Eliciting and Gathering Information Verbally

Eliciting and Gathering Information Verbally

Verbal techniques for gleaning information from customers are very useful, especially if the customer:

  • has poor communication skills or is simply uncommunicative; or
  • has strong feelings (anger, anxiety, indecision) that hamper communication

 

To address this difficulty you can:

 

  • Ask probing questionsto explore the customer’s situation or exact need with open-ended questions: ‘What do you mean when you say that you are unhappy with the delivery arrangement?’, ‘Can you tell me what aspects of the delivery you were not happy with?’, ‘What happened next?’, ‘Please give me an example’. Or you can use closed questions: ‘Are you satisfied with this solution?’ to verify information.

 

  • Listen carefully without interrupting,thinking about what you are going to say next, taking anything personally, over-reacting, or day-dreaming.

 

  • Apply ‘3H’ listening: Head, Heart, Hands:practise listening for meaning based on the actual words and logic customers use (Head), their underlying feelings from the pitch of their voices, their breathing, and their choice of words (Heart); and their intent or what it is that they really want to do [Hands].
  • Listen for incongruities:your customer may say ‘I’m feeling fine’, but his or her tone, pace, expression and volume may indicate just the opposite.
  • Periodically reflectback to customers what you have heard and recorded, so that they can confirm that you’ve clearly understood their communication. ‘Did I understand you correctly? You were saying that …’ ‘So, you believe that …’ ‘I understand that you would like me to …’.
  • Speak your customer’s languageto increase the rapport and understanding. Some are visually orientated: ‘Can you see what I mean?’ Others are kinaesthetic or emotional. ‘I don’t feel good about this’ ‘I feel that you are not listening to me’. And others tend to be auditory: ‘Listen carefully to this…’, ‘Hear me out please….’ ‘Please don’t speak to me as if I’m a child’.
  • Match their speed and pitch:this is called ‘pacing’. Conflicts are more likely to arise when two people communicate with each other at different rates.

 

  • Personalisethe conversation by using the customer’s name.