At this point you must be wondering, ‘Why is she telling me all this instead of answering my question? Will I need to know this later? Did she not hear my question?’ With some coaching, here is the biologist’s revised beginning of her answer:
Revised Answer: There are three options: sterilization, regulated hunting and fencing. Each community has to decide which one they are most comfortable with and can best afford. For example…
A direct answer up front gives your listener an organizing framework for everything else you are going to say. Without that framework, the bits of information just float around untethered in the listener’s mind, and they don’t know what to do with them. It’s like handing a carpenter piles of boards and nails, but no instructions. Better if you say, “We’re building a boat. Now, here are the materials, and this is step 1…”
If you get a “yes-or-no” kind of question, go ahead and answer either “Yes” or “No” as the first word, and then elaborate or qualify. These words “yes” and “no” are great signposts that point towards the direction in which you are going to go with your answer.
Some of our participants object that responding to questions using direct answers is a culturally specific mode of communication favored in the USA, Canada, UK and Northern Europe. It is true that some cultures are more naturally direct when it comes to communications. However, in the course of teaching our workshops in over 40 countries, we’ve discovered that people culturally accustomed to indirect or verbose ways of speaking actually dislike it very much when other people don’t get to the point. When we worked with Cambodians, Nigerians and Brazilians, for example, they all told us how much they wished their colleagues, bosses and politicians would be more direct when answering questions! This is because answering questions in a professional context is a unique form of communications in which something very specific is requested. It’s very different from social communication and conversation, where norms vary widely from culture to culture. What does matter when answering questions in a culture that is not your own is tone of voice. There is a difference between direct and abrupt. If you are from a naturally direct culture, you might have to modulate your voice so it sounds warmer and friendlier in order to avoid sounding unintentionally rude. (There are exceptions to starting with direct answers when you are dealing with tricky questions, which we deal with in the next chapter.)
Cultural context does play a role if you are delivering bad news, or if the answer to the question is “no.” In cultures that seek to avoid conflict and negative emotion it’s best to find culturally appropriate ways to communicate the negative clearly. People within their own culture know how to do this without being crassly direct. Here again, tone and body language convey the real message clearly to the culturally attuned listener. For example, we once heard an American college professor who worked in a Japanese university recall this encounter: He had just finished a faculty meeting in which every other professor had spoken approvingly of a new proposal for the department. On the way out the door, the American said to one of his Japanese colleagues, “Well, I guess we are going forward on this.” The Japanese professor looked at him stunned. “Oh, this proposal will never be mentioned again; we were unanimous, it’s finished,” he replied. “But,” said the confused American, “everyone spoke in favor of it!” The Japanese replied, “Ah, but it was the way they spoke in favor of it…”
2. Get to Your Main Message Clearly and Concisely
Prepare for any Q&A with a clear idea of the main message you want to deliver – the idea you want to make sure sticks with your audience. After answering the question, immediately link it to your message. This matters most in formal settings such as media interviews, panel discussions or presentation Q&A sessions, where you have a strategic objective to the interaction.
For example, imagine a disability expert answering questions at a conference on transport. She may get questions mostly on costs, but the issue she particularly wants to raise is the topic of how planners perceive disability. She would use the questions as an opportunity to get her message across:
Question: When building mass transit systems in poor countries, should extra money be spent to ensure universal access for people with disabilities?
Answer: Yes. In most cases, it costs very little to design in things like wheelchair ramps and lowered curbs – and much more to add them on at a later date. The point is, disability doesn’t reside in the citizen; it resides in the system. If a system is wheelchair friendly, then a person in a wheelchair has no disability.
Without a clear message in mind, such an expert might get caught up discussing complicated details on issues of cost, and never get to the topic she really wants to discuss. This is especially important in media interviews or with potentially confrontational questioners who might ask attacking questions that put you in a corner. Having a clear message enables you to take control and move the exchange in the direction you want it to go.
3. Back Up Your Answer with One Good Example
Experts trip themselves up by trying to be too comprehensive in their answers. Most people don’t want to know everything the expert knows. They just want enough to have reasonable confidence that the answer they have been given is true – and they want it to be interesting. In other words, listeners want a good example or some facts and numbers from a reliable source that intuitively makes sense. Providing too much information in an answer is like giving your audience a shopping bag of groceries when they only asked for one piece of fruit. Too much information leaves us numb, not better informed – just as eating a whole bag of groceries would leave us nauseous, not nourished.
Instead of quantity, pay attention to the quality of your examples. Make your example a vivid word picture, something concrete the audience can see in their minds, rather than something conceptual or abstract. Or use exact facts and numbers from reliable sources to boost the credibility of your information. Here’s a bad example we heard recently from one of our clients who was investing in a factory in Bangladesh. We asked him questions critical of the project’s development impact, because it was costing millions but creating only 50 jobs. At first the investment officer gave an answer like this: “This investment has benefits beyond the factory door. It’s part of our effort to revitalize the whole district. It’s going to impact the housing sector, manufacturing, education, and increase the viability of new small and medium enterprises. There will even be knock-on effects in agriculture. So we see significant job creation.”
He was surprised, annoyed even, when we told him his assertions were not convincing. We discussed what was missing from his answer, and then had him answer the question again: “This investment has benefits beyond the factory door. It’s part of our effort to revitalize the whole district. This factory will be the first manufacturer of concrete in the region. Imported concrete is so expensive, no one in the district can afford it. You can’t even find it in the marketplace. This has been a real bottleneck until now. We forecast local prices will drop 50%, making concrete more affordable to build homes, schools, new local businesses and markets. The factory is literally providing the missing building blocks for development in this region.”
When you hear a convincing example, something clicks in your head. You get it, and that increases your confidence in the speaker. That’s why you should aim to provide this kind of information in every answer.
Cultural Preferences
In running our courses globally, we have noticed some interesting preferences when it comes to the kinds of information that convince audiences from different cultures. These generalities don’t substitute for knowing your specific listeners; still, they are good overall guidelines: North Americans in the USA and Canada respond most positively to personal stories and anecdotes (this may be due to the strong individualist streak in US society).
Europeans, especially in the north and west, respond best to numbers and facts, and they usually don’t like personal stories in presentations. “Just the facts
” fits with their preference for objectivity.
African, Latin, Middle-Eastern and many Asian nations like traditional proverbs and words of wisdom from respected sources of authority.
Scientific, economic and academic audiences share a common preference across cultures for data and numbers from a trusted, referenced source. They also dislike a speaker who seems too certain that his or her research has “proven” anything, preferring information to be described as what current research shows. The disclaimer “more research is needed” seems to follow every analysis, no matter how persuasive.
Universally, we find examples explained with vivid word pictures have broad appeal across all cultures, though some need to see that example in the context of other kinds of culturally convincing information. So, very generally speaking, European audiences would more likely respond to an example paired with data, Africans an example backed by a proverb of common wisdom.
For the most impact, your information should not only be convincing; it should also be significant and meaningful to your listeners. In the example above, if the speaker had left out the detail about concrete prices, we wouldn’t grasp how the factory was transformational for the community. Next make sure your example is expressed in terms the audience understands. If you are speaking about finance, use the currency your audience knows best, whether dollars, euros, yen or reminbi. Use comparisons that intuitively make sense to your listeners. For example, when Brazilian environmentalists talk to Americans about the size of the new national park they helped to create in the Amazon, they should describe it as “the size of California and Nevada, combined.”
4. End Well
Too many answers end with a whimper, not with a bang. Speakers go on too long, repeat themselves or go off on tangents. The audience tires, stops listening, and you do not come across as a good communicator. Remember, every second your audience is paying attention is work for them. So answer each question in less than a minute and a half. Especially in a Q&A session after a long presentation, the energy of the exchange depends on a lively back-and-forth between you and the questioners. If you go on too long, the energy flags. We see many speakers getting tangled up in their answers, as if they can’t figure out how to finish. We have a simple technique that solves that problem. End with a simple one-sentence conclusion that sums up your main message or restates your main point. Prompt yourself when you are ready to end by using words or a phrase that signals to your listeners you are about to finish:
“In conclusion…”
“To sum up…”
“Finally…”
When the audience hears these prompts, it boosts their attention. Your conclusion can now put a cap on your answer and ends it on a high note. For example:
“In conclusion, Europe’s economic woes can only be fixed by greater integration. Divided we’re weak; together we’re strong.”
To sum up, whenever you are asked a question, keep your listeners engaged and attentive by following these four simple steps:
1. Start with the answer.
2. Link to your message.
3. Convince with an illuminating and relevant example.
4. Conclude on a high note.
Finally, keep in mind that a question is an opportunity to share what you know with someone who is curious enough to ask. A well-structured answer is one that is clear, organized and enlightening. Such an answer can be an elegant container of knowledge, and extremely satisfying to listeners.
Chapter 8
Dealing with Difficult Questions
Difficult questions can be negative, misleading or even deliberately hostile. The goal for answering these questions effectively is to be clear, authoritative, and avoid sounding defensive. We’ve analyzed difficult questions and have come up with six of the most common types you’re likely to get:
• False charges
• Hostile attacks with some truth in them
• Misleading questions with mistakes embedded in them
• General questions
• Fuzzy, vague questions
• “Pick one!” questions
False Charges
False charges are the most difficult to deal with. These kinds of questions falsely attack either you or your organization with allegations such as, “Your organization is giving bribes to government officials!” Or, “Your program is deeply flawed and will only lead to abject failure in the end. How do you respond?”
Counter false charges by first clearly saying the charge is false, without repeating the allegation word for word. Then directly state the truth. Say what you or your organization did do, instead of denying what your organization did not do. This point is absolutely crucial. Repeating negative and emotionally charged words only embeds them further in the minds of the audience. They will come away thinking you are probably guilty and lying about it.
In the example above about giving bribes, if you counter with, “We are not giving out bribes!” the audience actually begins to believe there might be some truth to the allegation. Remember Shakespeare’s line in Hamlet, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” If you are accused of being a crook and you say, “I am not a crook!” the word “crook” now becomes attached to you. Better to say, “That accusation is false. I am an honest person.” That doesn’t mean people will immediately believe you, but at least instead of the word “crook” coming out of your mouth, the word “honest” is attached to you.
Here’s another example:
Question: “I’ve heard that some of your project’s funds have wound up in the hands of terrorist groups.”
Wrong Answer: “I have no idea where you’ve heard that rumor! I’m really offended by that. Our money is not winding up in the hands of terrorist groups, no way. I mean, do you think we have no clue about what we’re doing? I repeat, we are not giving money to terrorist groups!”
Better Answer: “That’s completely false. Let me tell you how we monitor the project funds and what the project has accomplished so far…”
Hostile Attacks with Some Truth in Them
Sometimes hostile questions have an element of truth in them, so you can’t outright deny the attack. These hostile but true questions can contain highly charged negative words and value judgments that can push you into responding with an emotional, defensive reaction. Negative value judgments are difficult to disprove, so you can end up feeling trapped in a corner.
Here’s an example:
Question: “Some of your critics say your organization is very hypocritical. You say you are dedicated to fighting poverty and corruption, but you are working with some very corrupt government officials, right?”
Especially in a conference setting, it’s not appropriate to get into a lengthy heated debate about whether or not your organization is “hypocritical.” That’s a value judgment, not a fact that you can prove or disprove. The key is to get quickly to the legitimate issue embedded within the question, rephrase the question in neutral terms, and turn your attention to matters of fact.
Good Answer: “Look, the issue of corruption is absolutely crucial. The question is, in fighting poverty, is it realistic to ignore the plight of people because we may not approve of the government? Here’s how we see it…”
Misleading Questions
Confusing or misleading questions need to be clarified to avoid leaving the wrong impression. If there is a mistake in the question, don’t make the questioner feel stupid by saying something like: “Well, it’s clear from your question that you don’t know this subject very well…” Starting your answer with words such as “Actually…” or phrases like, “You’ll be happy to know just the opposite is true…” tactfully cues your audience that you’ll be correcting an assumption.
For example, if the question is, “Why are people so worried about Climate Change? A few degrees warmer here and there doesn’t sound so bad…” you may feel like replying, “What rock have you been hiding under?”
A more tactful answer would be: “Actuall
y, just a 1 or 2 degree warming can change overall weather patterns, causing more severe floods and droughts and hurricanes. As a result, farmland that once grew corn and wheat could turn into a desert. Here’s what the latest research says…”
There are also three kinds of non-hostile questions that can still trip you up. These kinds of questions often catch people off guard and can throw them off balance.
General Questions
General questions are too broad, and you may end up giving a general answer that is boring and so abstract that it leaves people overwhelmed and confused.
For example: “What do you think about the economy?” The audience expects you to focus the question on a specific aspect of this broad topic and provide an interesting and informative answer. You should see these questions as gifts, since you can take them in any direction you wish. The key is to focus and take control.
Good Answer: “The economy has gone through a difficult year, but my recent research on labor statistics shows employment is starting to recover. I can illustrate this turnaround with some recent job figures…”
In two sentences you are talking about your area of expertise, instead of spending 10 minutes blathering on about the economy in general – which no one would be likely to remember.
Fuzzy Questions
These are questions that are so vague you honestly don’t have a clue how to answer them. For example: “What about the children?”
The Master Communicator's Handbook Page 6
