The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer

As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. Which is why I encourage my clients to be as specific as possible when asking questions. This is especially useful during the AMS sales process.

For example, if you ask an AMS salesperson, "Can your product handle student membership?" you're more than likely going to get the answer "yes." That's because the question is actually quite vague.

A better way to ask the question might be: "Can your product manage a student membership process where the student has to apply online, provide an upload of their transcript, wait for approval from staff, and when they renew, they can only renew into a NEW membership type?"

This is a much more specific question. (Notice that a more specific question is actually multiple questions!) This question will get you a much more specific answer than just "yes."

Of course, this rule applies to just about any conversation, not just sales. "Do you want to eat?" is a vague question. (My answer will always be YES!) But "Do you want to walk ten minutes right now to get sushi?" is far more specific (and will also change my answer!).

Vague questions elicit vague answers. Be specific!

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."

January 10, 2019

In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except […]

Know Your Audience Before You Speak

December 20, 2018

This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, […]

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."

December 13, 2018

Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was […]

Signal-to-noise ratio

December 5, 2018

Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how […]

Consultants bring perspective

November 28, 2018

Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is […]

Garbage in, gospel out

November 22, 2018

Garbage in, gospel out We’ve all heard the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out.” If the […]

Dramatic change does not happen overnight

November 15, 2018

Dramatic change does not happen overnight Like most things in life, dramatic change does not […]

Implementation Intention

November 8, 2018

Implementation Intention Editor’s note: I have a new email newsletter, sent weekly, called Wes’s Wednesday […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top