Restrictive or closed-ended questions
usually seek a specific bit of information, and the answer
is often a simple "yes" or "no." But a desire to limit
the answer to "yes" or "no" is not the only reason to ask a
closed question. This type of question can also serve
a number of other useful purposes.
First, restrictive questions can be
used to direct a conversation to a desired area or gain
commitment to a definite position. For example, "If we
can met your needs regarding the price and terms, will you
purchase our product today?" Or, "Do you want to work
on Saturday or Sunday?" Or "You will send the revised
quotation to me by Monday, right?"
A second reason to ask closed-ended
questions is to break the ice and get a conversation moving
forward. For example, as you enter someone's office,
you might say, "It certainly is a beautiful day today, isn't
it?"
Finally, restrictive questions are
helpful when you are trying to gain a deal point or
concession from your counterpart. For example, you
might ask, "If I am willing to include technical support at
no additional charge, would you be willing to pay our full
price of fourteen hundred dollars for each computer?"
The object of restrictive questioning
isn't so much to gain a lot of information as to start the
conversation, confirm a deal point, or gain a concession
from your counterpart.
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