Press Room

The questions you haven’t anticipated

By Suzanne Bates/ Excerpt

One of my clients was invited to interview for a prestigious White House fellowship: a one-year stint in Washington for accomplished professionals who could be policy advisers or political leaders someday. The interview process is rigorous: seven days of breakfasts, forums, panels and receptions. Think of it as a weeklong, high-pressure job interview.

Since this woman had interviewed for a fellowship once before, she knew how tough it would be. In one particularly unnerving situation, former fellows have the opportunity to ask the candidates an absurd question. In the previous round of interviews, someone had asked her, “What is your opinion of Big Bird?” The point is to see how well these candidates think on their feet.

At first, answering such an absurd question may seem impossible. But there is a way to trigger your brain to do it. This Trigger Method will help you form a clear, succinct answer to any question on the spot. The trigger method works well because it signals your brain to go search for an answer.

The Trigger Method

You “trigger” your brain by beginning a sentence either with the end of the question or with a characterization. The first method, repeating the end of the question, triggers your brain to go hunting for information that’s in there. The second method, beginning your sentence with a characterization, triggers your brain to form and deliver a reasonable opinion on a topic.

Trigger 1

Let’s say someone in the audience asks you why you are raising the price of your product. You start your statement with the end of the question: “We are raising the price of the product because…”; your brain then goes searching for the answer. What pops up is, “…our costs have risen.” By repeating the question as a statement at the beginning of your answer, you trigger your brain to search – and in a split second, you have an answer. You are also speaking in a complete sentence, which makes you sound clear and confident. So, start with the key phrase in your answer and fill in the blank. You will never look lost, stammer through an answer or appear unsure if you use this method.

To try this out, write down a few of the tough questions you typically get and then use the method. Speaking out loud, take the key phrase of the question and put it at the beginning of the sentence. You should find that your brain kicks right into gear, which allows you to deliver a clear, thoughtful answer.

Trigger 2

Let’s say someone in the audience asks your opinion about an issue. Here you can employ a different kind of trigger. What you are really being asked to do is to characterize an issue. For example, if someone is asking your opinion about a movie, you could start by saying, “The best thing about the movie…,” or “The worst thing about the movie…”; either way, you trigger your brain to go searching for what you thought was the best, or the worst, aspect.

You will be amazed at how quickly you can retrieve a reasonable opinion. Start the sentence with the qualifying statement and you will trigger your brain to instantly supply the appropriate words. Here are a few examples of triggers that will help you deliver opinions effectively. Start with one of these statements and fill in the blank. It works like magic.

  • The best thing about…is…
  • The most critical thing to remember about … is…
  • What excites me about…is…
  • The worst thing about …is…
  • The most disturbing aspect of…is…
  • The most distressing…
  • What troubles me about…is…
  • The one thing you must do/know/believe is…
  • The most unique thing about…is…
  • The most proactive or thought-provoking aspect of…is…
  • What is interesting about…is…
  • Contrary to what…believe(s),...

You can try this right now. Pick an object in the room where you are sitting. It can be anything: a chair, a picture, a pen – anything you can see. What do you think of that chair? Pause and use a “trigger” statement to start your answer. This is an oral exercise. Do it out loud. Don’t write it out. We’re training your brain to respond quickly to a question.

Triggers work. If you start well, you end well. You speak in complete sentences. This is especially effective in media interviews. Triggers keep you from making a false start or stammering through an answer. Practice these and they become second nature.

More Tips

  • Be gracious. Tough questions are meant to test how you manage pressure. A leader must always be calm, cool and gracious under pressure.

  • Be positive. No one wants to be around a negative person. The job of a leader is to be honest, but do look at the bright side whenever possible.

  • Be brief. Too many details can be dull. It’s better to give a short answer – and read the audience to see if they want more – than to talk too long and lose them.

  • Be complete. Don’t commit the sin of omission. Omitting facts or important elements of the answer is just as bad as not telling the truth.

  • Be specific. Give examples if necessary. If you’re too vague, you sound elusive. You can be specific without giving too much detail – the detail should be relevant.

  • Be strategic. Think about how you can turn a negative into a positive, or how you can use a question to promote a value that is important.

“Speak Like a CEO, Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results,” by Suzanne Bates (McGraw-Hill)

Suzanne Bates is the founder, president and CEO of Bates Communications Inc., Wellesley, a provider of communication strategy and training for executives. She is a former award-winning television anchor and news reporter.