Transcription
One of the first things that new recruits are taught how to do is actually talk less and listen more, because we're taught that there's an element of conversation that's often missed in society. And that element is understanding how to control a conversation.
Often times we think that you control a conversation by being the person who talks the most, when in fact you control a conversation by being the person who asks the questions, because questions direct the topic of conversation. Questions prime the other person to answer whatever it is that you have proposed. Questions are an opportunity for you to collect much more information than just the question that you're asking.
And when it comes to being able to quickly assess what someone believes, what they feel, what they think, how they will behave in the future, questions are an incredible tool, because you get insight into what is happening behind a person's external demeanor.