The Coaching Equation

The Power of Better Questions: Life-Changing Communication with Marcus Sheridan

• Episode 52

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Episode Highlights

00:01 – Why communication is the missing skill in leadership, sales, and coaching
01:13 – The shocking stat about managers and communication training
02:54 – Marcus’ early experiences that sparked his obsession with asking better questions
06:17 – A baptism gone wrong… and the moment that revealed the true power of questions
08:40 – How asking the right questions transformed a tense moment into connection and clarity
11:10 – The childhood experience that exposed the cost of miscommunication
13:41 – “It’s dumb not to dumb it down”: Why trying to sound smart is costing you influence
16:55 – The #1 KPI every sales team should track: "No one has ever asked me that before."
18:41 – The most powerful question in discovery (and why it's not “why”)
23:28 – Introducing “The Pathfinder” and the quadrant that reveals your communication identity
26:22 – Dictator, Lawyer, Instructor, Pathfinder: Which one are you?
29:45 – Why real leadership means not being the hero
31:44 – Solopreneurs beware: Why great salespeople often struggle as leaders
35:23 – The Pushback Pivot: A simple technique to stay curious (and disarm objections)
40:09 – Why defending kills authority—and what to do instead
41:08 – The “Question Only Game” (and how to use it to lead someone to their own insight)
45:10 – The 3 P’s of a perfect question: Progress, Purpose, Path
48:28 – A real-life communication test: Solving a personal crisis in under 60 seconds
52:35 – The magic question that created a breakthrough (and why it worked)
54:11 – Why true mastery in communication comes from decades of obsession

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