What is the correct order of the question funneling approach?

• A. Open, Directive, Closed (use parallel throughout)
• B. Closed, Open, Directive (use parallel throughout)
• C. Directive, Open, Closed (use parallel throughout)
• D. Open, Closed, Directive (use parallel throughout)

Answer: (A)

This approach emphasizes guiding a conversation from broad to narrow while keeping the question language consistent. Start with open questions to reveal the overall context and gather wide-ranging information. Then use directive questions to steer the discussion toward the specific areas you need, without suppressing important details. Finish with closed questions to obtain concise, verifiable answers. This Open, Directive, Closed flow, with parallel phrasing throughout, keeps the conversation clear and makes the collected information easy to analyze. Beginning with a closed question can miss context, starting with directive can bias the response or limit breadth, and skipping the final closed step can leave details uncertain.