Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Part 1: The basic technique
• Method 2 of 5: Part 2: Adapt to the situation
• Method 3 of 5: Part 3: Perfecting your question
• Method 4 of 5: Part 4: Formulate your question
• Method 5 of 5: Part 5: Make the most of the answer
• Tips
• Warnings

Do you have questions but are afraid to ask them? Afraid of what someone will think of you or afraid that you won't get the answer you want? Below are tips on how to ask informative questions in an open manner. This not only helps you, but also the other to process the information and provide you with a good answer. If you need specific help, you can also click on the section above that is of interest to you.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Part 1: The basic technique

1. Explain where the misunderstanding is. Indicate where the confusion is. This does not necessarily have to be true, but then it is less noticeable that you have not been paying attention, for example.
   • "Sorry, I didn't quite understand you ..."
   • "The explanation is not entirely clear to me yet ..."
   • "I think I missed something when I was taking notes ..."
2. State what you know. Summarize what you have understood about the topic. This shows that you have understood some of the information and sounds a bit more intelligent.
   • "I understand that the English King Henry wanted to split up the Catholic Church because he wanted a divorce ..."
   • "I understand that there are benefits for this job ..."
   • "I understand that overall consumption has increased…"
3. Name what you don't know.
   • "... but I don't understand how this led to the birth of the English Church."
   • "... but it is unclear to me whether this also includes dental costs."
   • "... but I think I missed why we react to this so much."
4. Sound confident. You want to maintain the idea that you are intelligent and have been paying close attention. There was nothing but misunderstanding or miscommunication.
5. Provide a counter answer. If you get the response that it was clearly explained, make sure you have an answer ready. That way you come across smarter.
   • "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you said something completely different. I thought it was so strange. I didn't want to be rude assuming you were wrong. The fault is mine, I apologize."
6. Speak clearly and clearly. Use correct Dutch when you speak. Pay attention to the correct vocabulary and grammar. Do your best. This is half the job of making yourself and your question appear intelligent.

Method 2 of 5: Part 2: Adapt to the situation

1. Asking questions during an application. When you ask questions of a potential employer, you want to show yourself at your best. You want to show how hard you work and how you would do your job in a certain environment. Show that you are in line with the company when it comes to norms and values. Ask questions such as:
   • "What does an average working week in this position look like?"
   • "What are the career opportunities in this position?"
   • "How does management work in this company?"
2. Asking questions to an applicant. When you ask an applicant questions, you look for signals about what kind of employee he / she will be. Avoid standard questions, you will only get a pre-practiced answer. If you ask unique questions, you have a better chance of an honest answer. Try asking questions such as:
   • "What kind of work would you not like to do in this position?" This question shows which weaknesses you can expect.
   • "How do you think this job should change in the next five years? And in the next ten?" With this question you will gain insight into how the candidate reacts to change and whether he / she can think ahead.
   • "When is it okay to break the rules?" With this question you will learn more about the ethical insights of the applicant, can they adapt to a certain situation, or do they stay within the grid?
3. Asking questions online. If they are reasonable questions, you can also ask them online. There are many answers to be found online. People will not answer you if you can also find the answer via Google (or Wikihow!). To increase your chances of an answer, also read the sections below. And in the meantime, make sure you:
   • Always research first and try to answer your own question first.
   • Stay calm. If you're angry and hinted at it in your question, chances are people will ignore you or make fun of you.
   • Spelling is correct. This shows that you are serious. The chance of a serious answer is therefore greater. If you are unsure of your spelling or grammar, type your word in Word or in Google Docs and see what the spell check says.
4. Asking questions during a meeting. The how and what of asking questions during meetings depends a bit on the type of company you work for and the position you have. If the previous and next parts of these tips don't help you, you can follow the basic techniques:
   • Ask questions that focus on progress and problem solving. Ask questions to keep the meeting focused. Find out how the discussion topics relate to the business problems.
   • Make your point. Don't rattle. Otherwise people will stop listening and become disinterested.
   • Look ahead. Ask questions that focus on the future of the business. How should the company adapt? What will be the biggest hurdles the company will have to overcome in order to become or remain successful?

Method 3 of 5: Part 3: Perfecting your question

1. Hit the nail on the head. The most important thing in asking an intelligent question is making sure you know what you are talking about. Make sure you have enough information to avoid asking a stupid question. In itself there are no stupid questions, but if you ask a question that could also have been answered with a quick search on Google, you will not come across as good. Read on about how to perfect your question before asking it.
2. Think about your goal. What do you want to achieve with this question? What will the answer help you with? This way you can better determine what information you actually need from the person to whom you are asking the question. The more specific your question is, the more intelligent it comes across and the smarter you appear.
3. Compare what you know and what you don't know. Before asking the question, think about what you know about the topic and what you don't know about it. Do you already have a lot of information and just want to know some small details? Or do you know almost nothing about it? The more knowledge you have about something, the more intelligently your questions can come across.
4. Look for points where a misunderstanding could have arisen. Take a look at your topic and what you're confused about. Are you sure about the part that you get? It may be that the question is wrong because you have not properly understood the information. It may be a good idea to check some basic facts if you can.
5. Try to view the subject from all sides. You may find the answer to your own question naturally. Sometimes a new look can help you see something you didn't see before. And what seemed like a problem can then suddenly disappear.
6. Do your research first. If you still have questions and there is an opportunity to do research, do so before asking your question. Try to find out as much as possible about your topic. It's an important part if you want to appear intelligent. It will be visible as soon as you talk about the topic.
7. Decide what information you need. After your research, you will know better exactly what information you need. If necessary, write it down so that you don't forget when the time comes and you can ask your question.
8. Ask your question to the right person. Another important part of asking an intelligent question is asking the right person. If you are well informed, you will usually succeed. Under certain circumstances it is useful to check who is the right person for your question. For example, if you need a particular department, or want to ask someone for help you don't know.

Method 4 of 5: Part 4: Formulate your question

1. Make sure you have correct grammar. When you ask your question, make sure it is grammatically correct and that you pronounce all words as best you can. Speak clearly and clearly. This not only makes you appear more intelligent, it also helps the other person to understand your question properly.
2. Be as specific as possible. Make sure that your choice of words does not cause any misunderstandings, be as specific as possible. Don't use hyperbolas and make sure you formulate exactly what you want to know. For example, if you are interested in a particular position at a company, don't ask if they have any vacancies at the moment. Specifically inquire about the position you are interested in or qualified for.
3. Be polite and be careful with criticism. If you miss information and come across someone who can answer your question, be polite. If you are uncomfortable with this person or feel that the answer is not correct for the question, be careful. You can inquire where he / she got the information from. You can also ask what method someone used to get this information. In this way you show that you are interested in how and what to find your own answers in the future.
4. Keep the question simple. Don't rattle or explain more than is necessary to understand the problem. Too much information can distract from the question. It can cause you to get the wrong answer because the person you asked the question misunderstood your point.
   • For example, don't tell your doctor how your day went before you developed a particular health problem. The doctor doesn't need to know that your bus was late this morning. The doctor should know that you ate something different than normal for breakfast this morning and that you are now experiencing a stomach ache.
5. Use open or closed questions. Depending on the situation, you ask open or closed questions. If you need a specific answer or a clear yes or no, ask a closed question. If you want as much information as possible, ask an open question.
   • Open questions usually start with “why” and then “can you tell me more about that?”.
   • Closed questions usually start with words like “when” or “who”.
6. Look confident. Ask your question confidently. Don't apologize or make yourself small. That way you come across as less intelligent. You also reduce the chance that someone will judge your question. In some situations this is more important than in others. If you ask your teacher a question, don't worry about it. If you ask a question during a job application, it is good to be aware of this.
7. Do not use filler words. These are words like "eh", "uhm", "ah", etc. They are those filler words that you use when you are looking for the next word. Most people do it unconsciously. Try to use them as little as possible, the more intelligent you appear. Your question will then come across as well thought-out.
8. Explain why you are asking the question. If the situation allows, it can help you explain why you are asking the question and what your goal is. This way you ensure that no possible misunderstandings can arise. And it can cause the person you're asking to give you extra information you didn't even know you needed.
9. Never ask your question aggressively. You only show that you want to be right and are not open to another answer. Only ask your question if you are genuinely interested in the answer. Otherwise, you will only get a defensive answer that probably won't help you much.
   • Do not ask, "Is it true that fewer people would be hungry if we directly eat the grain ourselves instead of feeding it to the cattle and then eat their meat?"
   • But question: "Many vegetarians argue that more food would be available if society invested less in the meat industry. This argument seems to be correct, do you know arguments that support the other side of the story?"
10. Ask! The most important part of asking a question is actually asking the question! In principle, there are no stupid questions. Don't be ashamed if you ask someone for help. Asking questions is what really smart people do! And the longer you put it off, the harder it gets.

Method 5 of 5: Part 5: Make the most of the answer

1. Don't let someone feel uncomfortable. If you feel like the informer is starting to feel uncomfortable, or perhaps find it difficult to talk about, don't push on. A public interrogation seldom brings good results unless you are interrogating in a professional setting, such as as a journalist, board member or lawyer. If you are in an audience at a lecture or if you are a student and in class, you want to be informed. So stop your questioning and thank them for the information. Afterwards there is often also time to visit someone and talk about it personally. Even though your question was also interesting to the rest of the group; sometimes you have to step back to get a real answer.
2. Listen to the answer. Instead of talking about the answer, listen carefully to what someone is saying. This way you get the most out of your answer. Only interrupt someone when something essential is being misunderstood. And do it politely.
3. Let someone finish. Even if you feel that an important piece of information is being forgotten, always wait until someone has finished talking. Maybe it will come later. You may need the extra information so you can better understand the final point.
4. Think about the answer you got. Think about all the information you have been told. Think about how the answer relates to your question and whether all questions have now been answered. Don't just take anything for granted. If something looks strange, you may have received incorrect information! Even if you asked the questions, it doesn't automatically mean that the other person has the right answer.
5. Ask for clarification if needed. If the answer you received makes no sense to you or there is something you don't understand, don't be shy and ask for clarification. This prevents further problems because you have not received or understood all the information.
6. Keep asking questions. As they come up, ask more questions until you have a complete answer. It may be that new questions arise, about things that you had not thought of before. By asking questions you also show that you really listened and appreciate that the other person is helping you.
7. Ask for general advice. You can also ask someone for advice or tips about the area you had a question about. If that person is an expert, he or she should have learned it from someone as well. They are much more knowledgeable than you and they probably have tips for you that they would have liked when they were in your position.

Tips

• Don't use big words. You quickly come across as pretentious. Be thoughtful and kind and don't worry too much about appearing genius enough.
• Include the audience in your question. You can invite them to join in with phrases like "Have you thought about ..." or "Have you considered this question ..."
• Do not go over the top in your language, but certainly not under it. Use of language that is too formal can sound silly and distant, especially if you use words that you don't really understand the meaning of. But too informal is not useful either:
  • "Did you go to the pharmacy yesterday for an examination?" (wrong word)
  • "Did you go to the doctor yesterday for that thing that they look at you and take your pricks and tests and then the doctor says that everything is okay?" (too informal)
  • "Did you visit the doctor's office yesterday for a physical examination that was mandatory for certain extracurricular activities so that the doctor on duty could assure you that you were in excellent shape compared to other patients? (Too formal and over the top)
• Some questions require research in advance. For example, search the internet to see if you can find the answer. For example, Google can help you a lot further.
• Example: “I used to think that classical music was boring to listen to, perhaps because all my friends thought it was. But since many musicians and literate people love it, there may be more to it than I thought. I know you love it. Can you tell us what you love about it? ”
• Try to read more about your topic to give your question a little more substance.

Warnings

• Do not ask questions before asking questions, for example because you want to draw attention to yourself or because you want to appear smart. That is the only conceivable motivation for asking a question.
• Be careful not to react aggressively if you don't like the answer. If you are not open to all possible answers, then do not ask the question. It could also be that someone reacts aggressively to a question that is harmless to you. Don't bother with this. Maybe you unknowingly struck a chord.