Here’s an extended list of 50 great follow-up questions for deeper conversations:
The best part about great follow-up questions is that you don’t have to think about what you’ll say next, you just need to have a few of these that you can ask to get the other person to continue sharing. One of the main issues with a series of questions is that you stop following the conversation and only think about what you will say next. That thought process stops most listening when you could find out something even more important than what was on your list of questions.
50 Great Follow-Up Questions
- Can you tell me more about that?
- What led you to that decision?
- How does that impact your day-to-day operations?
- What are your main priorities right now?
- How do you see this evolving over time?
- What challenges are you currently facing in this area?
- What’s your biggest concern with that approach?
- How would success look for you in this situation?
- How did you arrive at that conclusion?
- What’s been working well for you so far?
- What would you like to see happen next?
- How do you feel about that outcome?
- What’s been the feedback from your team or clients?
- How do you usually handle situations like this?
- Can you clarify what you mean by that?
- How does that align with your long-term goals?
- What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from this?
- Why do you think this has been such a challenge?
- What steps have you taken to address this?
- How are you measuring success in this area?
- What are the key factors driving this decision?
- What other options are you considering?
- How do you feel about the timeline for this?
- What would happen if this didn’t go as planned?
- Who else is involved in making this decision?
- What’s your main focus at the moment?
- How has this issue affected other areas of your business?
- What would need to change for this to work better?
- What’s your ideal outcome here?
- How can I help you move forward with this?
- What has surprised you the most about this situation?
- How does this compare to similar situations you’ve faced before?
- What’s driving your interest in this solution?
- What’s the biggest risk you see with this?
- How do you think this will affect your customers?
- What’s your backup plan if this doesn’t work out?
- What would make this process easier for you?
- How did you handle this issue in the past?
- What’s the next step after this?
- What resources do you think would help?
- What’s the biggest opportunity you see here?
- How do you plan to address any potential obstacles?
- How are you currently managing this situation?
- What’s the most important outcome you’re hoping for?
- Who else is impacted by this decision?
- How do you prioritize this compared to other projects?
- What’s your timeline for making a final decision?
- How confident are you in the direction you’re taking?
- What’s the most exciting part of this for you?
- How has your thinking on this changed over time?
These questions will help you guide conversations in a meaningful way, especially in areas like sales, problem-solving, and relationship-building.
Book Recommendation
Try reading Good Leaders ask Great Questions by John Maxwell. It’s a really insightful book about questions and discovering more when you ask the right thing.
