One of the most important rules of English grammar is order of words in a sentence. Once you master it, you will learn to avoid a large number of mistakes.
In English, the word order in affirmative and interrogative sentences is different.
Today we will look at word order in interrogative sentences. I will share with you the simplest algorithm for composing questions in English, once you get acquainted with which you can easily convert English affirmative sentences into interrogative ones.
Algorithm for composing English questions
The algorithm consists of only 3 steps and one small but important note.
The most wonderful thing is that the algorithm works regardless depends on what grammatical tense the verb is in the sentence, or what voice is used (active or passive)! You can easily verify this by looking at the examples in each step.
If there is a modal verb in a sentence, to form a question we put it at the beginning of the sentence.
Let me remind you that modal verbs include the verbs can, may, might, must, should, would.
- He can walk. -> Can he walk?
- She should have listened. -> Should she have listened?
- They might have been invited to the party. -> Might they have been invited to the party?
- He would like to come to the party. – Would he like to come to the party?
In sentences that contain an auxiliary verb, move it to the beginning of the sentence to form a question.
- Everybody is watching. -> Is everybody watching?
- They have worked hard. -> Have did they work hard?
- He has finished work. -> Has he finished work?
- Everybody has been working hard. -> Has Has everyone been working hard?
- He has been singing. –> Has has he been singing?
- English is spoken all over the world. -> Is English spoken all over the world?
- The windows have been cleaned. -> Have have the windows been cleaned?
- They will have arrived by now. -> Will have they arrived by now?
- The task will be accomplished soon. -> Will the task be accomplished soon?
The situation is slightly different with sentences in which the verb is in Present Indefinite or Past Indefinite. In this case, the auxiliary verb is not used in the affirmative sentence.
But to form a question you will need to use an auxiliary verb ( Do or does), and just like in the previous step, put it at the beginning of the sentence.
IMPORTANT NOTE!
If we are talking about a verb To be, which in a particular situation is not an auxiliary verb, but carries Semantic load (meaning “to be, to be”) - then to form a question this verb is simply moved to the beginning of the sentence. The semantic verb “to be” does not need the support of an auxiliary verb, which is why it is also called “strong”.
For example:
- Her eyes are blue. -> Are her eyes blue?
- He is from London. -> Is he from London?
More about forming verb forms To be, about the construction of affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences - in the article “”.
Test for knowledge of forms of the verb to be -.
Education of special issues
Above we talked about the formation of general verbs, that is, those to which you can get the answer “Yes” or “No”.
The algorithm also works with special questions. Special questions begin with a question word ( who, when, why, where, what, how).
The only difference between special questions and general ones is that at the very beginning of the sentence (before the verb) question word.
Where is he going?
What will they be doing in Florida?
When might he come back?
I hope that after reading this article it will be easier for you to form interrogative sentences in English.
Has it become clearer to you how questions are formed in English? Write what you think about this in the comments.
Other grammar knowledge tests can be found in "".
Do you know how to ask questions? Not just to ask, but to get a comprehensive answer. In business, such a skill is highly valued, since it makes it possible to ask the right question during negotiations in a timely manner and clarify the necessary information. It is important to be able to quickly and correctly ask a question at a press conference or meeting.
We all went to school and throughout our school years we were made into responsible people. Today we will try to make ourselves a questioner, and therefore a manager.
What are the questions for?
— in order to find out the answer to a question you are interested in;
- to find out new information;
- to maintain a conversation;
- to direct the conversation in the right direction;
- to find out what really interests the interlocutor.
What are the questions:
— Closed questions. These are questions of the type where your interlocutor can only answer “yes” or “no”. These questions should not be asked if you want to continue the conversation, because... they can lead to the end of a conversation. But they can help you when communicating with a taciturn interlocutor.
— Open questions. These are questions that allow you to start a conversation, as if to “open up” the interlocutor, encourage him to talk and provide certain information. Open questions most often begin with “Why”, “What”, “How”, “Why”, “For what”, etc. These questions are best used: when starting a conversation; to move on to subsequent stages of a business conversation; if you plan to find out the position of your interlocutor; if you want to make your interlocutor think.
— Suggestive questions. Questions of this type encourage the interlocutor to confirm what you said, because... they already contain a certain opinion. By asking such a question, you are already offering the interlocutor a certain opinion and influencing the course of the conversation. Leading questions should be asked: when summing up the conversation, when you feel that the interlocutor will give an affirmative answer; if you want to force the constantly distracted interlocutor to return to the main topic of conversation; if you are dealing with an indecisive partner.
— Alternative questions. These questions allow you to choose from two or more sentences. Alternative questions also help make a decision and make it possible not to single out one or another option.
— Counter questions. If you need to take the initiative in the conversation into your own hands again, then ask counter questions. Such questions are used: to obtain more detailed information; force your interlocutor to clarify; gain time for reflection; regain the initiative in the conversation.
— Bypass questions. If you want to achieve your goal by doing it in a roundabout way, then roundabout questions are fine. They are diplomatic in nature and require special intuition. Such questions are asked when: they want to avoid refusal and excuses from your interlocutor; get the meeting rescheduled; obtain prior consent; gradually lead your partner to the desired goal; draw the interlocutor's attention to the essence of the problem; avoid any confrontation.
How to formulate questions so that the audience answers them.
1. Show interest in the question and topic.
2. Formulate open questions that imply open answers.
3. Contact a specific person.
Most people are reluctant to answer direct questions for many reasons (lack of knowledge of the subject, fear of conveying incorrect information, business constraints, difficulties in presentation). Therefore, first you need to interest your interlocutor, i.e. Explain to him why it is in his best interest to answer your questions. In addition, it does not hurt to explain why you are interested in this or that fact and how you are going to use the information received from it. It must be remembered that your interlocutor is also asking himself: “Why do they want to know this? Why are they interested in this?
How to “get rid” of a person who asks stupid questions or a lot of questions?
A. Answer a question with a question.
B. Ask him to answer his question himself.
B. Ask someone from the audience to answer.
D. A phrase like “I really don’t like it when a smart person asks stupid questions!”
What to do if you don’t know the answer to a question asked?
1. Honestly admit that you don’t know the answer to the question.
2. Start talking on a similar topic that is familiar to you. An anecdote about “fish and fleas.”
3. Say that at the moment you cannot answer this question, but tomorrow you will know the answer. If your interlocutor is interested, then let him call you tomorrow and you will discuss this issue with him.
4. Try together to find the answer to the question at a given time and in a given place.
Summarize. How to formulate questions?
Brief, clear, unambiguous!
And remember who often asks questions, Moreover, he knows how to ask a variety of relevant questions, he determines the strategy of the business conversation.
No wonder they say: “Whoever only asserts causes resistance! He who asks questions controls!”
The article was written by Ekaterina Abramova.
In contact with
You will learn:
- How to ask questions to get the right answers.
- What questions to ask to increase sales.
- How not to ask questions.
- What questions help foreign companies hire effective employees.
- How to apply the tactics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of asking questions to identify a liar during an interview.
If a person actively maintains a conversation and does not limit himself to neutral phrases, he seems supportive and interested in communication. We usually blame the interlocutor for failed communication. Few people think about whether they themselves asked the right questions in order to achieve mutual understanding.
How to ask questions correctly to get clear answers
Fairy tales from childhood teach how important it is to clearly formulate desires. Having grown up, we laugh at jokes in which funny situations arise due to the inability of the characters to ask the right questions.
The head of a large company went into the forest to pick mushrooms. He drove to the forest by car, left it on the side of the road and went deeper into the forest. He walked there for a long time, but after wandering for about six hours, he realized that he was lost and could not find his way to the car. On the bank of a stream under a tall pine tree, he saw a comfortable stump and sat down on it to rest. After some time, another mushroom picker came out to the place where he was sitting. The lost man rejoiced and asked him:
- Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?
Looking at him carefully, the mushroom picker replied:
- You are in the forest, on the bank of a stream. You are sitting on a stump standing under a tall pine tree.
- You must be a psychologist-consultant! - said the lost one.
- Wow! How did you find out? - asked a passerby.
- Everything you said, I knew before you. Your answer is technically correct, but completely unhelpful, and in fact I still don't know how to get out to my car.
- Aaah, well, you must be the president of a large company! - The consultant smiled.
- Exactly! How did you guess?
- Follow the thought: you see perfectly where you are, and yet you do not know where you are, and you ask about it, although you yourself know the answer that you will hear. You don’t know where to move next, but you don’t ask about it. In reality, you are in exactly the same position as before we met, but now you have turned your problem into my mistake and are blaming me!
An exaggerated, but clear example, when an adequate answer did not contain any useful information due to the incorrect formulation of the question.
Professional achievements in areas that involve active interaction with people directly depend on the ability to ask questions correctly. Career growth and business success are achieved by those who have advanced communication skills and constantly improve them. You can’t do without this in social life either. By asking a passerby for directions, you are more likely to get to your destination if you formulate the question correctly.
There are several types of questions. Below we will describe in detail the main ones: closed and open.
1. Closed questions:Who? When? Where? Which?
Closed questions require you to select a specific answer consisting of one word or phrase. Such constructions limit the interlocutor in providing information about himself, but do not allow him to reveal his opinion.
“Did the additional training in the courses help you find a job?”
“Do you know Spanish?”
“Have you participated in sales training?”
The answers do not require much preparation or thought; it all depends on the degree of frankness and the desire to provide reliable information about yourself.
At the beginning of the conversation, you need to ask closed questions in order to form a first impression based on the data received and build a further conversation strategy. With their help, a person’s general attitude towards active interaction is also checked.
Questionnaires, polls, and tests allow the use of only closed questions. If your goal is a lively dialogue, then you shouldn’t get carried away with them. At best, you will get a set of dry facts, at worst - irritation, boredom, and reluctance on the part of your interlocutor to waste time on you.
2. Open questions:How? Why? For what? How? Tell about..., Explain... and the like.
Alternating closed and open questions will help you establish contact and move on to an interesting, confidential conversation.
Open questions require a detailed answer consisting of several phrases or sentences. A person thinks about the answer, expresses his own point of view on a given topic, and shows an emotional reaction.
The desire to talk about ourselves is embedded in most of us at the subconscious level; it is no coincidence that social networks, blogs, and instant messengers are so popular. By starting to ask open questions, you stimulate the thirst for self-presentation, help the interlocutor open up, and feel a greater degree of comfort.
There are situations when people seek to answer closed questions in detail without waiting for clarification from you. In such cases, when you begin to ask additional questions, the answers will be even more detailed and complete, indicating that you are doing the right thing and that your company is pleasant.
Open questions help manage the dialogue, determine the topic and direction of the conversation. Having learned about the recent trip of the interlocutor to another country, from a variety of options you can choose those questions that affect the aspects that interest you. For example: attractions, features of life, standard of living, available entertainment.
The ability to ask the right question can sometimes prevent even major conflicts. This is clearly demonstrated by the story told by General Lebed. In April 1989, Alexander Ivanovich commanded the 106th Tula Airborne Division, sent to the capital of Georgia to suppress anti-Soviet protests. “A crowd gathers in Tbilisi and shouts: “Look, your paratrooper ran three kilometers after the old woman and hacked her to death with a spatula! It’s written in the Dawn of the East!” I say: “Shall we yell or talk? If we yell, I’ll leave.” - "Lets talk". - “Then I have three questions. First: what kind of grandmother was it that was able to run three kilometers? Second: what kind of paratrooper was it that could not catch up with the grandmother three kilometers? And the most important question, dear Georgians: how is it among you Wasn’t there a male warrior who could stand in the way of this scoundrel?”
Before asking a question, consider whether the answer really matters. Remember the nonverbal component of communication. Your movements, intonation, and facial expressions will show an attentive person that the conversation is formal in nature, and the information you asked about is completely unimportant to you.
Dialogue becomes productive only when there is mutual interest between the parties involved. The worst thing is when both interlocutors neglect each other. The only outcome of such a conversation will be regret about wasted time.
A practitioner tells
What 5 questions to ask a client so that he makes an order today, and not someday later?
Alexey Luttsev, CEO and owner of Alpina72, Tyumen
1. “When to schedule your object?”
The specificity of our work is such that it practically does not provide for unplanned urgent orders. Force majeure in the form of the need to clear the roof of snow or dangerous icicles rarely occurs. Customers most often do not think about planning and come to us with orders that should have been completed “yesterday.” We used to deal with this all the time. For example, you are preparing for an important event, and suddenly you discover that you need to wash the windows or chandeliers. The customer begins a frantic search for a company ready to get to work immediately. And our craftsmen work on schedule and do not stand idle waiting for orders.
2. “Do you want to avoid risks?” or “Do you want to solve your customers’ problems?”
The principle “prepare a sleigh in the summer and a cart in the winter” has not been canceled. In the summer season, it is better to wash windows and insulate apartments. Snow must be removed in a timely manner, and not during the spring thaw, when avalanches and icicles begin to fall on passers-by. We can wash the windows in winter, but the cost of the work will increase, even with a lower quality of work. This is what we try to convey to our customers.
3. “Do you want us to fulfill your request within three hours of receipt?”
We are interested in the customer entering into a long-term contract, so we talk about the benefits that he will receive in this case.
- At the request of clients with whom a contract has been concluded, departure is possible within three hours. Because time is no longer wasted on exchanging details, checking the counterparty and other formalities.
- For regular customers, a simple telephone request is sufficient.
- For regular customers there is a “Climber as a gift” promotion. We perform small but necessary work for the client for free. For example, ventilation prevention.
- Each paid invoice under the contract is accompanied by a chocolate bar as a gift.
4. “Do you want to know how else we can help you?”
The building requires constant maintenance and repair. We, as professionals, know what to pay attention to, and we explain to the customer what consequences may result from failure to complete a number of works. If additional services are included in the application, we provide a discount of 5 to 10% on the total invoice amount. And more often than not, additional services are just a bonus.
5. “What result do you want to get?”
Customers sometimes express their vision of how we should do the work. We may not argue, but we usually know how to save hundreds of thousands of rubles on solving a given problem. Apart from the experience of our own employees, in difficult cases we can always use the advice of colleagues from other cities and countries. We do not hesitate to ask questions, this is an absolutely normal practice. We have repeatedly contacted the Tyumen Construction Academy and the Smoke Pipes Research Institute.
65% of our customers enter into contracts. They bring in 76% of the income. We have been working with some for 20 years. Competitors are trying to win by dumping, but our customers prefer to be confident in the quality of services, which they have already seen.
Through cold calling, we receive 18 appointments, 12 completed meetings, 6 orders and 4 return clients for every 100 calls.
The desire to get an order at any cost is fraught with reputational losses. If the customer is in doubt, it is better to refuse to work with him rather than chase short-term benefits.
How the ability to ask the right questions affects sales growth
Ask a lot of questions, clarify details, then your meetings with clients will be more effective. “Our research has shown that asking questions, more than any other communication style, influences sales success,” says Neil Rackham, world-renowned sales coach and consultant. We'll explain why asking is so important for salespeople.
Workshop: do you know how to ask questions?
- Play the recorder briefly during a meeting with a client.
- Then listen to the recording carefully. Mark every 20 seconds who is speaking: the buyer or you.
- Evaluate your lines. Note every 20 seconds what you are currently saying: asking a question or informing the buyer.
Evaluation of the result.
- If you do more than 50% of the talking, your questioning skills are still far from perfect.
- If more than 50% of the time you are not asking, but rather providing information to the client, then you are acting as an “expert” and not listening to the client. This reduces the likelihood of concluding a deal.
Reasons why questions contribute to successful sales:
- By answering questions, the buyer actively participates in the conversation. In effective meetings, the client does most of the talking.
- Questions promote concentration. When there is a need to answer questions, a person is less distracted and less likely to lose the thread of the conversation.
- Questions are a form of persuasion. Statements leave doubt because you are expressing your point of view, and with the help of correctly formulated questions, you will give the client the impression that he himself has come to the desired conclusion.
- If you ask the right questions, you can find out more about the buyer's needs. Without understanding what the client expects from the purchase, you will not make a unique offer, and the deal will fall through.
IMPORTANT!
A need is any desire, need, or intention that a buyer plans to satisfy with a product or service. Therefore, in any sources and training programs, the correct identification of needs is highlighted as the first important stage of sales.
How to determine the success of a meeting with a client
There are certain outcomes of a meeting with a client.
- Order(clear success): the buyer enters into an agreement, makes a purchase, or clearly shows intention to do so: verbally agrees on the price and terms.
- Progress(there are signs of success): during the meeting no decision is made, but an event occurs that promotes progress towards a deal.
For example:
- Buyer agrees to attend a product demonstration.
- The client is ready to sample or test the product.
- You gain contacts with a higher-level decision maker or access to departments you couldn't reach before.
- Postponement(no clear signs of success): The buyer has not responded with a clear refusal, but does not show any initiative and does not agree to actions that would contribute to the progress of negotiations.
Standard phrase: “We are satisfied with everything, we will think about it and contact you ourselves when we are ready to make a decision.”
- Refusal(meeting failure): the sale did not take place. The client makes it clear that he is not interested in a second meeting and does not agree to organize it with the participation of other company decision makers.
IMPORTANT!
The criterion for success is the client’s actions, not words.
You have formulated your goals incorrectly if you consider meetings that ended in a delay to be successful.
The purpose of the meeting is for the client to take actions aimed at moving towards concluding a deal.
- How to become persuasive and awaken the sleeping leader within you
What questions should you not ask?
1. Too open-ended questions.
Let us illustrate this error with an anecdote.
There were mice living in the forest, and they were tired of everyone hurting them. They went for advice to the wisest inhabitant of the forest - the eagle owl.
- Owl, you know everything, help us. What should we do so that we are left alone and not offended?
Owl answers:
- Mice, become hedgehogs. Hedgehogs have needles, no one hurts them.
The delighted mice ran home. They came running and thought:
- How can we turn into hedgehogs?
I had to return to the owl.
- Wise owl, how can we become hedgehogs?
The owl waved them away.
- This is no longer a question for me. I'm not a tactician, I'm a strategist.
General questions sound something like this: “How are you?”, “Tell me something about yourself,” “What’s new?” It is difficult to expect to receive in response the information for which it was worth asking them. In most cases, they are regarded simply as a way to fill a pause when a person does not know where to start a conversation. There is a well-known joke that only a boring interlocutor will answer the question “How are you?” will really start telling you how he is doing.
2. Questions too difficult to start a conversation.
If you know the interlocutor well and circulate in a single information field, then you can ask difficult questions at any stage of the conversation. If you have to spend time explaining the essence of the issue, then it is better not to start the conversation with it.
3. Suggestive questions.
A leading question is one of the varieties of a closed question. In fact, it immediately indicates your opinion and provides only the option of agreeing with it.
"Rain on the street. You shouldn’t go to the theater in this weather, right?”
“You don’t think I’m deceiving you, do you?”
“Two workouts a week is enough, right?”
Leading questions are often used as a tool to manipulate the interlocutor. In business life, the ability to ask leading questions can be useful in order to direct the negotiations in the right direction. Constantly using them in your personal life, you will not achieve understanding with loved ones. Forced agreement will cause internal protest, and in the long term will lead to conflicts.
4. Known disagreement.
You find out in detail the opinions and arguments of your interlocutor, whose point of view you do not agree with in advance. Only after this do you express your position, depriving your opponent of the opportunity to respond to your considerations.
5. An ill-conceived question topic.
The ability to improvise during a conversation is a big plus. People who can easily and naturally ask questions without prior preparation are rare. If we are not talking about innate talent, it is usually the result of training, systematic or unconscious learning of the rules of communication.
As you gain experience, it will become increasingly easier for you to quickly select the right questions as the conversation progresses. To begin with, it is better to think through them in advance and have homemade preparations. Then, in the eyes of your business partner, you will look like a competent specialist, and feel comfortable in friendly company.
How asking the right questions helps foreign companies hire strong salespeople
Vacancies for sales managers are most often found on hunting resources. Large companies are no less interested in strong salespeople than small private enterprises. It is important that the employee not only has sales skills, but also corresponds to the corporate culture of the company, does not create conflict situations in the team, and adequately perceives the plans set.
Selecting the right candidate is a serious task for HR managers and executives. The quality of information about the competencies and personal qualities of the applicant depends on whether the interview questions were asked correctly. Properly conducted interviews reduce the risks of miscasting and help form effective teams.
The experience of foreign companies can and should be used when recruiting personnel. Below is a list of questions that are usually asked during interviews at Western companies. The list consists of three thematic blocks.
1. Questions about the applicant’s skills.
What do you do to stay updated with market news? A detailed answer will show that the candidate knows how to use information resources, even if he came from a different field.
Explain something to me. This is more of a task than a question. It will help to identify how structured a person is able to convey a concept or describe the stages of a process.
How much time did you spend building relationships with clients in your previous job? How much does it cost to find new customers? Why? The assessment of the answer depends on the company's preferences. For some, the ability to work with an existing customer base is important, while others need managers who can quickly find new customers. If a candidate uses one sales tactic over another, the hiring decision should be taken with caution.
What questions do you like to ask potential clients? The sales manager is used to dealing with different types of questions. At a minimum, there should be a few open-ended questions that help identify the needs of a potential buyer.
How do you handle objections? Dealing with objections is an important stage of sales. An experienced sales manager prepares in advance for possible objections from clients. The candidate's answer will indicate whether he has such training.
What place does social media play in your work? The times when applicants were afraid to mention VKontakte or Facebook during an interview are long gone. Social media is now a powerful sales channel. Even if the candidate has not used this client acquisition tool, it is in his best interest to demonstrate a willingness to work with it.
What role do you assign to social media content in sales? It does not matter that a person is not active enough on his personal pages, does not post photos or posts. But active commenting or publications on professional topics will speak in favor of the candidate.
How do you research a potential client before a call or meeting? What information are you looking for? It is important that the candidate does not forget about personal information about the potential buyer. To conduct an effective meeting, an experienced manager will try to collect as much information as possible.
If you get this job, what will you do in the first month? It is difficult to hear anything extraordinary in response to this question. Nevertheless, it will be a plus if the candidate can tell you step by step about the planned first steps in the new place. Most companies provide training for newcomers, but a person who can independently navigate an unfamiliar environment is better suited for a sales position.
What do you think our company needs to fix or improve? The answer to this question will allow you to evaluate several competencies: the applicant’s preparedness for an interview in your company, creative and entrepreneurial potential, the level of ambition and self-esteem of the candidate.
What benefits does the company bring to the client? The answer will show whether the applicant researched the company's products and services before the interview, and will also reveal the degree of loyalty to the place of potential work.
What have you learned lately? If the candidate is not committed to learning new skills, the question will cause him difficulty, and you will immediately understand that this is a person who is not inclined to self-development.
What three assessment questions do you ask every prospect? The candidate may have worked previously in another area, but the answer to the question will demonstrate whether the manager knows how to classify customers.
2. Motivational questions.
What's worse: an unfulfilled monthly sales plan or dissatisfied customers? The question is difficult because both of these components are important. A competent manager understands the relationship between the company’s stable income and the number of satisfied customers. If the answer sounds readiness to carry out the plan by any means, such a candidate is doubtful.
What part of the sales process do you like least? The question serves to determine the weaknesses of the applicant. It’s especially bad if the “unloved” stages are those that the company pays the most attention to.
What motivates you? Sometimes the question may be asked in the form of a list, in which the candidate must rank the types of motivation in descending order of importance. The test helps assess compatibility with the company's corporate culture. For example, if the work of the sales department is based on fierce competition between managers, a person who is motivated by positive assessments from colleagues will feel uncomfortable at work.
What do you want to achieve in your career? One of the main reasons for changing jobs, in addition to financial ones, is dissatisfaction with career prospects in the previous place. The candidate's answer will give you an idea of what ambitions they have for professional growth and whether your company can meet them.
Why did you decide to go into sales? The answer contains only mention of earnings - most likely the person is forced to work in sales. Downplaying the importance of the material component indicates that it will be difficult for the candidate to comply with the plans. Or the applicant answers insincerely.
How do you interact with colleagues? The most effective sales manager may be on the verge of dismissal if he provokes the team into constant conflicts. The purpose of the question is to assess potential problems in interaction with other company employees.
Do failures happen to you? The answer “I never fail” will raise doubts about the applicant’s adequate self-esteem. A story using an example of a life situation, how he got out of a difficult situation, what conclusions he made from the mistakes he made, will show the candidate’s strengths and his ability to critically evaluate his own actions.
What do you think is the role of training in the work of a sales manager? If a person “knows everything about sales”, he will not even go through the training period in your company.
What three adjectives would a former client use to describe you? The candidate's answer must contain the words "attentive", "competent" or their synonyms.
How would you describe the corporate culture at your previous job? The answer will demonstrate the candidate’s values, style of interaction with colleagues and management, and willingness to follow the corporate culture. Only critical reviews about the previous company will be an alarming sign that in a new place a person will also concentrate on the negative aspects of work.
Describe your ideal sales manager. The answer to this question will tell you about the applicant’s priorities, experience and professional goals.
What qualities should a salesperson have? If in the candidate’s answer you don’t hear anything similar to the words “control,” “ability to control emotions,” “customer satisfaction,” then you are unlikely to have the strong salesperson you are looking for.
What personal achievements are you proud of? The answer will show the candidate’s life values and range of interests. It is worth paying attention to what will be first on the list of achievements.
3. Situational questions.
Does your approach differ between short and long deal cycles? First of all, the candidate must understand what types of transactions exist. Even if he has previously worked in retail sales, where short-term transactions predominate, an experienced salesperson will model his actions in the long cycle.
When do you stop convincing a client? The assessment of the answer depends on how it is customary to work in your company. Stopping communications with a client after the first refusal is not persistence enough in any situation. Endless attempts at persuasion that cause negative emotions in customers will lead to a deterioration in the image of the company as a whole. Six to seven attempts is the most common practice when it makes sense to stop.
How do you maintain a good mood if you have a difficult day? The answer to the question will show how the manager will react to failed deals and how emotionally stable the candidate is.
Have you ever turned down a potential client? If so, why? The correct answer is yes. Selling a product that does not meet the client’s needs, or concluding a transaction in which the company cannot fulfill its obligations, is fraught with conflict situations and monetary losses.
Who is the easiest person for you to sell to and why? An experienced seller will draw a generalized portrait of a buyer from a specific target audience. The beginner will tell you several examples from “real life”.
“Why didn’t the deal go through?” Have you asked this question to a potential client who never bought anything? A real sales manager is not afraid to ask such questions to clients. The desire to understand what did not suit the customer indicates the candidate’s inclination to analyze his actions and adjust further work based on this.
Think about your most difficult prospect. The candidate’s story will show whether he knows how to work with difficult customers. Is he able to forget about personal ambitions for the sake of results?
How could you exceed management's expectations in this position? Want to create a stellar team? Recruit managers who are pre-set to exceed the average results of salespeople in the company. The question will help determine how the candidate views his responsibilities and place on the team.
If you opened your own business tomorrow, what would it be? The question of owning your own business is natural. Having an entrepreneurial mindset is common among many sales managers. The purpose of this question is to see if the candidate can present business ideas and captivate listeners.
What's the best way to start a relationship with a potential client?“Collect detailed information, then contact the customer by phone, try to establish contact.” The candidate who answered in a similar way is suitable for you.
Sell me something. Classic task. Try to ask the question in a way that maximizes the candidate's potential during the in-game sales process. Offer a choice of “product”, actively object, create non-standard situations for the “seller”.
Describe the sales process from start to finish. There are several interpretations of sales stages. It doesn’t matter which one the applicant starts telling. You evaluate how consistently and completely he will cover the topic.
Tell us about the objection that was most difficult for you to deal with. How did you end up filming it? The answer will demonstrate how the candidate handles difficult tasks.
Teach me something. Simply listing the benefits of a product or service is not enough to close a deal. Selling is a two-way process. A strong manager involves the buyer in this process. Thanks to this question, you will reveal the candidate’s ability to convey information in an interesting and intelligible manner, and to hold the attention of the interlocutor.
A practitioner tells
Two mandatory interview questions
Lydia Spevak, ex-training manager of the Comfort Shoes chain of stores
I practiced two mandatory questions when recruiting candidates for the position of sales manager.
How much money do you need to survive in Moscow? Applicants who answer: “Whatever you pay is enough” are not suitable for the company. The job advertisement indicates a fixed part of the salary and the opportunity to earn a percentage. A person whose salary is sufficient will not make any effort to earn interest. Then I could ask an additional question: “Are you ready to receive 5,000 rubles less than indicated in the ad?” An affirmative answer was grounds for refusal to hire. We were satisfied with candidates who announced an amount exceeding the minimum specified in the advertisement. Such a seller immediately expects a percentage and will try to earn it.
What emotions does the buyer experience when communicating with the seller? I think it is necessary to ask this question. It tests the applicant's empathy level. If the list was dominated by negative emotions or the person found it difficult to answer at all, we did not hire such an employee due to a low level of empathy.
Tactics for asking questions at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which helps identify liars
During interviews, applicants usually note a negative attitude towards alcohol, drugs, gambling, theft, and bribes. Using a scripted conversation, you can evaluate a person’s veracity. The main thing in the technique is to ask questions in a given sequence and carefully monitor the reaction to them. Gestures, facial expressions, intonation will show when a lie is told.
1. Neutral questions.
Neutral questions must be asked to understand how a person behaves in a calm state. This is a kind of “control point”. The difference between behavior during responses to neutral questions and emotional reactions during periods of stress will be the criterion for the test results.
Neutral questions: “What is your name?”, “How old are you?”, “What is your education?” Remember the behavior of a person when he answers simple questions in which he does not see any catch.
2. Conditionally neutral questions.
Questions: “What do you live for?”, “Why do you need a job?” and similar ones allow us to determine the psychological profile of a person.
The hysterical type typically answers: “I work to relax in the Maldives” or “To have fun.”
Employees with an epileptoid personality type will say: “To build a house.”
People of the paranoid type will start talking about implementing some kind of their own project.
Emotives will answer: “So that everyone can feel good.”
Employees with a schizoid psychotype will begin to reason: “What do you mean by this! Which goal out of 20 are we talking about?”
Psychologists do not distinguish good or bad types. The main thing is that the person’s psychological profile meets the requirements of his position.
If the candidate is hypertimid, with a flexible nervous system, and you offer him monotonous, monotonous work, then prepare for the fact that he will perform it poorly or leave in a couple of weeks.
By identifying which psychotype an employee belongs to, you can predict what lying strategy he will choose. This is clearly systematized in the table below.
When a person lies, he:
- spends more time thinking about test questions than simple ones;
- during test questions, the whole body tenses, fearing direct questions;
- breathing and pulse quicken, the color of the skin changes, the person blinks frequently, swallows, coughs before answering;
- sweats even in a cool room;
- often changes position, leans away and turns sideways, leans back in the chair.
Such signs, not necessarily all of the above at the same time, indicate a state of stress. If a person tells the truth, during the block of neutral and testing questions he will remain calm, his line of behavior will not change.
3. Issues of social assessment.
Questions like “Have you at least once wanted to take something that belonged to you?”, “Have you ever had the idea of using your position to promote a friend up the career ladder?”, “Does anyone among your friends and relatives regularly drink alcohol? » will help outline the range of topics that concern a person. When answering questions related to these topics, people try to idealize themselves.
4. Veiled questions.
In cases where there are doubts about the true motives of the transaction, for example, when selling a business, it is better for the interlocutor not to be aware of the verification. Questions should be asked as if they were having a simple conversation.
To check your partners, you can ask:
- “How long will it take to get back the money we invested?”
- “What are the guarantees of return on investment?”
- “What debt repayment schedule do you propose?”
If a potential partner gives quick, clear answers, supporting them with numbers, the deal can be concluded.
If what has been said is additionally reflected on paper in the form of diagrams and calculations, then the partner inspires trust.
Evasive, hesitant answers, appeals to circumstances whose likelihood of occurrence are difficult to verify are signs that the prospective partners most likely do not plan to fulfill the terms of the deal. It is better to abandon such projects immediately.
5. Projective questions.
Internal inspections are carried out when an employee is suspected of theft, bribery or other corporate crimes. Projective questions are used to find out the truth. For example: “Your opinion, how should the person who committed this theft be punished?” An innocent employee will most likely respond: “We should go to jail!” The tone of the answer will be harsh, regardless of the personality type. The guilty person, projecting the question onto himself, will try to soften the answer: “Maybe impose a fine for the first time.”
6. Direct questions.
The check ends with direct questions: “Did you steal?”, “Did you take the bribe?”, “Did you forge the documents?”
On the block of security questions you will be practically sure whether the person is guilty or not. It is worth asking direct questions in order to gain recognition. There is a man sitting in front of you who has portrayed an ideal employee, but an unexpected direct question: “Did you steal?” - causes such a violent reaction that there is no doubt about his involvement.
A liar is afraid of direct questions. He is waiting for them, and you artificially prolong the waiting time by asking about something else. By the last stage, the psyche is exhausted, the person is practically unable to control his emotions and remain calm. Even if before that he studied various techniques for deceiving a lie detector or tips from books on NLP.
A practitioner tells
What to do with the culprit
Evgeniy Spiritsa, Head of the International Center for Lie Detection and Profiling
How to deal with a guilty person? We recommend weighing the pros and cons before dismissing an employee. As an example, I’ll tell you one story. A friend was looking for it. We found a woman of an emotive type, with the necessary experience, correct and pleasant to talk to. They hired her, and a few days later $10,000 disappeared from the cash register. I was asked to help clarify all the circumstances.
I begin to understand and clearly see that the woman is very ashamed and bad. The eyes dart, the shoulders and head are lowered. I ask right away: “Natalya Ivanovna, did you take the money?” No complex survey was required. Emotives usually commit crimes not for their own benefit. It turned out that her son got into trouble, and money was needed for a lawyer so that her son would avoid prison. An acquaintance wanted to fire her immediately, but I persuaded him not to do this. He explained: “If you give her one more chance, you won’t find a more reliable worker!” He listened, helped this woman solve her problems, and lent her money. Since then she has worked for him for many years. Most recently, he held the position of commercial director.
Keep in mind that the method works if you understand the person's habitual behavior before you make a verdict. You cannot take one or two signs out of the general psychological portrait.
Information about the experts
Alexey Luttsev Graduated from Tyumen State University with a degree in geography. He organized a sport climbing section at the Palace of Creativity. He founded the current company with his students in 2000.
Alpina72 LLC. Field of activity: high-altitude work (washing windows and facades, repairing interpanel seams, cleaning roofs from snow, construction work); industrial cleaning. Number of personnel: 19; an additional 10 people are involved in individual projects. Area of windows and facades washed since 2013: 257,000 sq. m. Length of interpanel seams insulated since 2013: 27,000 linear meters.
Directive Consulting LLC. Area of activity: Internet marketing for complex markets. Number of staff: 31. Number of clients: more than 400 companies (Azbuka Zhili, Microsoft dealers, Russian representative offices of European factories, etc.).
Evgeny Spiritsa graduated from Tula State University. Since 1994, he has been providing consultations for business owners, psychological diagnostics of enterprise personnel, and business training in various areas. Founded a method of non-instrumental lie detection. Since 1993, he has been consulting with departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
International Center for Lie Detection and Profiling. Grew up on the basis of the International Academy for the Study of Lies (founded in 1998). Area of activity - training in the field of social psychology, profiling, non-instrumental lie detection, banking and aviation security. Staff - 17 employees.
One of the most difficult aspects of learning English is composing questions. This topic is considered during the study of the basics of the English language.
All English language questions can be divided into 4 groups:
- are common;
- special;
- dividing;
- alternative.
General questions
This type of question is aimed at obtaining a “yes” or “no” answer. General questions are written according to the English tense that needs to be used in a given question.
For example, a general question using the Present Simple:
- Do you swim every day? - Yes/No, I do/don’t.
- Will they dance at the party? - Yes/No, they will/won’t.
Note
The question and answer must contain the same modal verb.
Correct Use:
- Did he eat sandwiches yesterday? - Yes/No, he did/didn’t.
Incorrect spelling:
- Are they playing vulleyball? - Yes/No, they do/did/will. The answer must contain the word are.
The answer should not contain names. Pronouns are used instead:
- Does Anna work in hospital? - Yes/No, she does/doesn’t.
If a verb contains two or more words, one of them comes first:
- We have done the work. - Have they done the work?
Modal verbs are placed in first place, that is, before the subject:
- She can sing very well. - Can she sing very well?
Brief affirmative answers do not shorten:
- Incorrect: Yes, he’s.
- Correct: Yes, he is.
Special questions
Special questions begin with question words:
- who - who;
- what - what;
- where - where;
- why - why;
- when - when;
- how long - how long.
For example:
- When does the train arrive?
- How long does it take you to go to the bus stop?
In order to compose special questions in English, it is necessary to add a question word to the general question, which is put in first place. For example:
- General question: Do you go to the shop every day?
- Special question: When do you go to the shop? - I go every day/after work.
Every day is the answer to the question when, so this phrase is not written down.
Dividing questions (Tag - questions)
Creating a dividing question is quite simple. To do this, we add a corresponding short question to the narrative sentence. These questions are asked to obtain additional information.
For example:
- The weather is good, isn’t it?
- They didn’t buy a new car, did they?
Note
Questions of this type are constructed according to the type of attraction of opposites, that is, if the verb in a sentence is in the affirmative form, then the interrogative part must be in the negative. And vice versa. You should also remember that there cannot be two negative particles in one dividing question.
- Incorrect: Your father doesn’t work in the bank, doesn’t he? - there are two negatives in the sentence.
- Correct: Your father doesn’t work in the bank, does he?
Alternative questions
Alternative questions are posed to offer the opponent a choice between two options.
This type of question is built on the basis of general questions and in the second part repeated words are omitted. The connecting element is the word “or”.
For example:
- Do you like ice cream with banana or with orange?
- Will you buy a book or a copy-book?
to be and to have
The verbs to be and to have are studied separately.
If a sentence contains the verb to be in variational forms: am, is, are, was, were, then it itself forms a question. To do this, we put it before the subject:
- She is drinking coca-cula. - Is she drinking coca-cula?
- Anna was in the park. - Was Anna in the park?
If the sentence contains the verb to have, then the question is composed based on the following rules:
- British version: the verb comes first.
- She has a pen. -Has she a pen.
- American version: to form a question, add the modal verb do.
- She has a pen. - Does she have a pen?
Set phrases add a modal verb before the subject
- You have lunch at 11.45 a.m. - Do you have lunch at 11.45 a.m?
Every day we ask questions. For example, we often ask:
How are you doing?
What did you do yesterday?
Who will go to the store?
Are you going to the cafe or not?
Everyone who learns English must know how questions are formed, because without them you will not be able to communicate. In English there is 5 types of questions. In the English course for adults, you will practice each of them until it becomes automatic. In the meantime, let's figure out how they differ.
Special questions in English
The word “special” means “intended exclusively for something.” Accordingly, this question needed to find out specific information you are interested in. That’s why it’s called special, that is, you want to clarify special information.
For example
Where will you go on vacation?
We find out specific information - the place where the person will go.
How to construct a special question?
It is asked using the following question words:
- what - what,
- where - where,
- when - when,
- who - who,
- why - why,
- how (much/often/long) - how (many/often/long).
A special question is constructed according to the following scheme:
Question word + auxiliary verb + character + action being performed?
Examples
Step by step guide
>> How to ask specific questions.
Question to the subject in English
The subject names who or what the sentence is talking about.
In the survey, the subject is asked with the interrogative words who and what, which replace the character or thing being talked about in the sentence. For example
Who will pack your suitcase for you?
Consequently, we ask a question to the subject when we do not know who performed the action or has the attribute.
How to construct a question to the subject?
The peculiarity of this question will be the order of words in the sentence. In this type of question, the word order never changes and proceeds as in an affirmative sentence. The outline of such a proposal would be as follows:
Who + action?
For example, we have an affirmative sentence
They played tennis.
They played tennis.
We simply substitute the question word who instead of they
Who played tennis?
Who played tennis?
At the same time, we imagine that who/what is the singular person in question (he, she). Therefore, the sentence should be constructed as if in place of who/what costs he/she.
For example, we have a proposal
They were in the car.
They were in the car.
When asking a question, we forget about they and introduce he in its place, therefore, we replace were with was
Who were in the car?
Who was in the car?
Examples
Who likes to sing?
Who loves to sing?
What was in the box?
What was in the box?
Who is a doctor?
Who is the doctor?
Step by step guide:
>> How to construct a question to the subject? .
Alternative questions in English
True to its name, this question presupposes an alternative, that is, the right to choose. By asking it we give the interlocutor two options to choose from.
Example
Will you fly to England or Germany?
In such a matter there is always there is a conjunction or (or). The question itself is constructed as a general one, only at the end we add a choice clause using our or.
Scheme for constructing an alternative question:
Auxiliary verb + actor + action performed + ___ or ___?
Examples
Will they go to the park or to the cinema?
Will they go to the park or to the cinema?
Did you buy apples or pears?
Did you buy apples or pears?
Does he work or study?
Does he work or study?
Step by step guide:
>> How to construct an alternative question correctly.
Dividing questions in English
This type of question is also called a “tail question.” A question expresses doubt or desires confirmation of something.
For example
You've already packed your suitcase, haven't you?
It is divisive because consists of 2 parts, separated by commas.
The first part is constructed as an affirmative or negative sentence with the usual word order.
The second part (“tail”) looks like a short question. It consists of:
- auxiliary verb (depending on the tense used in the first part);
- character (I, you, he, she, they, it, we, you) used in the first part.
We translate such a “tail” into Russian as “isn’t it so” / “isn’t it true?”
1. If the first part of the sentence is affirmative, then the second part is negative.
Affirmative sentence + auxiliary verb + not (in shortened form) + character?
Examples
He called you yesterday, didn't he?
He called you yesterday, didn't he?
They play tennis every weekends, don't they?
They play tennis every weekend, don't they? Examples
So, we have looked at all five types of questions in English. Now let's move on to practice.
Reinforcement task
Make 5 types of questions from the following affirmative sentences:
1. He went to school yesterday.
2. She gave me a phone.
3. We will read this book.
4. They bought a car.
5. She doesn’t like to cook.
Leave your answers in the comments below the article.