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tioner will continue to change the details on the hypothetical question until you are backed into a corner. If your first response is satisfactory, the asker will respond with, "Yeah, but what if Jim . . ." You answer again with the new details. Then the questioner comes back with, "Yeah, but what if then Jim decides to . . ." You can almost never win. If the asker intends to do so, with hypothetical questions as bait, he or she can reel you into the net or keep you on the line forever. |
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Tip 518: Expand your options on forced, two-option questions. |
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Don't let others design your multiple-choice exam. Expand your options. Question: "Do you think we can win the bid if we come in under $50,000?" Answer: "I don't think price will be the deciding factor. The customer's impression of our credentials will be an equally important factor, I think." Other examples: "The question is more complex than either a yes or no answer." "If you ask me, we've got more options than either A or B. We might even consider C." |
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Stay in control and don't let others force you into a limited answer if the limited answer won't do justice to the issue. |
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Tip 519: help the questioner bogged down in a rambling, long-winded question. |
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Body language goes a long way in helping people spit out questions. You can start to back away from them, and they'll subconsciously speed up and get to the point because they see you "leaving." Or you can slowly move toward them with outstretched hand and nodding head, and they'll subconsciously speed up, seeing that you're "rushing" them. |
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If body language doesn't work, help the person phrase the question by breaking in with one of the following: "Okay, I think I understand your question now. My answer is . . ." or ". . . so you want to know if X happens? Well, my answer is . . ." |
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If the individual keeps talking without ever seeming to come to the question, you can call for the question directly: "I'm sorry. I didn't understand a question in what you said. What exactly is the question?" |
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If someone is quite involved in a monologue, you can interrupt the monologue with a short question of your own to which the person can give a one-word or one-phrase answer. When he or she stops the monologue to answer your question, you have regained the floor. |
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