The Art of the Question: Next-Level Conversations with Erik Zimmerman

How do you move beyond the shallow "How's it going?" to have conversations that build deep, meaningful connections? In this insightful episode of the Ninja Selling Podcast, Rob Nelson sits down with one of the Ninja world's OG's and a master of communication, Erik Zimmerman. As a Ninja Selling Coach, Leadership Coach, Instructor, and Leadership Instructor, Erik brings a wealth of experience and a passion for elevating the art of conversation.

Erik shares his philosophy on why he's not a fan of generic pleasantries and how he has intentionally engineered his approach to asking questions that unlock the stories, dreams, and challenges in people's lives. This episode is a deep dive into the nuances of Ninja Habit #8 (50 Live Interviews), moving beyond simply checking a box to creating genuine engagement. Learn the framework for asking better questions: eliminate yes/no queries, use open-ended prompts, let the last answer guide your next question, and get comfortable with silence.

Discover powerful, specific questions like, "What are you most looking forward to?" and how to use follow-up questions to uncover details that allow you to create "wow" experiences for your clients. Erik provides actionable advice and role-play examples that will help you transform your daily interactions, deepen your relationships, and truly change the way you view the world—and how the world views you.

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Episode Highlights:

• Introducing Erik Zimmerman: Ninja Coach, Instructor, and "Master Questionnaire"

• Moving Beyond "How's It Going?": The Problem with Shallow Questions

• The Goal of a Great Question: Making the "Film Inside People's Head" Start Rolling

• The Framework for Asking Better Questions: Curiosity, Open-Ended Prompts, and Active Listening

• The Power of Your Reaction: How You Respond to an Answer Drives the Conversation

• Going Deeper with Ninja Habit #8: It's More Than Just 50 "Check-Ins"

• The Role of a "Client Customer Patient Engagement Consultant"

• Specific, Actionable Questions to Start Meaningful Conversations

• The "What Are You Most Looking Forward To?" Question and Its Versatility

• The Importance of Silence: Giving People Space to Think and Share

• Using FORD and Record to Create "Wow" Experiences

• Getting Better at Asking Questions: Practice, Reps, and Listening

Key Takeaways:

• "Stop pretending like you care and just care. If you go into conversations caring, that will be huge."

• "I want this tape inside people's head... called their life to start rolling. I want to hear what's in their head and what's in their heart."

• "Each question, whenever possible, each question is embedded in the answer of the previous question."

• "First think about being in the relationship business and the real estate business will follow."

• "How many questions does it take before I would add somebody to my warm list?"

• "The more the person that's answering the question recognizes my questions are getting more specific, most of the time they sort of... read the room."

• "The questionnaire should be talking no more than 20% of the time. And let's get the person that's hearing the questions to be talking 80% of the time."

• "If you want to get better at anything, what do you do? Practice, practice, practice... Want to be a better question asker? Ask more questions, get more reps, and then really listen to the answer."

• "A great starting place [question is], 'What are you most looking forward to?'"

• "When you ask a good question, be okay with silence."

 

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