Final answer:
To encourage conversation with a customer, it's best to ask Open-ended questions that can elicit detailed and thoughtful responses. This approach, combined with a mix of closed questions and follow-up inquiries, can lead to more informative and engaging discussions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best kinds of questions to ask a customer to encourage conversation are Open-ended questions. These types of questions are designed to prompt more detailed responses and encourage a deeper conversation. For example, asking "How do you plan to use your college education?" rather than a yes-or-no question allows for a richer, more detailed response. Open-ended questions stimulate discussion and provide opportunities to gain insights into a customer's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Moreover, engaging in a conversation using a mix of open and closed questions can be effective. Start with general, open-ended questions and then move on to more specific, closed questions to zero in on details. If the information provided is incomplete or confusing, follow-up questions can help to clarify. Utilizing silence can also give the customer time to collect their thoughts, potentially leading to more insightful answers. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where the customer feels free to express themselves, providing qualitative and at times, quantitative data.