Book Review: Power Questions by Jerry Panas and Andrew Sobel

This is a guest post from Wade Harris. Wade is collegue and fellow fundraiser. He also has a blog about men striving to be excellent husbands, fathers & leaders. You can find his blog at www.RealWade.com or follow him on twitter @WadeHarris

Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others

My work in fundraising is what initially drew me to this book. I am always in conversations where I am trying to learn about others. I want to know them at a deeper level. I want to know their passions so that I know if the organization I represent aligns with those passions.

After reading this book though, I believe it has lessons for everyone.

If you have relationships with other people, this book will equip you to grow those relationships. I am a dad, this book has value in helping me get deeper into my children’s lives. Power Questions will be especially helpful with my son. He’s not the biggest talker and prefers yes or no answers. Panas and Sobel are right when they say, “good questions are often far more powerful than answers.” (p. 3) If you are a leader, parent, or simply have relationships with people whom you want to influence, the reader will find many questions that produce influence. These questions get you where you need to be, without forcing people to join you.

The set-up of the book is easy and straightforward. Each of the thirty-five chapters is short and shares a story of how the question in focus has been used in a real-life situation. The chapters then conclude with a little section entitled Suggestions for How to Use This Question. This section is  a wonderful resource and what really brings the value to the book. It shares variations of the same question and also gives potential follow-up questions.

Power Questions also has some unexpected treasures in it like chapter 4 entitled, When the Sale is Stuck. In this chapter the authors explain four conditions that must exist for a sale to stick. The reader will come away with insights on how to make sure someone is ready to buy (or give in my case) without having to directly ask.

There are some “power questions,” like the chapter entitled What do you think?, that at first seem elementary. However, even such simple chapters were important reminders.

The book is filled with so many useful questions and subsequent application of those questions. Power Questions will be a lasting resource for those in fundraising and sales. I am glad I will have this book as a resource in my library.  After reading you will want to have your own copy.

You can learn more about the book at purchase it at the Power Questions website.