Wednesday 101s: 5 quick answers to tricky questions

Wednesday 101s

It’s happened to me a million times – you’re in a meeting and someone (the boss, a client, a potential business partner) asks you a question you’re just not ready for. And instead of sitting there like a boggle-eyed fish blowing bubbles in a bowl, I’ve always wanted some sort of quick-response guide to provide an adequate enough answer to keep the meeting moving forward and to win an opportunity to respond later with the correct information.

I’ve said before that it’s imperative to go to meetings completely prepared (especially where figures/numbers are concerned, when it’s harder to weasel out of something) but you simply can’t anticipate everything – and, let’s face it, some questions are there to deliberately trip you up. But you can stumble, roll and stand up tall with losing credibility. 

The three main rules for answering questions are: 

1. Be honest. Don’t lie to cover up something you don’t know as it may come back to bite you in the ass later. Saying “I don’t know” is sometimes to your detriment, so avoid it. 

2. Be direct and confident, not defensive. A positive, pro-active reply will get you further. 

3. Don’t waffle. Give the exact information that’s required to answer what’s being asked in a simple manner. Baffling people with flowery, fancy words and jargon you assume they’ll understand doesn’t make you look clever. It’s just cringe-worthy. 

So here are five quick responses for when you’re asked a tricky question – it’s up to you to decide when to use them: 

1. The deliberately dumb question 

“I get what you’re saying but I believe the question you should be asking is...” 

2. The question that’s completely out of left field that’s really important 

“I don’t have an answer for you, but your question deserves a proper answer and I’d like to take the time to do that offline if that's okay.” 

3. Specific question about something, which is confusing or unclear (when your inner voice goes "huh?") 

“Just to make sure I understand, you’re asking me to....” rephrase their query in your own words to make sure you get what it is they want to know of you. Once you get clarity, you’re better able to craft your response. 

4. A question about your opinion on something 

Often, unless you’re senior management, your personal opinion isn’t in question. Avoid the urge to get into gossip, company politics and discussing confidential business matters. In your response, stick to a reply that’s true to your company’s or project’s ethos. 

5. A question that asks you to show your expertise 

“What we learned from working with Client X on Project A last year was...” 

I personally tend to favour response no 2 if I don't know something or haven't got the info with me. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. So if you have any responses that you've tried and they've worked, please add them as a comment.

Wednesday 101s: Running a kick-ass meeting

Wednesday 101s

I'm trying out something new this week – called a Wednesday 101 – where I hope to give you the info you need to do business-related things (think: meetings, invoices, writing proposals, taking minutes, preparing a tender, business plans, etc) in 10 steps or less. You know, all that stuff that people assume you'll already know how to do, but don't. I've been there... you shouldn't have to! So if there's anything specific you'd like to see, pop me an email or leave a comment. Thanks.

For me, this is a week filled with meetings. And while incredibly exciting and full of promise, I can’t help but get a little crispy: meetings are one of my pet peeves. They’re necessary, I realise, but in a former life, my boss firmly believed in death by meetings. And, for a solid week every month, we’d sit in life-sapping, ego-bashing, ball-busting meetings allegedly designed to keep us “all on the same page”. And every month, I’d pray to whichever deity was listening that I’d be sick, away or have some sort of crisis that would get me as far out of that boardroom as I could be without needing a passport and injections! They were a waste of time, energy, and had a direct negative impact on productivity and morale.

Some really smart entrepreneur – think it was Steve Jobs – once said that if a meeting lasts more than 30 minutes, leave. And I’m inclined to side with him on that one. There are ways to run successful , yet efficient meetings as an entrepreneur that don’t mean being trapped – an hour or two at a time – with potential clients who love the sound of their own voice, yet have no power to make the final decisions. And when time is money, you know what I mean.

Here’s how to get the most from your time in a meeting:

1. Deal only with the decision-makers: Meeting with “minions” rather than the person with the power to cement decisions will only result in more meetings to seal the deal, so you’ll essentially be stuck on repeat. Expect some “corporate gate-keeping” but avoid it if you can.

2. Schedule a date, time and place: In writing, via email calendar or in person. Also make a list of how many will be in attendance and who they are in the business.

3. Confirm two days before: Via email, issue an agenda of key points you want to discuss in writing (make note of the time spent per agenda item) and confirm attendees in order to prepare presentations, visual aids, printouts, etc.

4. Prepare! Don’t ever come to a meeting unprepared – you’re wasting your own time and theirs. Know your stuff, anticipate potential questions and your responses, and ensure your equipment is working. Many a lucrative business deal has fallen flat at the first meeting due to lack of preparation.

5. Don’t cancel at short notice. Securing time with certain decision-makers is a rarity, so if you’ve managed to get a slot in the diary, this is your one chance. Don’t blow it! Short-notice cancellations for flimsy reasons may make you appear unprofessional.

6. Arrive early: You never know how long the signing in procedure will be, nor how long it may take you to set-up in an unfamiliar environment. Anticipate this.

7. Stick to the agenda and be respectful of people’s time: Once you’ve made the introductions and shared business cards if this is a first meeting, run through the agenda points and stick to time you’ve allocated to each point. If it looks like you’re veering off-course or if attendees are having offline conversations with each other at the table, put a halt to it and divert attention back to the matter at hand. Remember, your business is not the only work that attendees have to do today – be respectful of that.

8. End the meeting with clear next steps: Decide what the next steps are per agenda item, delegate who does what and agree to a deadline to resume discussions. Exit gracefully and with thanks.

9. Same-day email of thanks and summary: Ideally you should send a mail of thanks to all attendees post-meeting (on the same day) with a quick summary of what was discussed as well as next steps, just to confirm that you’ve not misunderstood anything that you spoke about and to give the opportunity to correct issues if they arise.

10. Follow up: If you need to follow up by email post-meeting, allow between five and seven working days to pass before hitting send. Too soon after the meeting may seem naggy and desperate; too long and you may come across as uninterested and wishy-washy. Neither are good for business.

What irritates you most about meetings and how have you worked around it?