This document provides guidance on asking questions in business meetings. It separates questions into categories like clarification questions to ensure understanding, questions asking for repetition or more detail, as well as open-ended and closed-ended questions. Closed questions are those that can be answered with a yes or no, while open questions are used to elicit longer, more detailed responses. Leading questions are also discussed as a way to encourage discussion on a particular topic.

1. ASKING QUESTIONS
How to ask questions in business meetings

2. DO PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND?
• Do you follow me?
• Am I making myself clear?
• Do you see what I mean?
• Are you still with me?
• Do you get what I’m saying?

3. MORE
INFORMATION
• Could you say a little more about that, please?
• Would you elaborate on that a little?
• Could you go into a little more detail about that, please?
• Can you give an example of what you’re saying?

4. CLARIFICATION
• What exactly are you trying to say?
• What are you trying to say exactly?
• What do you think is the main take-away from this?
• Why do you feel this is important?

5. YOU WANT IT
REPEATED
• I’m sorry, I missed that. Could you repeat it, please?
• I’m not sure I follow. Could you go over that point again,
please?

6. QUESTIONS
Types of questions used in business meetings

7. CLOSED
QUESTIONS
• When the answer is either Yes or No
• Do you plan to complete the report [by the end of the
month]?
• Is this report based on the latest data?
• Did you check with the [accounting manager]?
• Are you going to let the [accounting manager] know?

8. OPEN
QUESTIONS
• Used to get a longer, more detailed answer
• Could you tell me where I can [download the document]?
• Could you inform me about [the best practices]?
• Could you explain what’s in the report?
• I’d be interested to know where you got that information.

9. LEADING
QUESTIONS
• Encouraging people to talk
• Shouldn’t we discuss the results from the latest report?
• Can we talk about the results of the metrics analysis?
• What’s up next?

10. ESLExplorer
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