Three teen girls entered the subway in mid-conversation: "Is he in our school? " "Yes." "In our grade?" "Yes." "In our calculus class?" "Yes.” “Is he fine? "Yes!" "Steve? " "Noooo. " "Seth? " "Phillip? " "It’s Jeremy!" Indeed it was!!!

These girls were playing the game 20-Questions. They were playing to win. They were asking closed-ended questions to qualify/disqualify the field. They were expert at cutting to the chase.

Kids in fact are excellent question-masters. They are naturally inquisitive, constantly curious and regularly in learning mode. We can all take a lesson or two from Linda, Sara and Simone.

Q’s are cues to customers

The questions you ask will uncover customers' needs and wants, their fears and frustrations. They’ll tell you all you need to know to formulate your sales approach. My question to you: how good are the questions you are asking?

Recently I consulted the ultimate Question-master, Sales Trainer John Tenza (www.coaching2greatness.com) of Ann Arbor, Michigan. John coaches his sales students to greatness through the asking of powerful questions. John uses a combination of closed-ended, open-ended and even rhetorical questions to engage, qualify, isolate needs and objections, uncover hidden issues and close sales. Among his tips for us all:

- Have your questions prepared and mastered before your conversation or presentation, as a great trial attorney would.

- The questions should flow; you must have a verbal awareness about how you sound asking the questions.