#question asking

[thewritehag]

What’s something from fan fiction you learned that has practical use in your life, not in the same context as the source?

Mine is that you can squeeze your thumb in your fist to prevent gagging when you’re brushing your teeth and need to get to the back ones.

[askavettech]

Little Update!

Hey guys! I’m sorry I’ve been slacking on the question answering so much lately...Like a lot and for waaaaay too long. I’ve got a pretty big backlog that I’m gonna try to work through so expect those coming soon!

But I need to desperately reiterate something.

I am NOT a veterinarian. I CANNOT give medical advice for your pet’s safety and for legal reasons. If you are concerned for your pet’s health, my answer will always be to SEEK VETERINARY CARE.

A lot of the questions I get are asking for medical advice that I cannot and do not feel comfortable giving.  I am not a doctor. I cannot see your pet. I do not know the full situation from your ask. I cannot accurately help you.

Please seek veterinary attention if you need help.

But please, if you have questions about the profession or fun things that aren’t directly medical advice I would love to answer them.

Thanks for understanding guys!

[superomegleadventures]

OMG ITS NOT FUCKING QUEEN YOU ASSHOLE!!!

[superomegleadventures]

[superomegleadventures]

[crypticallycass]

Ask me a question, anything, I don't care. I'm bored

[kenkarnes]

The LAER process - thank you Carew International

At one of the many client management training seminars I've taken over the years, I learned about a technique that improves communication with customers.  It was Dimensions of Professional Selling by Carew International, probably at a hotel in Atlanta in the mid '90's, and while I will highlight this technique there were many portions of the training that are still relevant today.

The technique is the LAER process.  If you are unfamiliar, I'll provide an overview, and then please click on Carew International to be taken directly to their website - it's worth the visit. What is LAER? It's a smart way of handling questions and objections (try it in business and personally... it works).

Listen

Acknowledge

Explore 

Respond

Listen: No, I mean really listen. Don't start formulating your answer while they are still talking. Don't watch only their body language... listen to the words and understand them. Acknowledge: Since you've listened intently, take a moment now to repeat back or clarify what you've just heard. You may start it like, "So to make sure I understood your question correctly, you are asking about our ability to integrate our database into your operation seamlessly, is that right?" This does two things for you: it gives you a little more time to ponder the question before you respond so you provide the optimal answer, and it also gives the person a chance to expound further or confirm you are on the right track. Explore: Did the client acknowledge that you understand the question? If so, what else might you like to know? In order to provide a targeted answer and understand the question from the root, is there a probing question you might be able to ask to get deeper in your understanding - for example, "Are you more interested in our technical ability to integrate, or the process we'll take, or something else regarding the integration process?" Once again you need to listen - really listen - to the response so you understand exactly what the person is asking. You've now gotten yourself a few more moments to clarify the question and understand it better... your response should be better and more on target.

Respond: Let them know exactly what they want to know now! If the client said something like, "I am most interested in knowing the amount of time my operations people will have to spend on the implementation." You now can focus your response on this area, and not (possibly) answering the question in a way that doesn't address the person's real concern. Practice it. You'll find that coming up with an acknowledgement and exploration question really does help you understand the question better! Be careful of the pitfalls! I had a boss that used to say the LAER process wasn't working when he used it at home with his wife!

He thought LAER meant: - Listen - Acknowledge - Explode - Repent Oops. Wrong. Okay, a real pitfall to avoid.  This process is for a thoughtful question or objection, not a simple one! Don't make things more complicated if they don't have to be. If you are asked, "What are your payment terms?" Then by all means provide a direct answer!  You may say something like, "Our terms are net 30." Then use your golden silence to allow a response. LAER is a simple technique, it is NOT manipulative, and it will lead to better listening, understanding, and responses to your clients - leading to a better relationship.  Good luck!