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typically hostile person, diffuse it by removing the "hot" words and then answering the concern in a straightforward manner. If the attack is personal, try to put your ego aside, omit the negative comments or words, and answer with facts as you see them. |
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Example: "Don't tell me that with your limited expertise in the field, you're going to handle our account yourself?" Answer: "You are correct in that my academic training has been in psychology rather than in finance; however, I have been managing financial portfolios for large clients for the past 20 years. The performance of these funds has matched or surpassed those results of all our other investors. If your concern is my experience in global funds, I can give you the statistics on those accounts specifically. And I can assure you that should I ever find myself in a quandary over a decision, I would not hesitate to bring the issue up in our daily staff meetings, which are set up just for that purpose for all our representatives." |
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Give a straightforward answer dealing with the facts. If you meet hostility with hostility, you lose. If you match hostility with graciousness, you win in the mind of all observers. |
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Tip 528: Bridge from the questioner's agenda to yours. |
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If you don't want to answer the question you're asked, bridge to your own points with one of the following: "I appreciate your question, but more to the point in our organization, I think, is the issue of X. The X issue involves . . ." or "A more fundamental issue than that in your question is . . ." or "The larger question than the one you raise is . . ." Chase your own rabbits. |
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Tip 529: Bridge from the abstract to the specific or from the specific to the abstract. |
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You may or may not want to match the intensity of the question with your answer. Bridging is your escape route. For example, if the questioner asks you a broad, general opinion question, you can answer with a specific, factual question. |
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Question: "So what do you think about the President's new tax plans?" Answer: "Well, I know I don't like paying 5 cents a gallon more every time I pull into the service station." Or you can reverse the situation. Question: "Why do you think employees have not been more responsive in signing up to participate in the tutoring programs we're sponsoring in the community?" Answer: "Volunteerism in the United States isn't what it used to be." |
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