ACTION 3: ASK QUESTIONS TO ENGAGE AND GET THEM TALKING

An easy way to turn the focus to Them and get them talking as early as possible is by asking questions. There are two kinds of questions to use in the Initiate step, Time and Connection.

Time to Talk?

Show that you value their time by addressing it very early in the conversation. By addressing time, you can determine the pace of the conversation, reschedule if necessary, and alleviate any fears or concerns they have about time:

• “We have thirty minutes scheduled. Does that sound okay?”

• “So that we make good use of our time, how much time did you plan for our conversation?”

• “Does this time still work for you?”

Their response to the time question tells you if you can move forward or if ...

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