In business, as in life, "Question and Answer" is a normal discovery technique. Parents use it on their children. Talk show hosts use it on their guests. Police use it on witnesses. In business, we use it in many ways.

In a brainstorming session, we ask a question to generate strategies or process ideas that return in the answers. In a sales process, we ask questions to discover needs and expectations in order to submit a relevant, winning proposal. In interpersonal conflict, we ask questions to discover the causes of the conflict and remedies. In customer service, we ask questions to discover what will satisfy a disgruntled customer.

Most questioners are satisfied by the first answers to the questions, but those answers are rarely insightful or even meaningful. Imagine a diamond miner scratching the surface. He turns over a couple shovels full of soil and proclaims, "Nope, no diamonds here." Those first answers are the easy, surface answers -- just tossing back what is apparent or obvious. The experienced questioner knows to drill deeper. That's where the gems are.

Drilling deeper is a questioning technique that seeks the uncovered answer -- the core answer, the answer that needs to be formulated by analyzing data, thinking, "connecting the dots" in the pathways of the brain and developing conclusions based on knowledge, extrapolation and curiosity. Deeper, that's where the gems are.

Drilling deeper requires that the questioner not accept the first answers but ask "why" or "how" or "how else" or "what other" type questions: "Why should we do it?" or "How can we do it?" or "How else can we do it?" or "What other ways can we do it?" These follow-up questions ask the answerer to work harder at clarifying, analyzing and thinking. With each level of answer, the questioner gets closer to the gems.

It takes some time, patience and perseverance, but when pay dirt is hit, there isn't just one gem down there. It is like a diamond mine in which one gem after another rises to the surface. Getting past the surface answers by digging deeper is worth the effort.

Opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. Larry Galler, of Larry Galler & Associates, is a marketing and management consultant for small and mid-size companies. For more information or to get his free report, "Tolerations driving you nuts? Eliminate them now!" contact larry@larrygaller.com or call (219) 464-9463.