Bridging from Questions to Answers

Researchers say that when answering a question the first five seconds are the most
important - when you "bridge" from question to answer. The way you start answering a
question shows the following.

• You're listening.
• You want to answer.
• You know what you're talking about.
• You're sincere and honest.

Here are a couple of bridging techniques.

1. Compliment and thank

This is the most obvious bridging technique, and a good one if

you sound sincere when you use it.

"That's a good question, and I can best answer it by telling

you..."

"Thanks for asking that question. I know I didn't address it

earlier, but I'd like to do so now."

Warning: Don't overuse this bridge. If you start every answer

with "That's a good question", the annoyed listener might
doubt whether you know how to recognize a good question
from a bad one.

2. Acknowledge the Questioner's Viewpoint

This a versatile and diplomatic bridging technique that shows

you're listening and have respect for the questioner.

"I appreciate your point of view, and you have some very
good reasons, but let me explain my thoughts on that topic..."

You might agree or disagree with the viewpoint. You might

add facts that the questioner doesn't know. You might
describe viewpoints held by others. The important thing is to
acknowledge the viewpoint, not to dismiss it.

Re-directing a Question

What to do when you don't know the answer

What do you do when you only have 10 seconds to respond, and you are asked a
question you don't know the answer to?

You can, of course, say "I don't know." But you will miss an opportunity to say something,
and run the risk of looking inept. So, if you can't give the "answer", give a response. A
response is something else relevant or helpful to your listener.

This technique is a form of bridging, and in this case it helps to gracefully re-direct the
focus to something you can talk about with credibility and comfort.

For example, you might be asked the question: "What are the keys to success in the
Russian market?" -- and you happen to know nothing about the Russian market!

Rather than say, "I don't know", you could bridge to a related, or more general, topic:

"Our experience with new markets suggests you need three things: First ...
Second... Third... -- and I imagine the Russian market is similar."
or
"We don’t have a lot of first-hand knowledge of the Russian market, but our
success in China tells us that the key is getting the right partners."

The key to a "response" is bridging to something you feel confident talking about. You
can then decide to give a short reply, or a detailed answer.

Making Facts and Figures Memorable

The skilled communicator knows how to present facts and figures in a dynamic and
memorable way.

The secret: link facts and figures to something familiar to your listener.

Examples

• Mowing your lawn burns 450 calories, about the same as playing tennis for an
hour.

• A hive of bees flies 55,000 miles to bring you one pound of honey.
Think Visually

• The number of crayons produced last year would go around the world 4½ times.

• The length of zippers produced last year would reach from the earth to the moon.
Sometimes you give the "dry" numbers first, then conclude by linking them to
something familiar.

• Each year, on average, children between the ages of four and eight see 250
episodes of war- or crime-related cartoons, and over 1000 thirty-second
commercials for war toys. This is equivalent to 22 days of classroom instruction
each year in pro-violence entertainment.

• Four thousand North Americans suffer heart attacks each day, one every twenty
seconds.

• In the time it takes to finish reading this sentence, four tyres (tires) will have been
discarded somewhere in North America.
Follow the "Rule of Threes"

To get your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion, you need logic and
structure.

In fact, you'll find that the best structures for presenting your ideas are three-part
structures. We call this the "Rule of Threes."

Most people think that knowing what to say is the hard part of presenting. Instead, it's
knowing what to leave out - and delivering a succinct, coherent message.

The "Rule of Threes" makes selecting information simple, quick, and plausible.

The "Rule of Threes" imposes order on any mass of information,

thereby avoiding information overload. Trying to deliver too much
1
information will freeze your mind, tie your tongue, and confuse your
listeners.
2 The "Rule of Threes" weeds out extraneous emotion. It's great to
let feeling into your presentation, but emotion persuades only when it's
contained within a clear, sensible framework of ideas.
The "Rule of Threes" frees you to be spontaneous. If you use too
many notes, or read them verbatim, you will lose your listener's
3 attention. A simple three-part structure keeps you logical and easy to
follow, but it also allows you to fill in the details in a spontaneous,
natural way.
Three-part structures will suffice to show your thinking is logical, objective, and sound.
You can compare and contrast ideas easily, without making things too complicated.

Don't feel that you have to adhere rigidly to the "Rules of Three." Sometimes you'll have
only two things to say, sometimes four or five. The "Rule of Threes" is as basic as three-
chord rock'n'roll. You can improvise -- but if you stray too far from the basics, your song
will lose its structure and coherence.

Creating Headlines for Your Core Themes

A good headline greatly increases your chances of seizing and holding your listeners'
attention.

Try to compress your message into a short, arresting headline-three to seven words are
best. This headline becomes the first and last words of your explanation or answer. So
make your headline strong, vivid, memorable.

Why Headlines?

1. Short, punchy headlines focus your energy on a riveting central message.

2. A headline gives your listeners a simple, memorable idea that unifies your
message.
3. A headline sums up your ideas for your listeners, and minimizes

How to Create Headlines

 1 Follow this recipe

• Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. E.g.,

"productive" instead of "fecund"
• Prefer the specific word to the obtuse. E.g.,
"exchange" instead of "reciprocation"
• Prefer the single word to circumlocution. E.g., "now"
instead of "at this point in time"

• Prefer the short word to the long. E.g., "use" instead

of "utilization"
2 Cut adjectives to adverbs. To sharpen your language, let
the nouns and verbs do the work for you. E.g., replace
"looked carefully and deliberately" with "studied".
3 Use active, not passive verbs. Active verbs add power
and zest to your message.
E.g., replace the passive statement "Efforts will be made
by the committee to…" with the active "The committee
will try to…"

Handling Complaints

In the best of all possible worlds, complaints from clients are suggestions in disguise on
how to better meet the client's needs. Unfortunately, they aren't always expressed as
cordial suggestions. They sometimes come in the form of hard questions, or outright
hostility.

Your challenge: turn tough situations into a chance to improve your relationship with your
client.

Here are a few suggestions on handling those tough situations.

Lead by questioning. Asking questions helps define the issue and gives you time to think.

Acknowledge your client's viewpoint. Avoid arguing. Show you appreciate the comments.
Keep in mind that some part of what they're saying, even if exaggerated, is probably
true.

Stay calm. If the other person gets rattled, wait until he or she calms down. Sometimes
people just want to vent their frustrations.

State what you can do, not what you can't do.

Ensure you articulate the problem properly. E.g., "This is what I'm going to tell the
general manager…Is this correct?"

Work towards a compromise. You are an expert in your field; explore other options.

Focus on actions, not personalities. As soon as you hear the complaint, quickly say, "I'm
sorry it happened. How do you think we could have handled it differently?"
When you don't know how to handle a particular complaint, apologize, but don't give an
explanation that shifts the blame onto somebody else. Try to get the information needed
to deal with the complaint, then state a plan of action on how you'll go about addressing
the complaint.

When the Press Calls,

Keep the Right Attitude

• Show a willingness to discuss any topic in an objective, calm way. Don't express
anger.
• Avoid arrogance. Never treat a question as silly, or beneath you--even if it is.
Bridge to a better question, i.e., the question the reporter should have asked.
• Concentrate on the strength of your case, not on the weaknesses of other
viewpoints.
• Never be flippant. You may think you're funny, but flippancy usually comes across
as sarcasm or ridicule.
• Don't promote your cause too strongly. A good reporter resists being used as your
publicist.
• Above all, keep answers (and disagreements) factual.