It is always challenging to having unprepared speeches or answering unexpected questions. If you wish to develop yourself on the case, read on for my tips!
We often go off-grid from the subject or struggling to put our answers persuasively. As a result, we lost the audience and could not be able to make an impact.
There are three primary situations, and I would like to offer useful and practical methods to prepare ourselves for these situations.
During Interviews
You might receive questions such as;
· Why should we hire you over other credible candidates?
· Tell us a time where you use initiative in a difficult situation?
I would suggest using the STAR method while answering these types of questions. STAR format is a technique used by interviewers to gather all the relevant information about a specific capability that the job requires.
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method is straightforward; Listen to the question and think of an event then;
S - Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example. Describe the event or situation that you were in
T – Task (Objective): Describe what your responsibility was in that situation and explain the task you had to complete.
A – Action: Explain what steps you took to address it.
R – Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
You can adapt this approach in different scenarios as follows;
During Business Meetings
When you attend a meeting, you might expect that there will be discussions for a decision, but sometimes your boss or business associate/partner could ask you direct questions unexpectedly. It might be a strategy to catch you off-guard and get your cards on the table or to test you how prepared you are.
These questions could be;
· Your boss turns to you in a meeting and asks for an update.
· You get called into a meeting to tell them the latest on an issue.
· You are asked an unexpected question while on a panel of speakers.
· You receive unexpected pushback on your ideas at a company meeting.
There are a couple of methods to use; I would suggest using the PREP method to answer any unexpected questions for professional and convincing replies.
1. PREP (Point, Reason, Example, Point)
PREP method a natural structure to use;
P – Point: State your point of view.