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On the classic game
show “Name that Tune”, contestants would compete to name a popular
song in as few a notes a possible. We’d like to see a business
world version of "Name that Tune" called “Answer that Question.” In this
game, contests must answer the question in as few sentences as
possible.
In general, shorter
answers are better than longer ones. Shorter answers are easier to
understand, help the audience faster, and inspire confidence.
We do a drill with
our clients where we make them answer questions in a single
sentence. This is not to say that you should always give
one-sentence answers. But it’s a drill that helps teach how to keep
answers tight and listener-friendly.
Here’s an example:
Question:
“Why are we having such a tough time closing this sale?”
Answer that is too
long:
“If you think back to how we first got this contact, the key
decision-maker was most interested in a program that would ensure
their sales people had all their training in five months. Now we
started creating this training six months ago and we’re still
working on coming up with a program. Meanwhile . . .”
Answer that is nice
and tight:
“We haven’t been able to close this sale because we haven’t been
able to show the final training schedule to the client. . . .”
The first answer
comes off as rambling and makes the answerer seem uncertain. The
second answer gets right to the point and inspires confidence.
Once you get the
basic answer out in a sentence or two, then you can explain if
necessary.
If you want to
learn how to answer questions well, think of it as a game show
called “Answer that question.” To win, you need to answer in as few
sentences as possible.
At Speechworks we
help our clients learn how to communicate in a way that connects and
persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a great communicator
give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net. |
