Think Before You Speak

Respond in the moment with confidence and credibility – every time. This course is about building or developing the skill of being able to respond effectively, in real time, to any and every question or challenge thrown at you – however unexpected.

Overview

This course is about building or developing the skill of being able to respond effectively, in real time, to any and every question or challenge thrown at you – however unexpected.

When we flounder or can’t find the words we need – when we need them – we lose credibility. On the other hand, overly slick responses or ‘clever’ evasion isn’t the answer either. When we are asked questions or challenged, we need to come up with clear, concise and credible responses, quickly!

That is what this course does. Using the power of structure, you will learn how to take control and stay in control, providing meaningful and easy to understand answers to even the most challenging questions and requests for updates.

Who is this course for?

Anyone who needs to get their point across clearly, concisely, persuasively and memorably.

Anyone who is involved in meetings, presentations, discussions and briefings – and is likely to be asked questions without time to prepare in advance.

Key Benefits

• Confident - you know that you will be able to handle any question or challenge.
• Clear - you structure responses that are easy to understand and credible every time.
• Concise - you get to the point quickly and say what you need to say efficiently.

How does this course differ from Presentation Skills or Communication Trainging?

Think Quickly, Speak Clearly focuses on the many occasions when we are asked an unexpected question, challenged out of the blue, or simply need to give a quick update on a situation or explain a decision. In these situations, there is no time to prepare and we need to come up with the right words, in the right order, NOW!

This course will give you the confidence you need to respond credibly and persuasively by learning the skills to:

• Ensure that your initial response makes sense!
• Structure your ideas so that they are understood and remembered
• Flesh out your thoughts and ideas with memorable examples.

The Course

A highly practical day focused on mastering the skills that have the greatest impact on your ability to respond effectively in the moment, every time:

The Initial Response (buying yourself time) – accepting the question, clarifying meanings and intent.

The Full Response – A deceptively simple but extremely powerful framework for responding credibly every time.

2, 3 and 4-Part Structures – The power of three to structure ideas – and how to deviate to alternatives as necessary.

Adding Colour– Using anecdotes, stories and examples to expand your points.

Dealing with Complexity (appearing to ‘blag it!’) – Combining approaches and strategies in situations requiring more complex explanations.

Short & Sharp – adapting when you only have a few seconds to give your response.