The Art of Asking Questions

Name: The Art of Asking Questions
ISBN: 9787555813002

Wu XuegangDehong Ethnic Publishing House · ChinaSep 2026

3.2

Word count: 101K words
Chapters: 58
ISBN: 9787555813002

Report an error Find this book

Summary

The Art of Asking Questions is a practical guide to interpersonal communication. High emotional intelligence, in essence, means knowing how to ask. A well-timed question can make the other person feel like a great conversationalist—and keep them talking. Divided into eight chapters, the book covers speeches, negotiations, briefings, requests for instructions, romance, sales, interviews, persuasion, and more, aiming to give you on-the-spot communication skills so you can steer any conversation however you like. Drawing on a wealth of real scenarios from work and daily life, it helps readers develop an awareness of questioning, broaden their questioning approaches, and raise their questioning skills, using skillful questions to improve communication efficiency and get to the heart of the matter in minutes. From the Socratic method and FBI interrogation techniques to sales closing skills, it peels the onion layer by layer and breaks things down in detail, helping you master questioning techniques that 90% of people don't know—and get the other person to do 90% of the talking.

Editor's review

The Art of Asking Questions has a clear premise: treat questioning as a trainable skill rather than a gift. Its eight chapters span speeches, negotiations, briefings, requests for instructions, romance, sales, interviews, persuasion, and more. The broad coverage is a plus—readers can almost always find a scenario that applies to them—but the trade-off is limited depth in each. The book introduces the Socratic method, FBI interrogation techniques, and sales closing skills, unpacking the thinking and rhythm of questioning layer by layer, and it is fairly specific on how to get the other person to do the talking. Its practical value lies in cultivating an awareness of questioning: many conversations stall not because we can't talk, but because we don't know what to ask. It works well as an introductory communication book to dip into. One caveat: the book is highly technique-driven, and readers who memorize sentence patterns without understanding how scenarios differ may apply them mechanically. Best used alongside practice in real conversations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Workplace newcomers who want to improve their questioning skills and everyday communication
Office workers who need to handle negotiations, briefings, interviews, and similar situations
Professionals in sales, customer service, and other conversation-heavy roles
Readers interested in communication-skills books who enjoy case-based reading

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for in-depth psychological theory or academic research
Experienced professionals seeking systematic training in negotiation strategy for a specific field
Readers who dislike technique-driven expression and prefer a natural communication style

Reading tips

Start with the chapter most relevant to your current situation, such as interviews or negotiations, and find a chance to practice once the same day.
Rewrite the book's question patterns in your own spoken style to avoid sounding stiff.
After each chapter, note one question you once handled badly and try redesigning it using the book's approach.
Do a role-swap exercise with a colleague—one asks, one answers—to test whether your questions really make the other person want to say more

About the publisher

Dehong Ethnic Publishing House China · Founded in 1981

Dehong Ethnic Publishing House publishes in Chinese and in several ethnic scripts, and publicly available information shows that its books cover areas such as self-improvement and management. Judging from the six titles in the collection, the press pays notable attention to interpersonal communication and expression. Books such as The Art of Asking Questions and The Art of Responding focus on everyday conversational skills; Humor and Eloquence and Learn to Express Yourself, Know How to Communicate emphasize language training; Social Etiquette addresses social norms; and Make Friends First, Do Business Later extends communication into business settings. Most of these titles are written by authors including Wu Xuegang and Pan Hongsheng, reflecting a popular, practical approach centered on methods and skills. It should be noted that the collection holds only a limited number of the press's books, so its full publishing scope and title structure require further public information.

版权信息
前言
第一章社交提问术——好人缘来自好问题
1．交谈中提问的技巧
2．营造良好的提问氛围
3．用“问题攻势”占据上风
4．面带微笑的提问更动人
5．巧用悬疑式提问
6．选择好问话的方式
7．旁敲侧击的提问
8．提问之前，先来点赞美
第二章谈判提问术——巧妙引导谈判顺利进行
1．投石问路，摸清对方底细
2．用提问化解谈判危机
3．谈判中适当的插一句问话
4．通过提问晓以利害
5．巧妙提问，洞察先机
6．在提问中暴露自己的小秘密
7．商业谈判中的提问技巧
第三章面试提问术——获得你想要的有用信息
1．面试中的提问方式
2．用最有效率的方法来提问
3．电话面试的提问技巧
4．在轻松的气氛中提问
5．观察面试者的回答细节
6．有效提问的6种问题类型
7．控制好面试提问时的心态
第四章职场提问术——说得好不如问得好
1．提炼出最有价值的问题
2．给上司提问题和建议的技巧
3．由浅入深地提问题
4．提议前要充分准备
5．委婉迂回的提问方式
6．不同的人问不同的话
7．用提问调动内向者的积极性
第五章营销提问术——问题对了好成交
1．在提问之前，先学会倾听
2．请教式提问更容易让人接受
3．用提问挖掘出客户的需求
4．站在对方的角度分析提问
5．用合适的提问技巧达到目的
6．了解对方的心态再提问
7．电话营销中的提问技巧
8．突破销售“瓶颈”的提问法
第六章婚恋提问术——用提问把爱情保鲜
1．多用鼓励提问进行安慰
2．提问重要，聆听更重要
3．善于询问，做一个贴心人
4．信任他，不要总是刨根问底
5．喋喋不休的追问是一种噪声
6．多赞美，少责问
第七章提问有禁忌——不该问的绝对不问
1．社交中的提问禁忌
2．对方的苦衷不宜多问
3．问什么也别问别人的隐私
4．对方的缺点和短处不能问
5．提问时开玩笑要适度
6．不要将提问变审问

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone with no communication experience at all?

It works well as an introductory read. The book is organized by concrete scenarios—speeches, negotiations, briefings, interviews, and so on—with cases drawn from work and daily life, so readers can look up what they need. That said, it contains many techniques; beginners are best off practicing one scenario at a time and finding a chance to apply it the same day, otherwise they may mix up the patterns and come across as stiff.

How deeply does the book cover the Socratic method and FBI interrogation techniques?

It introduces them as reference points for questioning approaches, focusing on unpacking the layers and rhythm of questioning to help readers understand how to guide the other person to open up step by step, rather than offering specialized academic exposition. Readers expecting a systematic study or historical origins of these two methods may find the coverage limited; those who simply want to borrow the ideas for everyday communication will find it sufficient.

Are the questioning techniques for romance and sales interchangeable?

The book's questioning principles share common ground—establishing a sense of safety first, starting from topics the other person cares about, using open questions to encourage expression. But romance and sales differ greatly in goals, relationship basis, and boundaries, so readers should not transplant sentence patterns from one scenario directly into another. Understand the principles first, then adjust tone and tact to the specific relationship.

Will I be able to 'get the other person to do the talking' right after reading?

The book offers training in questioning awareness and approach; whether the other person actually opens up also depends on listening, responding, and reading the situation in the moment. Questioning is only one part of communication—if you focus only on the questions and ignore the other person's reactions, the effect will be diminished. Treat the book's methods as a practice framework to adjust repeatedly in real conversations, rather than expecting to master them after one read.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Wu Xuegang Author · Chinese

Wu Xuegang, who writes under the pen name Ruosi, is a native of Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province. A Chinese major by training and a member of the China Writers Association, he is a well-known publisher, planner and bestselling author. His work focuses on planning and writing books on life motivation, psychological motivation, workplace management, and women's and family education, and he has published more than ten titles. His representative works include The Art of Asking Questions, The Art of Replying, Social Etiquette, The Art of High-EQ Socializing, Focus: The Key to Effective Time Management, Win Hearts with Words: How to Effectively Move People, and Learn Wisdom from The Three Kingdoms and Learn Management from The Three Kingdoms, as well as A Little Progress Every Day, Lifting the Tilted Balance, and Child, You Must Know How to Protect Yourself. These books mostly center on communication and expression, social cultivation, time management and personal growth, written in plain, practical language that offers ordinary readers actionable methods and inspiration. Public information about his personal life, including birth and death years, is limited.