Open-Ended Questions, Closed-Ended Questions & College Freshmen

Good Journalistic — and Realtor — Technique (vs. Parent of New College Student)

Good journalists — and Realtors! — know that the key to eliciting information is to ask open-ended questions rather than closed-ended questions.

So, good listing agents debriefing Buyers’ agents ask questions like, “What did your client like most/least about the home?,” not, “How did the showing go?”

Similarly, Buyers’ agents trying to better understand their clients’ purchasing criteria are better advised to ask, “What features in a home are important to you (and why)?,” instead of “How many Bedrooms and Baths are you looking for?”

Settling for “Yes” and “No”

Of course, every rule has its exception(s).

Exhibit A: communicating with a now very far-from-home young adult (in this case, my son) who just started college.

Then, the key to eliciting a response is framing closed-ended questions — presumably via text — that can be quickly answered with a “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe.”

Suggested queries: “Did your classes go OK?”; “Are you set with money?”; and “Are you getting enough sleep?” (fortunately, all answered with a quick — and very succinct — “Yes”).

P.S.: I believe kidnappers use the term “proof of life.”

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