From Selling to Solving: How the Right Questions Build Trust

In sales and in leadership the fastest way to lose trust is to start talking before you start listening.  The best advice I had with this concept was that we have two ears and one mouth, so we should be listening twice as much as we talk.  The best leaders and sales professionals lead with questions, not answers.

Asking the right questions changes everything. It shifts the dynamic to solving. Instead of pushing an agenda, you’re pulling out insights. Instead of assuming, you’re learning. Instead of talking at people, you’re building with them.

Here’s why questions are the ultimate trust-builder:

Questions demonstrate curiosity and respect—not assumption.

When you lead with statements, you risk signaling: I already know what’s best for you. But when you lead with questions, you communicate something far more powerful: I respect you enough to learn from your perspective and to know you.

Curiosity disarms people. It lowers resistance. Imagine sitting across from a customer who expects you to pitch—but instead, you ask, “What’s the biggest obstacle holding your team back right now?” Suddenly, they’re not being sold to; they’re being heard.

In leadership, the same principle applies. Asking an employee, “What do you need from me to do your best work?” shows more respect than assuming you know their answer. Questions create a culture where people feel seen, heard, and not just another number.

The right questions reveal hidden challenges.

Customers rarely lay their toughest problems on the table right away. Employees won’t always speak up about what frustrates them. That’s why the right questions act like keys to unlock what’s really going on.

Surface-level conversations give you surface-level insights. But when you ask deeper, questions like “What’s the part of this process that takes the most time?” or “What’s something that would make your workday easier?” we start getting beyond polite answers.

This is where real trust starts to build. Because when you uncover the hidden challenge, you can address the issue that truly matters. And when people feel understood at that level, they’re far more likely to trust your solutions.

Asking builds credibility.

It may feel counterintuitive, but the less you talk early on, the more credible you appear later. Why? Because people trust those who listen before prescribing.

Think of a doctor who listens carefully to your symptoms before diagnosing. You’d never trust a doctor who interrupts you after one sentence with, “I know exactly what’s wrong.” Customers and employees feel the same way. By asking questions first, you prove you’re not pushing a one-size-fits-all answer—you’re tailoring a solution to their reality.

Every question is a credibility deposit. Over time, those deposits accumulate into authority, influence, and trust. And once you have trust, your recommendations carry far more weight.

The next time you walk into a meeting, conversation, or sales call, don’t lead with your solution, but with curiosity. Because when you ask the right questions, you stop being just another voice trying to push something. You become the trusted partner who helps solve what really matters.