Examples of Open-Ended Questions

An open-ended question looks for an elaborate response from a person. There are two ways in which you can ask a question during an interview, sales call, etc. One is asking a closed ended question. By closed ended question, we mean that either the answer would be a yes or a no. A lot of salespeople use a closed ended question to close the sale. For example, while you are yet to decide whether you will go for that product, the salesman would quickly ask you whether you like the black or the blue color. This way a closed ended question does not leave you with too many choices and you end up choosing either one of the options. An open-ended question on the other hand will engage you in a conversation and will look for detailed information from you. Before we go ahead and take a look at the examples of open-ended questions, let us take a look at some of their benefits.

Advantages of Open Ended Questions

• These give respondents an opportunity to express themselves and expand their strengths in a better way.
• These allow the respondents to reveal their true self to the researchers and their opinion on various issues. Unlike closed ended questions, these give the respondent an option to not have an opinion on the issue.
• It is often seen that the respondents fill in the answers of closed ended questions without even looking at the questions as they think of it as a tedious exercise. Open ended questions on the other hand ask for a detailed answer and the respondent has to come up with his own ideas and thoughts. This tests the critical thinking skills of the respondent and ensures their active participation.
• The open-ended questions create a vast pool of data which can be used for other researches and surveys.
• Open ended questions help in creating a better relationship between the researcher and the respondent as both of them can learn and share their experiences.
• Last but not least, it conveys that you are willing to invest time with others, thus helping in a better cooperation.

Open Ended Questions for Preschoolers

1. What will you do if a bear comes inside a room?
2. Why do you like strawberries so much?
3. Why would you like to be a doctor when you grow up?
4. When you feel sad, what things cheer you up?
5. Why do you like your Barbie doll so much?
6. What do your friends have to say about you?
7. Why do you feel that reading is not interesting?
8. How would you spend your day, if you were a frog?
9. Can you tell me about the spilled paint in the garden?
10. Why do you avoid taking a bath?

Open Ended Questions in Sales

1. What are your expectations from the company?
2. What are the potential uses of this product for you?
3. What issues did you face with the last company?
4. What apprehensions are stopping you from buying this product?
5. What kinds of gifts does your wife like?
6. How will she react when you surprise her with this gift?
7. Where else have you checked your options?
8. What do you think which colors would she like?
9. What are the most important features that you look out for before buying something?
10. Apart from this issue, are there some other concerns that you have?
11. Can you be more specific on this?
12. What are your thoughts on the brand value of our company?
13. Who else is involved in this decision?
14. That is interesting, can you explain a bit more?
15. What feedback have you got from your friends and relatives who recommended this product to you?

Often open-ended questions are used as a follow-up to a closed ended questions. One has to be specific while asking open-ended questions as these often raise new issues and the whole process can become slower to administer. I hope these examples of open-ended questions are useful to you whether you are a salesperson or a parent.