I once knew a woman who had a reputation as a snob and a gossip. I would avoid her at parties because I did not want to participate in her judgmental inquisition. It rarely felt like her questions were based on genuine interest and caring, but rather an attempt to gather information that she could use behind my back. I had her number and could see past her overly eager friendliness. Her attempts to be the expert on everyone else’s business have continued to make a poor impression on me these many years later. If your gut reaction is "Why do you want to know?" trust your instincts.

11 Benefits of Asking Questions

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein

1. Builds rapport.
2. Nurtures creativity.
3. Grows your knowledge and awareness.
4. Exercises critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
5. Makes the other person feel valued.
6. Helps you make thoughtful decisions.
7. The better our questions, the better our answers.
8. Keeps you agile and open to new ideas.
9. Improves your memory and retention.
10. Helps you stay informed and relevant.
11. Enables you to discover a new world of possibilities you would not have known otherwise.

Leading the Witness. Know the difference! Using questions to manipulate, coerce, or lead people in directions which are not in their best interests connotes dishonesty, fraud, disrespect, and a lack of integrity.

Tell me about yourself” is one of the best icebreakers and conversation openers you can have. Learn to ask questions using this phrase as the guide. Let the other person do the talking and they will think you are the most delightful conversationalist they have ever met. When you make the effort to do this for others, they feel relevant and valued.

What do you do? It’s amazing how people will qualify, quantify, judge, assess, and form complete opinions about you based on that one age-old question. It is a boring, uncreative default setting for attempting to engage a new person.
Spice it up and try something new. Instead, ask "What do you do for fun?” Your creativity will make you more memorable and help you stand apart from the crowd.

In sales, there is a questioning funnel for building rapport in which you start with broad questions and discreetly and respectfully move to the more specific. If you don’t honor this progression, you risk coming across as pushy. As you build rapport, you earn standing to get more personal.