Replace "why" with "what" in conversations. Asking "Why is this important?" puts people on the defensive, but "What makes this important?" opens them up. Small word change, bigger responses.
Here is one word that you should banish from your vocabulary. If you want to be more persuasive and have better communication, never say this word. Now, it might catch you a bit by surprise, but try never to ask "why." I know we're told to ask "why" over and over to get to the bottom of something, but it's the specific word "why." It's awful. There are few words in the English language that put people on their back foot as fast as asking "why." Now don't get me wrong, you still want those answers. You just need to reword your question. Instead of, "Why is this metric important?" you could ask, "What makes that metric so important?" "Why are you working with them?" Ask, "What offering led you to work with them?" It's the same question, but it doesn't back them into a corner, so you are likely to get better answers and have stronger relationships. Drop us a note in the comments, tell us how it goes.
The Franklin Effect: Turn Your Biggest Critic Into Your Strongest Supporter (Psychology Explained)
