I never really thought of starting at the bottom of the funnel and working your way back up to broader topics.  I can see how it would really help to give the prospect a big picture view if they're mired in the details.

The funnel if done right can be a lot of fun. Put the fun in the funnel by making it about them! Since I am a counselor, knowing about you is very importanct so..." :)

Just wondering everyone else's opinion: when do we work the funnel in our initial conversation with our students? Is it when we are doing our needs analysis? Is it after every question we ask them?

One of the most difficult aspects of "working the funnel" in my mind is having a purpose for the questions you're going to ask. This break down made it really clear how I can achieve purpose in my questions which I believe will help me build better rapport and dig deeper into my students' motivations for going back to school and what could keep them from finishing.

This line of questioning was helpful for me because I sometimes get stuck working my way backwards when a student gives me specific detail. It helps me determine the overall purpose and a general understanding of the student.

Reflective listening is essential to the gathering of information. It puts both parties on the same page, so there is nothing lost in translation.

I've just recently tried adding this into the end of our needs analysis by saying at the end, "So I want to make sure I'm hearing you correctly...." and summarize the main points of their answers. It shows I listened (and took notes, ha) but also makes that end question of "Is there anything else to add?" less awkward.

This was interesting. maybe a little extreem- but I think it is good insight to pay attention to the metaphors people use... I know for me personally, when I say a metaphor, I mean something completely different than when my husband uses the same metaphore- so really digging in and even using reflecting listening can help understand where a student is coming from

Using softeners is a great way to create trust and ilicit answers to important questions that you might have difficulty getting answers to otherwise.

Letting someone know where you are going with a persoanl question can help them understand why you need the answer and give them the freedome to answer it in a way that will provide you what you need and still maintain a sense of privace.

How do we use GROW in our initial conversation with students?

Have you used softeners before and how did it work out?

The repharasing of a "why" is so important to maintain a positive phone call!

This could be a different way of asking: Why do you want to come to CCU-- digging deeper on what the real reason they are attracted to CCU is

This is a new way to ask the usual question, "How are you doing?"  It might ilicit a different kind of response.

Knowing when to use an open vs a closed question in terms of controlling the conversation was extremely helpful to learn! Especially when sometimes you have students who want to tell you their life story and although may be interesting or may be giving you a lot of good info about themselves--it can get carried away and lose the purpose of the initial interview.

How does non-verbal communication affect on how we ask questions?

I enjoyed learning about limiting the why question and replacing it with what - very effective.

Even though I am a instructor , I found this topic incredibly insightful. I feel that this type of training is missing at the instructor level. I would propose a way to cater this sort of knowledge down to senior students. This is one area of career development that I do see lacking. Learning how to give proper feedback in the correct way is a skill that must be learned and then practiced. Starting this type of training/ critical thinking early is a must. And i for one truly enjoyed this course. This will not only help me to lead… >>>

Hello: As we all know that budget cuts can and do cause difficult situations between management and staff or instructors. I work at a for profit school. Recently we went from 4 printers in the school for students down to 1. This needlessly caused several different responses between everyone including students and staff and staff and management. As a program manager I understand the need to cut corners but as an instructor also I need resources to complete my work. Surprising this event worked its self out. At first everyone was upset but I think that was more because of… >>>