The short answer
How do you ask open-ended discovery questions?
Replace questions that start with do, is or would with ones that start with how, what or “walk me through the last time”. Pause after asking, because the fuller answer usually comes second. Keep closed questions for confirming what you heard.
Foreword
Why it matters
People who ask more questions, especially follow-up questions, are liked more by the people they talk to1. But a yes-or-no question often ends the thread it was meant to open: the buyer answers “yes” and waits. An open question hands them the conversation and gives you something concrete to follow.
Retrieval
61%
of a passage recalled a week later after three practice tests, against 40% after four readings2
What we’ll cover in this guide
- Part 01: Spot the closed question
- Part 02: Rewrite into how, what and walk me through
- Part 03: Keep closed questions for confirming
- Your practice task: a short exercise to try with Selly
- Conclusion and what to practise next
Part 01: Spot the closed question
Closed questions start with “do”, “is”, “are”, “have” or “would”. They can be answered in one word.
Hearing the difference
Closed questions narrow
“Do you struggle with follow-ups?” invites yes or no, and a polite buyer often says no.
Open questions widen
“How do follow-ups happen at the moment?” invites a description, and descriptions contain the detail you need.
Reflection questions and how to get started
- How many of your last five questions could be answered with one word? Rewrite two of them.
- Which question got the longest answer? Notice how it started.
Part 02: Rewrite into how, what and walk me through
Most closed questions can be rebuilt around the same topic.
Three reliable openings
“How does … work today?”
Asks for a process. Processes reveal where things slow down.
“What happens when …?”
Asks for consequences. Consequences show whether a problem matters.
“Walk me through the last time …”
Asks for a real example rather than an opinion, which is usually more accurate.
Reflection questions and how to get started
- Did you pause after asking? Count to three next time.
- Did you ask about a real example? “The last time” works well.
Part 03: Keep closed questions for confirming
Closed questions are useful once you have the story: they check that you understood.
The right tool at the right time
Confirm facts and agreement
“So it is the three of you who decide, is that right?” A clear yes or no is exactly what you want here.
Do not use them to lead
“Wouldn’t it be great if…?” is a closed question pretending to be discovery. Buyers notice.
Reflection questions and how to get started
- Did any closed question put words in the buyer’s mouth? Replace it with an open one.
- Did you confirm what you heard before moving on? A short closed check does that.
Your practice task
- In Selly, choose a buyer with a problem you have not been told about.
- Ask your usual first three discovery questions.
- Read the feedback, rewrite any closed question into how, what or walk me through, and repeat.
- Finish with one closed question that confirms what you learned.
Conclusion
Open questions get stories; closed questions confirm them. Lead with how and what, pause for the fuller answer, and save yes-or-no for checking you understood.
