144 PowerPhrases in Action
Let me ask you this...Help me understand...Could you help me with...?Could you expand on that for me...?These are open-ended questions. That means they require
more than a one-word answer. When you ask
Can you tell me anything about...?Do you...?Would it work to...?you are using a closed-ended question that will provide less
information.
Finally, it’s important to know how to use questions to
regain balance of control in a conversation. I thought I was in
an inquisition one day in an interview to tailor training for a
corporation. The HR director fired question after question at
me, and I did not feel myself to be in a position of power. At
one point she asked, “How would you handle the information
on organizing the day?” I responded with a question of my own,
How would you like for me to handle it?It was a subtle shift, but I felt I was an equal in the conversa-
tion from then on, because I had broken the pattern.
Remember this approach the next time someone gets you