Questions and How to Ask Them
A consultant’s job is to create answers and asking a good question is the number one tool you have in your consultant’s tool belt to get those answers. As you try to figure out the hidden problems and the clever solutions, you will be interviewing your clients in what are called requirement gathering meetings. Below are some high-level guidelines you can follow to be sure you’re getting the most out of your client requirement sessions:
- Bring something to write with. This is imperative. A notebook, a laptop or a tablet are acceptable and put your college training to good use and take notes while listening to a flowing conversation. Information will come at you fast, so be prepared.
- Start by first asking what core problem they are trying to solve. If you already know what the answer is, restate your assumptions and ask the group to validate. Starting with questions to why you are there and lining up high-level expectations is a good place to start.
- Ask questions that will give you a good general understanding of the client’s role, their responsibilities and how they intersect with the goals previously discussed.
- It is ok to ask the client to repeat something that was missed or was unclear. You will not catch or comprehend everything the first time it is spoken.
- Keep digging to get the answers you are looking for. Remember, clients are usually explaining something they do day in and day out and will either gloss over valuable details or assume that are familiar with. Follow-up questions should explore deeper into topics and be targeted to getting to the core answers you need.
- Do not ask the same question for multiple days or meetings to the same person. It is completely fair to ask for further clarification on a previous topic if you are stuck, but if you have just forgotten, then you need to be taking better notes the first time around. This can ruin your credibility as a good listener and attention to detail. Asking the same question to another client team member is fair game, however, as the misalignment in the answers may represent the misalignment in the business you are attempting to discover.
- It is always helpful to repeat back what you heard and ask if your understanding of something is accurate. You may misinterpret a response and catching it early on is always best.
- Unfortunately, there are such things as dumb questions. As previously mentioned, the more research you can do prior to landing on site, the better shape you will be in. It will be expected of you to have some core level of skill, expertise and competency, so be sure to do your homework.
Are you interested in starting a career in consulting? Be sure do read the full book Jack of all Trades Master of Some; An Introduction to Consulting available on Amazon.