Reflection Shorts - "Win that Communication" - episode #11
How to become bluff master?
Imagine you are explaining something to a group of people..
You prepared so hard for it, but someone asked a question that you don’t know the answer to.
How to effectively answer it?
Use this mind trick:
Gain time to think about it by speaking random yet meaningful stuff. It’s called "lead-ins."
Use lead-in phrases like:
“Great question. Let me take a minute to discuss that”.
"I appreciate your concern about timing.”
This works because your subconscious needs a moment to prepare a made-up answer. The lead-ins help it do this.
But be careful to NOT use this technique when answering the question directly is better.
As an example, if someone attacked:
“Aren’t you ripping off your customers with this gimmick?”
Give a direct response to this:
“Absolutely not. Instead, it will add value by…”
Imagine if you would have answered: "Oh, we are ripping them off. Thanks for asking. Let me think of it."
You would have lost credibility with it.
If someone asked a question filled with feelings and emotions that you don’t have a good answer to. Use ART:
A: Acknowledge
“I appreciate that you are concerned about the budget."
R: Relate and ask for permission.
“I also felt it."
“Would it be helpful if I provided you with….?”
T: Transition and Answer
Now that you have gained time, deliver a good tactical answer. “Budget needs some thought process; all I know is that we have done it in the past within constraints. We will be able to repeat that."
Don’t use “but” or “however” in ART because that will negate your acknowledgement and relativity.
That’s it for today. If you are wondering “What’s a Reflection Short?” Read here.
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