Written by Em Roberts

5 types of questions to unlock valuable conversations with clients

28th October, 2024   •   4 minutes

In the fast-paced world of business development, knowing how to ask the right questions can make all the difference. Asking a good question is a skill that we need to develop.

At Higson, we’ve seen firsthand how impactful well-timed, thoughtful questions can be in unlocking deeper insights, building trust, and steering conversations towards more meaningful outcomes. We encourage our clients to prepare questions ahead of meetings to increase the value of the conversations they are having. Below are five types of questions that can transform your client interactions, helping you create more value in every conversation.

Need more persuading?

Here are a few statistics on the impact of asking effective questions:

• According to Salesforce Research, 63% of consumers and 76% of B2B buyers expect businesses to know their unique needs and expectations. Being able to apply the right question can make a big difference to the answers you get back.
• A Harvard Business Review article stated that people with the ability to ask great questions are seen as more empathetic. They lower the threshold for others to speak up, increase the quality of decisions and foster collective intelligence.

Cluster questions: To get them talking

Starting a conversation is often the hardest part, especially if you’re getting clients to open up about their needs and challenges. Cluster questions are great for breaking through that initial barrier by giving clients multiple angles to respond. Instead of asking a single open-ended question, you ask around 3-4 themes, allowing them to choose what resonates most. This approach uncovers not just their surface needs, but often hidden motivations or concerns they hadn’t yet voiced. You’re drawing back the curtain.

Example:
To get them talking: Has anything changed since we last spoke, any updates that would be good to share, or anything else that is front of mind for you?

Identifying barriers: What are some of the biggest challenges, you’re facing right now, in terms of your team dynamics, growth strategy, or customer engagement?

Clarifying expectations: What do you want to focus on in our meeting today, any particular expectations on your end, what would you like to walk away with at the end of this discussion?

By offering multiple hooks, you make it easier for clients to engage and feel comfortable sharing. It’s a brilliant way to set the tone for a fruitful discussion.

2. Framed questions: To provide context and encourage further thought 

There are times when you need to guide the conversation in a specific direction without limiting the client’s opportunity to share insights and open up. An effective way to do this is to ask questions framed in the insight you already have about the client. Framed questions build credibility as you can demonstrate your understanding of them and the preparation you have done ahead of the meeting. We can frame questions in knowledge, research and stories.

Example: 

Framed in Insight: We saw that you released your half-year results last month. Exciting statistics on both financials and people. How are you planning on retaining momentum in the next half of the year?

Framed in client needs: Given that client centricity is a strategic focus area for you…what is your current approach to customer relationship management? Any software that you use?

We can also use framed questions to ask for referrals more effectively. This is because they provide context, structure and subtly guide the client towards specific thinking, making it easier for them to provide a useful response. A concern we get from many of our clients at Higson is that they don’t want to sound ‘salesy’ when asking for referrals.

Framed questions make referrals feel more conversational, rather than transactional. This is because they tap into social proof, highlighting the value you have given and appealing to their sense of helping others, which makes them more likely to refer you.

Referral:

You mentioned that you appreciated Higson’s tailored approach, do you know of anyone else who would benefit from this?

Do you know anyone in financial services who’s been looking to solve similar challenges? 

Framed questions stop the conversation from going off on a tangent which is especially important when time is limited. They help ensure that the client’s responses stay relevant to the key objectives of the discussion, making the conversation more efficient and productive. Interested in understanding more about the power of framed questions? Read our blog on how to use them.

3. Expanding questions: To get more from them 

Sometimes, a client’s first answer doesn’t tell us the full story. This is where expanding questions come in. Simple phrases like ‘and what else?’ (a Higson favourite) or ‘Could you share a bit more about that?’ Encourage the client to keep exploring their thoughts and experiences. These questions are powerful for helping clients reflect on their answers and dig deeper into what’s driving their needs or challenges.

Example: That’s really interesting – could you share a bit more about what led you to that approach?

Further perspective taking: If you were advising someone on this problem, what would you say?

Looking ahead: What do you want to be different from now in two years’ time?

By using expanding questions, you gather more information and help the client think critically about their responses, making the conversation richer and more valuable.

4. Shallow to deep questions: To build trust and connection

Shallow to deep questioning is a technique that involves progressively deepening the level of inquiry to encourage more thoughtful, reflective responses. It starts with basic, surface level questions that establish general information before moving to deeper, more complex questions that explore motivations. It helps uncover underlying insights that might otherwise remain hidden.
A study by Nicholas Epley at the University of Chicago suggests that we can build trust faster when asking deep questions because we feel like we are connecting and sharing on another level.

Shallow: Who else is involved in the decision making process for new initiatives?

Deep: When choosing a new solution, what long term impacts are you most focused on achieving?

Shallow: What are your strategic focus areas for the next quarter?

Deep: How does this align with your long term vision or values?

By transitioning from shallow to deep questions, you help move the conversation from gathering information to uncovering deeper insights and motivations.

Lightbulb questions: To spark new ideas 

Lightbulb questions are designed to spark eureka moments and help them find answers themselves. Rather than just telling them the issue or the value, you get them to reflect on it, which helps you coach them towards a solution. Lightbulb questions shift perspectives, unlock new ways of thinking and help solve problems.

Examples:

Vision: If you could achieve one transformative outcome in the next year, what would it look like?

Self reflection: If you were to start again, is there anything in your current process that you would do differently?

Impact: What would change for your team if this challenge were completely resolved? 

Motivation: What is one small action you can take today?

Acknowledging risk: Could this affect you, your team, or your organisation in ways you have not yet considered?

These questions often lead to ‘lightbulb moment.’ where the client suddenly realises there’s a new path forward that they hadn’t considered before. This is where you can truly add value as a partner in their growth.

Conclusion

In every conversation, the questions you ask are as important as the solutions that you offer. By mastering these five types of questions you can drive more insightful, productive, and valuable interactions. Making the conversation truly collaborative. 

At Higson, we incorporate these types of questions into our workshops and client interactions to help individuals and teams thrive. How can you use these in your next client conversation? If interested in hearing more, please get in touch.