Answering Questions - 6 Techniques to Make You Good at It

The ability to think on ones feet is a skill that distinguishes. It enables one to respond intelligently to verbal assaults without causing rancor, and at the same time soothe the hearers.Responses to questions is a sure way to the way someone is perceived. It is an acid test to ones level of intelligence, most especially when the question is asked when one is unprepared.

• Firstly, be an avid reader, develop an inquisitive mind, listen to programs on the media, be adequately informed, it puts a lot of information at your fingertips, you get to store a lot of facts in your subconscious mind, facts that you can draw on later when occasion demands.

• Pursue clarity, don't jump headlong into a quagmire, if the question is too vague, or complicated, backtrack the enquiry or calmly tell your questioner to be more specific, it is wisdom not be too hasty to answer questions you do not understand.

• Say less, do not be perceived as a babbler, say the required and shut up, If the question requires a "Yes" or "No" answer, just do that and let it off. Remember that too much talk waters down the effect of your presentation, it is much better to leave a mysterious air than to bore your hearers with grandiosity.

• Take a deep breath if you are nervous. Anxiety will reveal itself in the tone of your voice. The deep breath also enables you to gather your thoughts together, disjointed thoughts give rise to incoherent words. Take a deep breath and hold it for a second or two before you exhale; you can begin to speak thereafter.

• Master the art of cherry picking, its an old art of conversation, listen carefully to the question, if it is one you do not want to give a direct answer to, pick the least obvious point in the question and give an elaborate discourse on it, most times you will get away with the question if you do justice to the point very well. The point is never ever shy away from a question, to make it less evident, you can link it with the real point, it will apparently cloak the fact that you do not want to give a direct answer.
• Give details if occasion demands it, intricate details impress interviewers and can distract them at the same time. Facts, figures, statistics, quotations e.t.c better still if you can do it from memory, you ll get away with a lot of questions.The catch there is never try to impress, you will most likely be caught in the web you are trying to weave if you do.

To wrap it up, never tell a lie, it is unethical to do so, keep practicing and you will continue to get better

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