The Follow-Up Is Everything

Harvard researchers found that people who ask follow-up questions tend to be rated as more likable. The value is not only in the first question - it is in the second. "What do you do?" is generic.

Follow-ups work because they show you were tracking the answer. Most people are already planning what to say next while the other person is still talking. When you ask something that directly builds on their answer, it signals attention that feels rare.