“What a smooth talker!” “She’s got the gift of gab!” Or “He’s a born salesman!” How many times have you heard remarks like these? 
Lots? Of course. Yet to the best of my knowledge, salespeople, rainmakers and business pros are never born.
I have several friends who are obstetricians and they assure me, they’ve never hoisted a newborn high into the air and proudly announced to the parents, “Congratulations, you’ve just given birth…to a salesperson! An entrepreneur! No, no…it’s a business-development specialist!”
Successful businesspeople aren’t born. They’re nurtured, developed and trained. At least the top achievers are. They may have the ability to “gab or talk,” but their real skill is their ability to probe or question. Questions establish rapport, uncover concerns, reveal problems and peak profits. Questions are a natural way to get others to talk, so you can listen and learn!
As a radio and TV talk-show host, the real success of my interviews depended not upon my speaking ability, but instead my questioning ability. Questions gave me the opportunity to explore a guest’s feelings, attitudes and opinions. Exactly like your business interview.
Like a doctor, you can’t precisely make a diagnosis and prescribe a cure, until you know more about the patient’s problem. Good physicians don’t guess at an illness, they examine the patient and ask lots of questions. As a sales or business pro, you too, must examine and question. For prescription without diagnosis, is malpractice!
