Some Of The Best Questions You Can Ask Inquiries

Have you noticed that for many of us it’s a lot easier to talk about what we don’t want or why we don’t like something than it is to define exactly what we want or why we like something?

That’s because our brains have what’s called a negativity bias. Memories from bad experiences and things that stressed us a lot tend to stick with us longer.

Knowing that, my advice as you start building relationships with this next class of inquiries is to ask them a few questions that are based in the negative.

When you ask something like, “What’s your perfect college experience look like?” because students don’t know what they don’t know, there’s a greater chance that what they tell you is a bland and predictable answer.

Asking a negative question forces them to think a little harder about the question and the result tends to be a more honest and thoughtful answer. Utilizing this strategy will also help you pull out some objections and concerns earlier in the process.

Here are a few examples I’ve shared during recent training workshops I’ve led:

• What’s one thing you don’t want your college experience to feel like?

• What’s something about a college or university that would make you think ‘I just don’t see myself being happy there’?

• What’s something about a college’s location that would make you say ‘This school isn’t right for me’?

• What kind of classroom environment would make it harder for you to enjoy learning?

• After a student visits your campus, ask “Now that you’ve seen campus, what’s one thing you wish you could change about our school?”

  
  

Getting students comfortable talking about dislikes and negatives with you (and letting them know there’s no penalty for doing that) can be a big recruiting advantage. Another added benefit - you’ll come across as more authentic and genuine.

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