In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts

In the Line of Fire How to Handle Tough Questions… When It Counts

Author: Jerry Weissman Publisher: Prentice Hall Date of Publication: 2005 ISBN: 013-185517-4 Number of Pages: 168 pages About the Author

The Big Idea Jerry Weissman Jerry Weissman is the world’s number one corporate presentations coach. His private client list reads like a who’s who of the world’s best companies, including the top brass at Yahoo!, Intel, Intuit, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and many others. When Mr. Weissman founded Power Presentations, Ltd. in 1988, his initial focus was on Information Technology companies. One of his earliest efforts was the Cisco Systems IPO roadshow. Following its successful launch, Don Valentine, of Sequoia Capital, and then chairman of Cisco’s Board of Directors, attributed “at least two to three dollars” of the offering p r i c e t o M r . W e i s s m a n ’s coaching. That endorsement led to nearly 500 other IPO roadshow presentations that have raised hundreds of billions of dollars in the stock market. Mr. Weissman’s focus widened to include coaching pre-public, public and privately held companies. His techniques have helped another 500 firms develop and deliver their mission-critical business presentations. Visit http://www.powerltd.com/ for more information.

There are but a number of people who are able to take on challenging questions head on, without faltering. However, there are even fewer people who will go through life without being asked one single challenging question. How do you deal with this? More than knowing what to say, it is just as important, if not more so, to understand how to handle tough questions. Learning how to deal with them will bring you way ahead of the game. Best selling author Jerry Weissman, in his book In the Line of Fire, provides practical and useful tips one can master to handle the most difficult and toughest questions in the smartest way possible.

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In The Line of Fire by Jerry Weissman

Introduction Whenever you even attempt to try to answer a question, always remember that your answers have to be honest and clear-cut. Do otherwise and you might as well disregard all the techniques. But before you can begin your learning process, you have to understand first why people ask tough questions in the first place. This is because most people are resistant to change, even if everyone has to face this more than once in their entire lives. Because most people are resistant to change, they fight. Or they run away. This is the instinctive and intuitive Fight or Flight reaction. The best equivalent of the techniques is the martial arts, wherein a skilled individual can take on someone superior, because of the involvement of these mental and physical skills: concentration, self-defense, balance, agility, discipline, and selfcontrol. Always remember that whenever you answer a challenging question, make sure that you don't answer in a defensive, evasive, or contentious manner, lest you want to lose your credibility. Instead, respond promptly and concisely.

Chapter 1: The Critical Dynamics of Q&A Before you can understand how it is to handle difficult questions, it's necessary to understand how it is when people lose control, what happens when the individual lets the situation control him instead of the other way around. Each individual reacts differently to varying situations, so it's understandable that each person deals with challenging questions in different manners. The normal reaction is for the person to become defensive. However, some people have the tendency to become evasive. Other than being evasive and defensive, another negative reaction that must be avoided when faced with a challenging question is contentiousness. When you verbalize anything that makes you seem controversial, you are setting yourself up for a more tangled-up situation, which will most probably be more difficult to get out of. The human body's instinctive response to any sort of stress is either of two extremes-Fight or Flight--whether you are being defensive, evasive, or contentious. When a person shows signs of negative behavior, then the same type of attitude is given back to him. So when a speaker or presenter exudes a negative vibe, the audience receives a negative impression and, in turn, gives back the same sort of negative feel. This works not only during face-to-face encounters, either in a small or

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In The Line of Fire by Jerry Weissman

big group, but in any other type of communication setting. If you want to receive a positive reaction, then you have to make sure that you give a positive impression on your audience.

Chapter 2: Effective Management Implemented In order to prepare yourself to handle challenging questions once you open the floor to your audience, it's important for you to assume the worst possible scenario, wherein every single question that you will be asked will be the most intimidating series of questions you can ever come up with. As soon as you deem yourself ready to handle that kind of scenario, then you can handle any sort of question. To increase the level of difficulty so to speak, picture yourself having a Q&A session in a large group. If you're able to emerge victorious under these circumstances, then you're ready for any encounter. Whatever the setting, make sure that you are always in control. Once you lose that control, things will start going downhill. In a large group, there is usually a standard presentation cycle: (1) Open the floor, (2) Recognize the questioner, (3) Yield the floor, (4) Retake the floor, and (5) Provide an answer. When you open the floor for questions, make sure that you're in control of the time as well. Before anything else, explicitly say how much or how little time you have for Q&A, in order to control the traffic of questions. When recognizing your questioner, never point at the person; instead, use an open hand. A ground rule you must follow is: If you know the name of every person in the room, call everyone by name. If you do not know the name of every person in the room, call no one by name. Be wary of your non-verbal communication as well. Make sure that what you're saying and how you appear to your audience jive with one another.

Chapter 3: You're Not Listening! There is a slim chance that someone has not been accused of not listening. It's among other factors that are at the top of errors in proper human communication and interrelation. There are a lot of signs to tell whether a person is really listening or not, whether you have listened carefully to what was said or asked or if you just heard the questioner, or if you just chose what you wanted to hear.

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But sometimes, a person just can't help it. When asked a question, any kind of question, it's already in the nature of humans to deliver results, which makes them respond to questions promptly. Though the intentions are well-meaning, this rush to provide a resolution, more often than not, leads in the audience or the questioner to conclude that the person wasn't listening because of the haste. Once you say the wrong word or give the wrong facial expression or non-verbal gesture, your audience is practically shouting in their heads, “You're not listening!” In the same vein, when your answer seems to make them go around in circles, you get the same reaction, making your audience think that you're on a totally different plane. You need not be an aspiring politician or a top business executive to learn and practice this skill. Learning how to really listen is an extremely important skill to master if you want to go through life with less complication. It seems simple to listen, but it really takes a lot of control and discipline to actually put into practice this twostep solution: to listen carefully and to answer properly.

Chapter 4: Active Listening (Martial Art: Concentration) The advice of the Zen master? Empty your cup. When you think about it, it really makes a lot of sense. How can you expect yourself to absorb anything when there's no space for it? So before you can absorb the questions of your audience, clear your mind and concentrate on the questioner's words. The ability to concentrate is an essential part of every human activity, more importantly in situations such as an athletic competition. So it's important to be able to imbibe this skill so that it becomes second nature, even in the most mundane tasks. When someone's asking you something during your Q&A session, make sure to concentrate on the questioner as if everything were in slow motion. This will enable you to really grasp what he or she is saying, and will help you break down everything to help you answer correctly. Avoid the tempting-and-almost-instinctive reaction of thinking of your answer while the questioner is still talking. This will actually backfire, because you won't be able to hear the rest of the question and might actually miss the entire point. There are also other factors that negatively affect the questioner, such as (1) nonlinear brain thinking; (2) unprepared extemporaneity; and, (3) anxiety about standing up exposed in front of an audience. Because of these, the questions come out jumbled up and garbled. It's up to you then to weed through the excess to figure out the heart of the issue. Always listen to your audience and observe carefully their non-verbal behavior. When you find them nodding their heads and giving you their own versions of “Uhhuh,” then that means you hit the issue right on the head and that you're on the right

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track. Keep your questioner's key words in mind, because as soon as you reiterate them, it will make your audience feel that you were definitely listening to every word and that you understood the matter at hand. Keep in mind these non-verbal gestures: 1. Maintain a balanced stance, with your weight distributed evenly on both feet; 2. Keep eye contact by locking your eyes on your questioner; 3. Nod your head once in a while, which shows that you're in receive mode; 4. Say a few “Uh-huhs” or “Mm-hmms” to show that you're indeed following your questioner; and, 5. Keep your fingers steady, making sure that you don't twiddle or fidget. If you're not sure about the question, don't attempt to answer. Refrain from saying any of these statements: “Let me see if I have this right…” “Could you repeat the question?” “Does that answer your question?” “Is what you're asking…?” Instead, have your questioner repeat by saying, “I'm sorry, I didn't follow, would you mind restating the question?”

Chapter 5: Retake the Floor (Martial Art: Self-defense) Once the attention is redirected back, you once again have the chance to exercise control of the situation. When you get a challenging question, always remember that you shouldn't repeat the question nor should you even attempt to answer it. Instead, paraphrase what the questioner has just said. When paraphrasing, you're merely restating in your own words what the questioner has just said, subtly clarifying that you're on the same page. With this technique, you're not really evading the question but merely deflecting it. The best way to paraphrase is to start your response with an interrogative word and end your statement with a question mark. Note, however, that the paraphrase is not a question about the original question. When you do this, you will be perceived as trying to evade the issue, which will in turn frustrate the questioner and most probably irritate the audience. By learning how to paraphrase, you're able to control any situation given whatever kind of challenging question. You can turn a negative interrogation into positive by responding only to the areas that were discussed. Keep in mind that there's no such thing as an irrelevant question. Make sure that you answer every question, no matter how inappropriate it may seem to you. When asked multiple questions, you're never expected to remember each and every single one. What you can do is to pick one of the questions (it doesn't really matter which one, as long as you pick one), answer it, then give the floor back to the questioner by saying, “You had another question!”

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You can turn any statement into a question by using the paraphrase technique. And when you're asked a question about something that you tackled in your presentation, avoid the temptation to restate everything. Instead, just recap the main features. Remember, make it short and simple. Another option is for you to use buffers. Even for questions that aren't really challenging, it's a good exercise to use a buffer or two, which allows you to delay answering the question for a bit. Before answering the questioner's query, you can say either “You'd like to know…” or “Your question is…” then start with your paraphrase, establishing a direct connection with the person because of the word “you.”

Chapter 6: Provide the Answer (Martial Art: Balance) One governing rule that you must keep in mind is that when you are asked something, no matter what the question is, you have to answer it. But if you don't know the answer, then don't pretend that you do because you'll end up irritating your audience. Don't even try to duck an issue because you will still appear either defensive or evasive. Whenever you give an answer, make sure that you're straight-to-the-point and honest. As much as possible, try not to state new information during the Q&A session. Instead, tackle the issue at hand– nothing more, nothing less. The floor was only opened to clarify what has already been discussed, and not anything else. Your answers have to be concise, lest you want to launch into another mini presentation, which shouldn't be the case. When doing your advanced preparation, make sure that you compile a list of the most difficult questions you can come up with and, as much as possible, ask for the help of your colleagues and other people that may help you. Always assume the worst-case scenarios, and be prepared for them. Keep your eye out for the universal issues, such as management, competition, growth, price/cost, contingencies, timing, problems, and intellectual property. Once you have identified them, most importantly in relation to the matter at hand, figure out what your stand will be and develop a position statement. These should be done before your presentation, and not during, unless you want a half-baked position. No one should expect anyone to be able to answer everything as if he or she was a walking encyclopedia. No one's that good. And because you're not expected to know every little detail, remember that you should always be honest. It's better to admit outright to your questioner and tell him or her that you'll get back to that later on, instead of pretending that you know.

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Chapter 7: Topspin in Action (Martial Art: Agility) When humans are faced with conflict, either of two things can happen: they protect themselves (the Fight reaction), or escape the situation (the Flight reaction). Most people, however, especially presenters, when given a difficult question, react with either a defensive response or an evasive one. To be able to topspin properly requires a totally different kind of will power and mental skill. But you can't just topspin whenever you feel like it. First off, you have to answer the question because if you don't, then you're being evasive. Once you have answered the question, then you'll be able to topspin and it'll have a seamless transition from your answer. The topspin serves as a counterbalance to the most challenging question. But before you can counter something, you have to neutralize it first by starting your response with a buffer and answer, and preferably support your claim with evidence. Then, you can topspin as you please. Always be wary of the non-verbal communication or the physical gestures of your audience. These reactions are completely involuntary, which will therefore give you a very clear idea of what they think of you and what you're saying. The ability to topspin and use buffers is not a skill that you can just pick up, because they are actually contrary to how humans instinctively react. If you want to be able to use buffers and topspin effectively, you'll have to be willing to learn, with patience and discipline.

Chapter 8: Preparation (Martial Art: Discipline) When trying to learn a new martial arts skill, the discipline that is required is just as important as the skill itself. You can't have one without the other. You can't expect yourself or anyone else to learn a new skill without having the required discipline. Only then will you able to possibly achieve mastery of this new skill. One might think that learning how to manage or answer challenging questions may not be as difficult a task as compared to learning a new skill in the martial arts. However, keep in mind Thomas Edison's formula: 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. As with anything, you really have to work extremely hard first before you get the desired results. One of the most important parts of a debate or presentation is being prepared. Two techniques that you have to develop: prepare and verbalize. Always, always expect the worst possible scenario. And instead of just preparing for your presentation, make sure that you prepare for the Q&A session more. Come up

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with a list of the most challenging questions that you can come up with. Then prepare your answers for them by doing your research. Just like when you practice your speech or presentation out loud, practice how you would do your Q&A session. You can ask your colleagues to help you out by having them ask you tough questions. This way, you're not really practicing your answers but you're training yourself how to handle different difficult scenarios.

Chapter 9: The Art of War (Martial Art: Self-control) The martial arts do not have a formula for success. No two people can achieve the exact same level of skill. Everything depends on how you apply yourself, which you'll only find out once you're on the battlefield. In this case, once you open the floor to questions, then the battle begins. It was mentioned that during Q&A sessions, you should, at all costs, avoid being evasive, defensive, or contentious. Of the three, the last one is the most negative because it shows a person's loss of control. In order to avoid this from happening, train yourself not to react to challenging questions with even the slightest hint of anger. Rather, respond in a firm but calm manner. Everything boils down to control. As long as you're able to control yourself and the situation, then everything will flow freely from there. An agile person has the makings of being a success. Just like in verbal communication, too strong an approach can make you overshoot your target. In the same vein, a light approach can also make you miss the point altogether. Keep in mind the match between David and Goliath. People thought that David would be crushed and was no match for Goliath. But because of his skill, he was able to bring down a man who was far bigger than him. This holds true in every day life, when there are mismatched opponents. If you feel that you're the underdog, don't focus on your opponent's skill or what he has that you don't. Focus on yourself and make sure that you don't foul up. In another light, don't focus as well on your competition's weaknesses which will only make you overconfident and most probably be your downfall. Instead, focus on your strengths and learn how you can use those to your advantage.

Chapter 10: The Role Model As with anything, always exhibit control. During your Q&A sessions, make sure that you're able to control the time. As mentioned, when you open the floor to questions,

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begin with stating how much or how less time you're able to devote. If someone asks you multiple questions, you're not expected to remember each and every single one. Instead, pick one of these, answer it, and then say, “You had another question,” which will give the floor back to the questioner. If you are asked a question which somehow requires you to divulge confidential information, don't answer the question directly. Make sure to let them know your stand as to why you can't just give away that piece of information. You're never obliged to reveal such. Though you're allowed to use a buffer or two, which allows you a bit of thinking time, make sure that you respond as soon as possible. Otherwise, it'll make you seem as if you lost control. Always keep in mind the following techniques: — Manage the time — Listen intently — Identify the heart of the matter in every question — Buffer with the key word — Answer succinctly — Topspin, Topspin, Topspin Never skip a question; always answer what the questioner has presented. Use different techniques, depending on what was asked. The typical and successful sequence used in Q&A sessions is: Question Buffer Answer with supporting evidence Topspin. Once you have understood and learned all these steps, then you'll have complete control of any situation. But you have to understand that this shouldn't be taken lightly, because all of these skills take a whole different kind of discipline before you can actually learn and apply them. However, once you do master these skills, then you can handle any question thrown at you by anyone.

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