Elicitation - How to Get People to Talk Without Them Realizing

0:00 Elicitation is about using statements instead of questions. Triggering a need to correct the record is one of the easiest ways to use elicitation, but it's only one. So, the rule of thumb is the more sensitive the information is that you need, the less questions you need to be asking. Elicitation is about using statements instead of questions. And I'll give you an example. Let's say you and I walk into Whole Foods and we walk in there and there's uh let's say there's a young lady stocking produce and you get in there and I say, "All right, Stephen, your goal is to go figure out how much she makes in 60 seconds and you're not allowed to ask

0:46 any questions or be awkward." And that's tough, right? It's It sounds really tough. So, if you went over to her and and this is a a generalization just to get you to understand what elicitation is and said, "Hey, I'm trying to find the baby carrots." And she walks you over there, but while you're walking, you say, "I just read this article online that says all Whole Foods employees just got bumped up to $26 an hour. That's fantastic." And she turns around and goes, "What?" No, I I make 17. So now she doesn't feel like she's been pressed or questioned about how much she makes. She's correcting you. So triggering a need to correct the record is one of the easiest ways to use

1:32 elicitation, but it's only one. Another one is just making a statement afterwards and saying, "I bet you had some interesting experiences doing that." Or, "I can imagine that was challenging." statements are always going to be better than asking pointed questions because a person feels like they're volunteering information. The third layer of that is disbelief. So, let's say I wanted to ask if you just got back from vacation and I didn't want to use any questions. We let's say we meet up for dinner or something and I said, "Seen, you look like you just got back from a vacation." That's a statement. And you're like, "No, actually, I've been doing this, this, this, and this." So now you've you've given me more than if I just

2:18 asked if you were on vacation. Mhm. And I said, "Wow, that had to be interesting. I I can't imagine that. There's got to be a lot of stuff going on there." And you start talking more and more and more. And then like that sounds great. There was no challenges to that entire trip. I love when everything is 100% flawless. And you're like, "No, well actually." And then you start going into that and I'm like no way. Then now then now then now we have disbelief that comes in and I haven't asked a single question yet. But that elicitation is powerful because we're not being asked questions. So our brain doesn't set off little security alarms and even with business intelligence. Let's say that a company's moving and they have to get business intelligence.

3:04 Somebody at that company will get approached at a bar and somebody will say, "Yeah, I heard you guys are moving between March and April and they'll get correct and they'll say, "No, it's actually February, but we're not really supposed to talk about it." It's like, there's no way you're going to move in February. It's too cold and the interest rates are up too high. There's no possible way that the CEO would ever do that. It's like, yeah, and then you're going you're going to get more information out because of the disbelief. So, that was correcting the record. a second technique called bracketing where I'm giving you a series like between March and May or between 39 and 59 and the third is the disbelief that starts getting this information out of people. So if you want to think about like how do I start a conversation or continue one using elicitation think of

3:50 the words so and then do a recap. So, you've been doing this for three years or so. This is not the best job, but it's getting things done for you. Or I bet. So, I bet that was interesting. I bet there were still some challenges there. Or I bet you overcame a whole lot to get to this point. So, or I bet is the best way to do that. Elicitation is a sophisticated communication technique used to obtain information strategically without the other person realizing they're revealing it. It's a tool used in intelligence contexts, but its principles are rooted in universal human tendencies, extensively studied in social and cognitive psychology. According to the FBI, elicitation is the strategic use of conversation to extract information from someone without them realizing they're being questioned. In

4:36 other words, it's not about asking direct questions, but about guiding the conversation in a way that leads the other person to voluntarily share the desired information. Elicitation works because it leverages natural psychological tendencies such as the desire to appear competent, especially in professional settings. The tendency to be helpful and polite. The need to feel appreciated, heard, and involved. The urge to correct others, especially when they make obvious mistakes. These dynamics have been confirmed by decades of research by authors like Keelini and Conaman and are based on cognitive biases, social desiraability, reciprocity, and impression management. The FBI lists several specific elicitation techniques. Some of the most

5:21 well-known ones are the three already mentioned. Deliberate false statements, saying something incorrect to provoke correction and get the accurate information. bracketing, offering a range of estimates to lead someone to give a more precise figure, and disbelief. Other notable techniques include flattery, using compliments to encourage openness. Macro to micro, starting with broad topics and gradually narrowing down to sensitive details. And there are many more.