love animals? How often do you visit the zoo?

Do you love nature? How often do you go out of town?

What question to ask a girl on the topic: “Relationships”

Are you a loving person?

Do you like romance?

How do you perceive relationships that are built on money?

Have you ever had meetings under the moon?

Do you allow competition?

Do you prefer to receive or give compliments?

What compliments do you consider yourself worthy of?

Do you have good memories of your first love?

What question to ask a girl to support any conversation:

Do you collect any things or objects?

Have you ever been to the sea?

Do you have a pet? What did you call him?

What weather do you dislike the most?

What music do you like to dance to? What kind of music do you like to listen to?

Do you often visit nightclubs?

What dish are you best at cooking?

Do you love handicrafts?

What question to ask a girl to make her laugh and cheer her up? Think about this for yourself. Just remember that it is important not to cross the line and not slide into vulgarity.

Find out if you have common interests, then it will become much easier to find. Always remember: it’s not just you who should ask questions, let the girl “interrogate” you too.

I believe that few people need to be convinced of the importance of asking questions when selling. During the training, the greatest attention is devoted to this block. What's so hard about asking questions? There is nothing in the questions themselves. It is important to be able to build their correct sequence. It is important to develop the skill of managing a conversation using questions. It is the questions that lead us to closing the deal. Yes, yes, you heard right, not a presentation, but questions. Remember how many annoying advertisements we hear every day, but these are competent and beautifully made presentations. Don't be walking advertising posters, this is a low, unprofessional level. Our task as salespeople is to use all the rich potential of influence on the buyer.

Techniques for asking questions when selling

For what purposes are questions used:

They give you the information you need, engage the other person in the conversation, identify problems, look for objections, make the other person feel important, demonstrate your interest, and much, much more.

Some sellers are afraid to ask the client, because they are very afraid to hear a refusal or objection. In vain, a voiced objection is much better than an internal one. You can work with what the client said. His thoughts are unfortunately inaccessible to us. Therefore, our goal is to make a person talk and talk as much as possible.

Questions are used for four main purposes: 1 - as active listening, 2 - to identify needs, 3 - to lead the client to consider purchasing, 4 - to clarify objections.

Active listening:

Questions - important element active listening techniques. The ability to listen and think about what you hear will help turn the conversation between the client and the seller into a pleasure. The questions can be anything, the main thing is to express sincere interest and ask essentially, without intrusively inviting the person to tell the story. This is how close friends communicate, periodically interspersing the conversation with emotional inserts: “What are you talking about,” “Really,” “This is important!” and so on.

“Listen twice as much as you speak, and you will always be successful” (T. Hopkins).

Identifying needs:

This block is included in every sales training. And now attention, the question: “If you diagnose a client’s lack of need for your product, what will you do?”

The classic response is to give the client the correct information and enjoy watching his back retreat. Okay, let's say we did that. What if we were wrong, and the client’s need could still be satisfied by our product. And honestly, we are unlikely to want to let a person go without trying to offer him something.

My methodology is built on the idea that everyone has the right to freedom of choice. We do identify needs, but only to understand exactly how to make a presentation, what words to use.

Give the client an idea:

It is a well-known fact that if the client himself comes to the realization of the idea, he will not have any objections. Sometimes you can ask questions as if the decision has already been made. For example: “Is it more convenient for you to meet on Wednesday or Thursday?”, instead of: “Are you ready to arrange a meeting?”

Clarification of objections:

Clarifying an objection is necessary primarily to improve mutual understanding with the client. Having extensive sales experience, you certainly know all the objections that a client can name and know the answers.

Show interest and clarify everything the client says. You thereby create a favorable climate; the client understands that his position is respected and that he is listened to.

Finally, by explaining his objection, the client can answer it himself. Not to mention, if the objection is false, asking clarifying questions will tell you right away.

Types of questions:

It is necessary not only to know what to ask, but also to be able to ask correctly. Otherwise, we risk receiving answers that tell us absolutely nothing.

There are several types of questions, the most important are the following:

OPEN QUESTIONS - those that cannot be answered “yes” or “no”, they require explanation. What? Where? When? How? How many? Why? Before asking an open question, we need to get the client talking. Asking an open question at the right time allows you to get a lot of useful information. It is very important to listen carefully so that you can then use in your presentation the same words and expressions that the client used to describe what he wants.

CLOSED QUESTIONS are questions that greatly limit the possibilities of answering. The most likely answer for them is “yes” or “no”. This is true? Can I help you? These questions are good for warming up, but you need to keep in mind that several “no” answers in a row can kill any negotiations. The client needs to be kept in a positive mood. Closed questions are good when you are sure of the answers or you really need to clarify important detail, which does not directly affect the final agreement.

GUIDING – which consist of statements with the addition of “...is that true?”, “... isn’t it?”, “... do you agree?” A leading (confirming) question suggests something. This is a question with a built-in answer that should evoke approval and create a favorable atmosphere. You can use it to get confirmation, but you should always wait for an answer, unlike a rhetorical question. Use leading questions rarely; frequent use of them will irritate your interlocutor. Ask a leading question only if you are sure you will receive a positive answer.

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS – serve both for a deeper consideration of problems and for “diluting” them. Questions do not require a direct answer and serve to give weight to words or to attract additional attention.

CLARIFYING QUESTIONS – involve clarifying previous information. They are constructed as follows: “Did I understand you correctly?”, “Do you mean...?” etc.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS – require a short answer, possibly containing specific data and figures. How much? How often do you use...? Such questions are good before a presentation. They add meaning to your proposal. Always ask specific questions, even if the answers will not affect the essence of your proposal.

ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS – offer a choice of options. “Are you interested in This or That?” The typical word for an alternative question is “or.” It limits the answer options. It is not recommended to offer more than two answer options to avoid creating confusion. Put the option that is beneficial to you last, then it will be remembered better. Alternative questions are very good at the final stages when you need to get the client's consent. They can also be used effectively when the client is taciturn or difficult to communicate, and names common objections.

Sequence of questions.

You should not ask open questions at the very beginning of the conversation. First you need to get the person to talk. Start with Alternative, Follow-up or Closed Questions.

Is it convenient for you to talk or should I call you back later? (Alternative)
Do I understand correctly that your company uses...? (clarifying)
Are you interested in new technologies? (Closed)
Can you spare me a few minutes so I can make you a good offer? (Closed)

At a certain point, which you will soon enough learn to feel, switch to open questions and listen diligently. There should also not be too many open-ended questions, otherwise they may cause irritation. At the same time, they should be clear and not vague.

Towards the middle of the conversation we introduce leading questions. They will lead us to the desired topic. To prevent the conversation from drifting towards “for life”, use alternative questions.

Specific and closed questions will help draw a line under the most lively conversation.

Rhetorical questions can be asked during a presentation to give your words meaning.

Clarifying questions help us a lot when processing objections. Finally, when concluding a deal, Closed Questions and Alternative Questions are used again. “I believe this configuration is most suitable for you?”, “Is it more convenient for you to pay in cash or by bank transfer?”

Preparing questions.

Experienced sellers always have ready list questions that allow you to most fully and quickly identify the client’s needs and establish good communication with him. These lists strongly depend on the company’s field of activity and can contain up to several dozen question options.

How to ask questions correctly:

Ask positively:

Always avoid sentences with “not…”, “no way”, “never”, “difficult”, “problems” and the like.

Turn statements into questions:

Avoid using only affirmative phrases; dialogue is more engaging than monologue.

Give your interlocutor time to respond.

After your question, be patient until your interlocutor answers. Don't jump around and answer yourself. If the pause is prolonged, and there is a risk that the client did not understand the meaning of your question, or he does not want to show his ignorance of the problem. Reword the question, explain what you meant. Sometimes, if asking questions seems like curiosity, it can be helpful to briefly justify why you are asking.

If a client asks you an unpleasant question or talks about the price ahead of time.

React with a counter question:

Reject the customer's question:

“I will definitely answer your question, however, let me first clarify some points that may affect my answer.”

Give an evasive answer:

“Discounts are possible from 3 to 10%”

“The price depends on many factors, including the volume of the order”

“Minimum time 3-5 days, depending on production workload”

If you don't know the answer:

Say that you want to provide the most accurate information, which you need to check with the company first.

Say you will send the answer by e-mail or fax, be sure to indicate the time frame for when you will respond and fulfill your promise.