How to ask an expert the right questions

Sooner or later, most of us will need the advice of an expert. When we do, we won’t always know what questions to ask. That’s because knowing the right questions is part of what makes an expert an expert. Fortunately, there is a simple question you can ask:

“What should I be asking you?”

This question fundamentally changes the relationship. The expert, instead of merely answering your questions, is now responsible for ensuring you get answers to the right questions.

When you ask this question, you’ll see a visible change in the expert. The expert will stop, think, and then answer a question you didn’t know to ask. Moreover, this question will be one the expert, in her expert opinion, thinks you should have asked.

That’s magic!