Chapter 10
The Role Model
During the 43 days of the 1991 Gulf War, General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander-in-chief of Desert Storm, held only about half a dozen press conferences in the press room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and each of those sessions was very, very brief. Despite such minimal exposure, "Stormin' Norman," as he was known, became an instant global celebrity. The reason he attracted such attention is that, in each of those sessions, broadcast live throughout the world, the general exhibited complete command and control in answering the journalists' questions. In doing so, he served as a role model for every technique you've learned…and which you would do well to emulate.
A particular case in point is the press conference of February 24, 1991. After nearly a month of air bombardments, the coalition forces launched a massive ground offensive, and General Schwarzkopf appeared to describe the first day's actions to the pool of reporters.
The general began the session by reading a brief opening statement that he concluded with the following words:
So far, the offensive is progressing with dramatic success. The troops are doing a great job. But I would not be honest with you if I didn't remind you that this is in the very early stages, we are a little more than twelve hours into this offensive and the war is not over yet.
Then the general removed his eyeglasses and looked out at the sea of reporters and said,
That concludes my prepared comments and I am now ready to take a very few questions.
"A very few questions." In fact, the entire Q&A session ran just two minutes and 48 seconds in real time, during which the general fielded 10 questions. The role model did what you must do in your sessions: Manage the time. Schwarzkopf started by setting the audience's expectations, and so must you. When you open the floor to questions, you can say that you have no time for questions or that you have all the time in the world, but set the time expectations. General Schwarzkopf did, and then he proceeded to fulfill them. He continued his time management by counting down the last few questions toward the end.
Manage the time.
But let's start with first things first…when the general opened the floor, the first reporter asked:
Can you give us an idea of how long, based on what you know now, if things go according to plan, how long do you anticipate this thing is going to last and how do you account for the fact that the opposition has been so light so far?
A double question, "How long and why so light?" Two related questions. If you get multiple unrelated questions, pick only one, Buffer it, answer it, and then say, "You had another question." Because the reporter's questions were clearly related, the General fielded them both…in reverse order. The "why so light?" was first.
First of all I want to say that the opposition has probably been so light so far because of the excellent job that all of the forces have to date done in preparing the battlefield. With regard to your second question, it's impossible to say how long it's going to take…
"It's impossible to say how long it's going to take," meaning that General Schwarzkopf had no intention of answering the other question about forecasting the length of the war. Instead, he said,
Let me put it this way. It's going to take as long as it takes for the Iraqis to get out of Kuwait and the United Nations resolutions to be enforced.
"…the Iraqis to get out of Kuwait and United Nations resolutions to be enforced," was General Schwarzkopf's Point B, his Topspin.
If, after your business presentation, you are asked, "How long is it going to take until you release the next version of your product?" you should say, "It's impossible to say how long it's going to take." That is the Buffer using the Roman Column, time, as well as the candid answer. When you've done that, you can roll into your Topspin. "…but I can tell you that when the next version is released, it will have the same high quality as all the other products in our powerful pipeline and produce the same rich benefits to our customers." State your Point B and your audience's WIIFY. Seize the opportunity.
Even if you can't answer for confidential reasons, seize the opportunity to state your Point B and your audience's WIIFY.
General Schwarzkopf then recognized the next reporter, who asked:
There have been some reports that there has been an ongoing situation, but can you at least tell us whether we have any forces in Kuwait City? There have been reports of some paratroopers seen over Kuwait City, these reports by Kuwaiti residents.
The Roman Column in this question was about confidential strategic information the general could not possibly broadcast to a worldwide television audience that was sure to include informants for the opposition. In business, Q&A sessions often occur at conferences where competitors are very likely to be in the audience. No businessperson or solider has any obligation to reveal strategic information and should never do so. General Schwarzkopf asserted his position. He just said, "No."
No businessperson has any obligation to reveal strategic information. Just say, "No!"
I'm not going to in any way discuss the location of any of the forces involved in the battle to date.
Without missing a beat, the general then turned to another reporter who asked:
General have any U.S. or allied troops encountered chemical or biological weapons?
"Chemical or biological weapons" are the key words in the question. The general rolled those key words into his answer as a Buffer.
We had some initial reports of chemical weapons, but those reports to date, as far as we're concerned, have been bogus. There have been no reported chemical weapons used thus far.
Just like Colin Powell in Chapter 5, "Retake the Floor," General Schwarzkopf used the key word technique as his Buffer. And just like Colin Powell, not once during the entire Q&A session did he use a Double Buffer such as, "You'd like to know if our troops encountered any chemical or biological weapons," or a paraphrase such as, "Did our troops encounter any chemical or biological weapons?." In each of the 10 questions he fielded, General Schwarzkopf Buffered only with the key words and rolled them into each of his answers. Remember that the key word Buffer allows no thinking time but, when you get it right, the rapidity of your response makes you appear sharp and in control.
When you get the Key Word Buffer right, you appear sharp and in control.
The next reporter asked the General:
Would you say that things are going better than you expected at this stage or about on par or slightly worse?
Better, on par, or slightly worse? A multiple choice question with three options. Which do you think the general chose? Please note that, as in earlier chapters, the rest of this page is left blank for you to think about your answer.
General Schwarzkopf chose:
So far we are delighted with the progress of the campaign.
He took the opportunity to Topspin to his Point B. He took the high ground.
This next question came from a professional reporter who…as someone in your audience is very likely to do…asked a convoluted question, made more so by a halting delivery.
With one exception…uh… the…uh… contact with the enemy was described… you say… as light. Can you provide any details at all…
General Schwarzkopf started to answer before the reporter even finished.
…about the exception?
Before you see the general's answer, think. Specifically, what does she want to know? Please note that, as before, the rest of this page is left blank for you to think about your answer.
The reporter wanted the general to provide details of the heavy engagement. Here is his answer.
This afternoon about two hours ago, one of the Marine task forces was counterattacked with enemy armor. The Marines immediately brought their own artillery to bear, they also brought their anti-tank weapons to bear. We also brought our Air Forces to bear and the counterattack was very quickly repulsed and they retreated. I can't tell you the exact number or loss of tanks…
"I can't tell you the exact number or loss of tanks." In other words, he did not give the reporter any of the details she wanted. His reply was entirely Topspin. "The Marines immediately brought their own artillery to bear; they also brought their anti-tank weapons to bear. We also brought our Air Forces to bear…" In essence, "we kicked their butts!"
…but there were several tanks that were lost in that particular battle.
About two more questions.
"About two more questions." Now he started to count down and, as he did, his answers became shorter and shorter. He also refused to take follow-on questions, which is a privilege you do not have. The next reporter asked:
Has the resistance been light simply because the Iraqis are retreating, or are they simply not engaging you, or are they surrendering? What exactly are they doing?
The epitome of succinctness, General Schwarzkopf replied:
All of the above.
A reporter wearing eyeglasses asked:
You say the opposition is light. Is this because you have avoided a frontal confrontation with them, or are you going around, or over, and is that why there is little opposition?
General Schwarzkopf responded:
We will go around, over, through, on top, underneath, and any other way to get through.
The same reporter tried a follow-on question:
General have you gone through sir? Is that why it's light?
Ignoring the man with eyeglasses, the general turned to another.
One more.
This journalist asked:
General have you encountered the Republican Guard yet?
Moving briskly, General Schwarzkopf responded:
Some.
This journalist also tried a follow-on question:
What kind of resistance have you gotten from that?
General Schwarzkopf also ignored this follow-on and turned to another reporter.
Alright last question.
The last question came from a man with a British accent.
General are you going to pursue the Iraqi soldiers into Iraq, or are you going to stop at the Kuwait/Iraq border?
General Schwarzkopf looked straight at the man and said:
I am not going to answer that. We are going to pursue them in any way it takes to get them out of Kuwait.
Then the general slapped his palm on the lectern, turned on his heel, and walked out, saying over his shoulder:
Thank you very much.
The reporter wearing eyeglasses called after him:
General, when will we see you again? Tomorrow at six?[10.1]
The general did not reply. He left his last words trailing in his wake, resonating throughout the press room, and out into millions of television sets around the globe, "We are going to pursue them in any way it takes to get them out of Kuwait," his Point B, his Topspin.
General Schwarzkopf had a number of unique control factors working for him that you and most people in business, and in most walks in life, do not share. In his press conferences, the general was the solicited party, and his audiences were the solicitors. In your Q&A sessions, the shoe will be on the other foot: You will be the solicitor, and your audiences, with whom you are trying to do business, will be the solicited. Most of the general's information fell under the cloak of tactical secrecy; most of your business information must be open and above board. The general had no need to give his media audience a single WIIFY; you have an obligation to give your audience as many WIIFYs as you can.
Nevertheless, General Schwarzkopf provided an excellent role model for all the techniques in this book:
- Manage the time
- Listen intently
- Identify the Roman Column in every question
- Buffer with the key word
- Answer succinctly
- Topspin, Topspin, Topspin
Complete Control
Figure 10.1 is a graphical representation of the dynamics of a conventional Q&A scenario. The first downward triangle in black indicates a challenging question, plunging at you like a dart to the heart. Most presenters, being results-driven, rush to provide an answer, parallel to the question, represented by the downward white triangle. These separate dynamics exert no control and add no value to the exchange.
Figure 10.1. Conventional Q&A dynamics.
To assert control in your Q&A exchange, you must listen for the Roman Column during the question with the "empty cup" concentration of a Zen master. Then you must intervene with the two upward grey triangles in Figure 10.2.
Figure 10.2. Controlled Q&A dynamics.
The first gray triangle is a Buffer composed of a paraphrase or key words to level the playing field, the equivalent of self-defense in the martial arts. The second gray triangle, which brackets the answer, is Topspin to your Point B and/or your audience's WIIFY, the equivalent of an agile switch to the offensive in the martial arts. These upward thrusts add control dynamics to the exchange.
Between the two, you must provide an answer that is the positive Yang to balance the negative Yin in the issue of the challenge.
When most politicians respond to questions, they jump directly to the Topspin, conveniently skipping the answer. In one of the 2000 presidential debates, then Governor George W. Bush jumped to his Topspin with an insufficient answer to Lisa Kee's question about his tax proposals. Skipping the answer appears evasive. Never skip the answer.
Earlier in that very same debate, however, the governor made a strong Topspin after responding to Al Gore's challenge. A little more than a year later, in a press conference at a high school in Crawford, Texas, as president, George W. Bush directly answered a question about U.S./Soviet relations and then added his Topspin. A little more than a year and a half after that, in his press conference on the White House lawn, he directly answered a question about his prospects for reelection and then moved on to his Topspin. A year after that and throughout his campaign for reelection, including all his debates, he resolutely stuck to his policy decisions in his answers and stayed on message with his Topspin.
Once you provide the answer, you can Topspin at will.
When most businesspeople respond to questions, in their eagerness to provide an effect to a cause, they jump directly to the answer, end the exchange, and then promptly move on to the next question. In the process, they bypass the opportunity to Topspin. They offer no Point B and no WIIFY. They make no call to action and give the audience no reason to act. Such behavior exerts zero control.
The winning sequence is
- Question
- Buffer
- Answer with supporting evidence
- Topspin
When you learn all the steps with the discipline of a samurai warrior and apply them with the controlled artistry of a symphony conductor, you combine the up and down dynamics of the triangles in Figure 10.2 and shift their direction…in your favor. You take complete control.
Asserting all these control techniques is no easy matter, for they require an entirely new set of skills that are counterintuitive to the reflexive Fight or Flight behavior triggered when you step into the line of fire. The challenge to achieve control is then doubled: Overcome the instincts, and learn the new skills. It is a task well worth the effort, for the outcome is also doubled: Survive and thrive without fighting.
P.S. The last sentence in this book is a WIIFY, my Topspin to you. Good luck!
Endnotes
Introduction
1. Courtesy CNN.
2. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney, W.W. Norton, 2000.
Chapter 1
1. The Bob Newhart Show, ©1975, Twentieth Century Fox Television. Written by Bruce Kane. All rights reserved.
2. http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=59315.
3. Larry King Live, Transcript, Courtesy CNN.
Chapter 3
1. Debate Transcript, The New York Times, October 16, 1992.
2. From Newsweek August 17, 1992 Newsweek Poll 8/6-8/7, August 31, 1992 Newsweek Poll 8/21, as published in Newsweek ©1992 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
From Newsweek September 21, 1992 Newsweek Poll 9/10-9/11, October 5, 1992, Newsweek Poll 9/24-9/25, October 12, 1992 Newsweek Poll 10/1-2, October 26, 1992 Newsweek Poll 10/15-16, and Newsweek October 19, 1992 Newsweek Poll 10/11, Conducted by the Gallup Organization, as published in Newsweek ©1992 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
3. All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President, by Mary Matalin and James Carville with Peter Knobler, Random House, 1994.
4. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2000c.html.
5. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html.
6. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans92b2.html#q-debt.
7. Carville, op cit.
8. http://www.actupny.org/campaign96/rafsky-clinton.html.
9. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans92b2.html#q-debt.
10. The Washington Post, October 17, 1992.
11. From Mad As Hell by Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover. Copyright ©1993 by Politics Today, Inc. By permission of Warner Books, Inc.
Chapter 4
1. Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams, Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Perigee Books, 1979.
2. From Mad As Hell by Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover. Copyright ©1993 by Politics Today, Inc. By permission of Warner Books, Inc.
3. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans92b2.html#q-debt.
Chapter 5
1. Secret Tactics: Lessons from the Great Masters of Martial Arts, by Kazumi Tabata, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc, 2003.
2. Copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Repro-duced by permission from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
3. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2003/19662.htm.
Chapter 6
1. From The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee To Better Understand the World Around You and Acieve a Reward-ing Life by John Little, published by Contemporary Books, copyright ©1996 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. The material is reproduced with permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies
2. http://www.whitehouse.gov.newsreleases/2004/04/04/print/20040413-20.html.
3. The New York Times, August 27, 2004.
4. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html.
5. "Pres Hopeful Kerry Pressed On Foreign Leader Claims," Dow Jones Newswires, Wall Street Journal Online, 3/15/04.
6. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans92b2.html.#q-debt.
Chapter 7
1. Secret Tactics: Lessons from the Great Masters of Martial Arts, by Kazumi Tabata, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc, 2003.
2. ABC News/Nightline, October 25, 1988.
3. http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2000c.html
4. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011115-4.html.
5. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030516-15.html.
6. "Election Reinforces U.S. Religious Divide," by the Assoc-iated Press, The New York Times, November 5, 2004. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Distributed by Valeo IP
7. "Bush Drives a Wedge Through the Electorate," Financial Times, November 4, 2004. Reprinted by permission of Financial Times. Copyright ©2004 by The Financial Times
8. http://debates.org/pages/trans88c.html.
9. Debate Transcript, Courtesy CNN.
Chapter 8
1. Secret Tactics: Lessons from the Great Masters of Martial Arts, by Kazumi Tabata, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc, 2003.
2. Tell Me a Story: Fifty Years and 60 Minutes in Television, by Don Hewitt, Public Affairs 2001, 2002.
3. From "Winners of the First 1960 Televised Presidential Debate Between Kennedy and Nixon," by Sidney Kraus,. Journal of Communication. Volume: 46. Issue: 4. Copyright ©1996 by Journal of Communication. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press.
4. Transcript, Courtesy CNN.
5. "An Acquired Taste," by James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly, July 2000.
6. Larry King Live, Transcript, Courtesy CNN.
7. Fallows, op cit.
Chapter 9
1. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, Translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambala Publications, Inc., 1988.
4. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/
7. "Gore drowns in his own honey," By Bill Press/CNN, October 12, 2000.
9. http://interactive.wsj.com/edition/resources/documents/poll-20001017.html.
13. "Kerry looked like a leader," by E.J. Dionne, Washington Post Writers Group, October 2, 2004.
21. "A Crucial Test, but Not Final," by Todd S. Purdum, The New York Times, October 14, 2004. Copyright ©2004 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission
24. Courtesy CNN.
Chapter 10
1. ABC News video transcript.
Acknowledgments
For Power Presentations, Ltd.:
Jim Welch is technically the CPA of my company, but he is much more than that. His invaluable acumen helps me to run the business and frees me to deliver the programs that form the basis for this book. Jim is also a wise counsel in matters human and spiritual. As if all of that were not enough, Jim, who attained the Do rank of 4.0 Kyu in Shotokan Karate, validated the martial arts analogies. In fact, Jim is a Black Belt Master in life.
Nichole Nears and Jennifer Turcotte also help me operate the company, but their contributions to this book went far beyond the call of duty. Together, they performed as a research engine that out-Googled Google. Nichole also generated all the line art with the precision of an architect, tracked down the permissions with the due diligence of an attorney, managed the manuscript with the authority of a drill sergeant, and still had time to be our Web Master. Jennifer handled the source videotapes with the thoroughness of a producer and pre-screened them with the eye of a director. Surely, Ben Affleck will star her first film.
Cousin Joel Goldberg, an image-maker par excellence, lent his images and talents generously.
For the source videos:
Kenn Rabin of Fulcrum Media Services went to the ends of the earth to find and, in some cases, unearth the many video and film clip examples that support my concepts. Kenn did his searching with the patience of a monk and the knowledge of a Talmudic scholar.
Brian Fulford, the Senior Licensing Agent of CNN, provided the bulk of the source videos and was a repository of camera angles himself.
Ed Rudolph and Bob Johns, the editors who helped me grab the still frames for the book, are artists-in-residence at Video Arts, San Francisco, a superb production house managed by Kim Salyer and David Weissman. David is no relative, but I wish he were.
Rich Hall contributed mightily to the evolution of the source videos.
For the book:
Bill Immerman, my attorney, who produced the superb film, Ray, during the writing of this book, still found time to provide his astute counsel.
Arthur Klebanoff, a rare agent who understands ink-stained wretches because he is one himself.
Paula Sinnott, my new editor at Pearson, found new values in material that took me nearly two decades to develop.
Lori Lyons, the Pearson project editor, guided the manuscript through the complex shoals of the production process with the steady assurance of harbor pilot.
Chuck Elliot plastered many green Post-its throughout an early version of the manuscript, all of which helped me to move it to a more mature version with the blazing speed of a Curt Schilling fastball…much faster than Pedro Martinez ever could.
Quentin Hardy, whose PDA and mind are filled with valuable information from Beowulf to Burlingame and beyond.
Bruce LeBoss introduced me to the classic Bob Newhart episode.
Eric Nielsen, Senior Director, Rights and Permissions, The Gallup Organization, always exercised his attention to detail, a most suitable trait for a statistician.
Warren Drabek tracked permissions relentlessly.
For their inspiration:
Mike Wallace, Senior Correspondent for CBS Sixty Minutes. Heaven did help me.
Babette Cohen did not blow my cover.
Melvin Van Peebles, an entire B.E.T. unto himself, was a reality check at every step along the way, as always.
The late Kelsey Selander Phipps pointed me to the platform. The late Harry Miles Muheim, American, my first speech teacher and a superb writer, taught me to "Keep going," and became the ultimate mentor for the whole shooting match.
As a teacher on my own, I am always mindful of the Rogers and Hammerstein song from The King and I, in which a teacher sings of being taught by her students. Many of my student-clients have challenged me, queried me, tested me, disagreed and agreed with me, but they have all taught me to look at my own material more scrupulously and to make improvements constantly. I am particularly grateful to Vani Kola, the CEO of Certus, a company that helps other companies in the line of fire of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Vani's astute perceptions during her Q&A session with me added dimension to both the program and the book.
I am also grateful for the stimulating input…and continuing support…from the many people at Cisco Systems, among them Sue Bostrom, James Richardson, Peter Alexander, Toby Burton, Kaan Terzioglu, Corinne Marsolier, Mary Gorges, and Joe Ammirato; and from the many people at Microsoft Corporation, among them Jeff Raikes, Mike Nash, Kai Fu Lee, Yuval Neeman, Pascal Martin, Vince Mendillo, Sara Williams, Ilya Bukshteyn, Dave Mendlen, Kristin Buzun, and Paul Sausville.
I am equally grateful to Microsoft alumni: Jon Bromberg, the Max Bialystock of video; Paul Gross straightened the long and winding road from Scotts Valley; Rich Tong, the champion of champions; John Zagula, who recently went through his own initiation into the literary fraternity, still found the time to give me the right sequence, the right title and, as he always does, the metaview; and Jonathan Lazarus, both a CBS and a Microsoft Emeritus and an ongoing trusted advisor, whose most memorable contribution was a Redmond-to-New York-to-Las Vegas parlay that rivaled Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance.
In a category all by himself is the man who bridges both the Cisco and Microsoft worlds from his lofty perch as a patron saint, Jim LeValley.
In Show Business, the closing act is reserved for the star of the show. For this Road show, that position goes to the Impresario who, with the panache of a Sol Hurok, started it all, Benji Rosen.
Index
SYMBOL
2004
Democratic National Convention
Republican National Convention
A
accusations
refuting
ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)
active listening
body language
concentration, importance of
football analogy
Roman Columns analogy (key issues)
sub-vocalization
understanding the question
Zen master analogy
agility
Al Gore's debate with Jack Kemp in October 1996
debates between Al Gore and George W. Bush in October 2000
debates of George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
versus force
agility versus force
agreement with guilty as charged questions dangers of
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP)
answering questions with questions
dangers of
answering the question (control in group settings)
answers
danger in skipping
anticipating tough questions
asking challenging questions See challenging questions, reasons for asking
audience perception
effect of reactions to questions on
audience reaction
as involuntary
***copy page number from "involuntary head hods"***
B
back references
avoiding
balance
Bellet, David
benefit to the audience (WIIFY)
Bentsen, Lloyd
debate with Dan Quayle
Topspin
Beowulf
Black Entertainment Television
Blitzer, Wolf
question to Bill Clinton
body language
importance of
Boston Red Sox
"bounce" (in political compaigns)
Brokaw, Tom
debate between Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle
Topspin
Buffer technique
Double Buffer
Key Words Buffer
paraphrasing as
Bush Scowl
Bush, George H
at National grocers Association convention
impact of presidential debates town hall debate with Bill Clinton and H. Ross Perot
guilty as charged questions
importance of listening
paraphrasing
Bush, George W
debate with Al Gore
Topspin
debate with John Kerry
"mistakes made" question
Topspin
facial expressions
impact of presidential debates
interview with The New York Times
"mistakes made" question
preparation for debate with John F. Kerry
presidential campaign of 2004
Topspin
presidential debates with Al Gore in October 2000
agility and force
presidential debates with John Kerry in 2004
agility and force
press conference after declaring second term candidacy
Topspin
press conference at high school
Topspin
Topspin example
town hall debate with Al Gore
town hall debate with John F. Kerry
C
call to action
Carter, Jimmy
impact of presidential debates
Carville, James
CBS Television
challenging questions See also Q&A techniques
confronting See also Q&A techniques
David versus Goliath analogy
effective management perception
preparing list of
reactions to
Buffer technique
contentiousness
defensiveness
Double Buffer technique
effect on audience perception
evasiveness
Key Words Buffer technique
paraphrasing
Triple Fail-Safe
"you," power of
reasons for asking
types of
Clinton, Bill
confidentiality when answering questions
difficulty of active listening
"I feel your pain"
impact of presidential debates
questioned by Wolf Blitzer
town hall debate with George H. Bush and H. Ross Perot
importance of listening
town hall debates with Bob Dole
concentration
importance of
confidentiality
handling questions involving
consequences
of reaction to challenging questions
contentious reaction to questions
H. Ross Perot example
contentiousness
and loss of control
control See also effective management
importance of
in group settings
answering the question
anticipating tough questions
body language
Buffer technique
Double Buffer technique
Key Words Buffer technique
listening to questioner
opening the floor for questions 2nd
paraphrasing
recognizing the questione
retaking the floor
Triple Fail-Safe
yielding the floor
"you," power of
loss of
The Bob Newhart Show example
Q&A sessions
Cruise, Tom
in The Last Samurai
D
David versus Goliath
analogy with confronting challenging questions
deafness ruse (repeating the question)
Dean Scream
Dean, Howard
debates See presidential debates, rules changes in.
defensive reaction to questions
The Bob Newhart Show example
Democratic National Convention (DNC)
2004
Dingle-Norwood Bill (HMO legislation)
direct answers
importance of
discipline
importance of
NAFTA debate between Al Gore and H. Ross Perot
presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
DNC (Democratic National Convention)
2004
Dole, Bob
impact of presidential debates
twon hall debates with Bill Clinton
Double Buffer technique
Dukakis, Michael
impact of presidential debates
interview with Ted Koppel
Topspin
E
earning Topspin
Edison, Thomas
formula for genius
effective management See also control, importance of.
confronting challenging questions
evasive reaction to questions
Pedro Martinez example
Trent Lott example
expectations
lower expectations
Eye Connect
importance of
Eye on New York
F
facial expressions
George W. Bush's debate with John F. Kerry
Fallows, James
NAFTA debate between Al Gore and H. Ross Perot
importance of preparation
Farley, Daniel
presidential debate between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
Fight or Flight reaction
Fight or Flight response
fighting
and negative behavior
follow-up questions in presidential debates
rules changes concerning
football analogy
active listening
force
Al Gore's debate with Dan Quayle in October 1992
debates between Al Gore and George W. Bush in October 2000
debates of George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
versus agility
force versus agility
Ford, Gerald
impact of presidential debates
G
Gibson, Charles
presidential debate between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
Gordon, Ed
interview with Trent Lott
Gore Sigh
Gore, Al
debate with H. Ross Perot on Larry King television show
impact of presidential debates
presidential debate with Dan Quayle in October 1992
force versus force
presidential debate with Jack Kemp in October 1996
agility
presidential debates with George W. Bush in October 2000
agility and force
town hall debate with George W. Bush
Grabel, Linda
debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry
group settings
control within
answering the question
anticipating tough questions
body language
Buffer technique
Double Buffer technique
Key Words Buffer technique
listening to questioner
opening the floor for questions
paraphrasing
recognizing the questioner
retaking the floor
Triple Fail-Safe
yielding the floor
"you," power of
guilty as charged questions
handling
H
Hall, Marisa
obscuring key issues in questions
town hall debate between George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and H. Ross Perot
guilty as charged questions
importance of listening
paraphrasing
hand raising
in Q&A sessions
head nods
importance of receiving
involuntary action of
Hewitt, Don
presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
importance of preparation
honesty
importance of
hostile questions See challenging questions, reasons for asking.
Hume, Brit
debate between Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle
Topspin
I
"I feel your pain" (Clinton)
inaccurate questions See accusations, refuting.
Initial Public Offering (IPO)
challenging questions during
consequences of reaction to questions
interpreting the question
dangers of
interviews
H. Ross Perot and Al Gore by Larry King
Michael Dukakis interviewed by Ted Koppel
Topspin
President George W. Bush by The New York Times
The Bob Newhart Show
Trent Lott by Ed Gordon
loss of control example
Trent Lott by Ed Gordon
involuntary head nods
IPO (Initial Public Offering)
challenging questions during
conquences of reaction to questions
irrelevant questions See also tangential questions, handling.
paraphrasing,
J
"Jack Kennedy" quote (Lloyd Bentsen)
K
Kee, Lisa
George W. Bush and Al Gore debate
Topspin
Kemp, Jack
agility
Kennedy, John F
impact of presidential debates
presidential debate with Richard M. Nixon
importance of preparation
Kerry, John
confidentiality when answering questions
debate with George W. Bush
"mistakes made" question
agility and force
Kerry, John F
debate with George W. Bush
Topspin
impact of presidential debates
lack of focus during presidential campaign
preparation for debate with George W. Bush
town hall debate with George W. Bush
key issues in questions
obscuring
Roman Columns analogy 6th
Key Word Buffer technique
Norman Schwarzkopf example
Key Words Buffer technique
King, Larry
debate between H. Ross Perot and Al Gore
Koppel, Ted
interview with Michael Dukakis
Topspin
L
Larry King Live (television program)
***copy page numbers from "King, Larry"***
Lehrer, Jim
presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush
Lewinsky, Monica
question to Bill Clinton about
listening
active listening
body language
concentration, importance of
football analogy
Roman Columns analogy (key issues)
sub-vocalization
understanding the question
Zen master analogy
importance of
loss of control
The Bob Newhart Show example
Lott, Trent
consequences of reaction to questions
statement about Strom Thurmond
lower expectations
M
martial arts
analogy with Q&A techniques
Martinez, Pedro
consequences of reaction to questions
evasiveness example
media sound bites
"mistakes made" question
President George W. Bush's response
Mondale, Walter
debate with Ronald Reagan
Topspin
impact of presidential debates
Topspin
moral responsibility (theme of 2004 presidential election campaign)
multiple questions
handling
N
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
names
addessing questioners in Q&A sessions
National Grocers Association convention
negative behavior
negative questions
paraphrasing
neutral questions
paraphrases as
neutralizing hostile questions See reactions to challenging questions, defensiveness.
New York Mets
Night Beat
"Nightline"
Nixon, Richard M
impact of presidential debates
presidential debate with John F. Kennedy
importance of preparation
nodding in agreement
involuntary action of
nodding the head
importance of receiving
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
O
obligation to respond to questions
obscuring key issues in questions
opening the floor for questions
control in group settings
P
paraphrasing
as Buffer technique
perception of audience
effect of reactions to questions on
Perot, H. Ross
consequences of reaction to questions
debate with Al Gore on Larry King television show
hiring of Ed Rollins
impact of presidential debates
importance of listening
podiums
in presidential debates between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
Point B. See also Topspin.
Point B (call to action)
pointing
during Q&A sessions
political campaigns
"bounce"
polling results
presidential election (2004)
polls (in political campaigns)
"bounce"
position statements
Powell, Colin
Foreign Press Center press conference
Key Words Buffer technique
refuting accusations
preparation
importance of
list of tough questions
NAFTA debate between Al Gore and H. Ross Perot
presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
presented material questions
handling
presidential debates
impact of
list of
preparation for
rules changes in
rules for debates between Bush and Kerry
presidential election campaign of 2004
themes of
press conferences
Schwarzkopf, Norman
Putin, Vladimir
Q
Q&A sessions See also press conferences, Schwarzkopf, Norman
active listening
body language
concentration, importance of
football analogy
Roman Columns analogy (key issues) 6th
sub-vocalization
understanding the question
control
in group settings
answering the question
anticipating tough questions
body language
Buffer technique
Double Buffer technique
Key Words Buffer technique
listening to questioner
opening the floor for questions
paraphrasing
recognizing the questioner
retaking the floor
Triple Fail-Safe
yielding the floor
"you," power of
Q&A techniques See also challenging questions, reasons for asking,; challenging questions, confronting
See also interviews
martial arts analogy
Quayle, Dan
debate with Lloyd Bentsen
Topspin
presidential debate with Al Gore in October 1992
force versus force
questions See challenging questions See Q&A techniques
questions about questions
dangers of
R
Rafsky, Bob
raised hands
in Q&A sessions
reactions to challenging questions
Buffer technique
contentiousness
defensiveness
Double Buffer technique
effect on audience perception
evasiveness
Key Words Buffer technique
paraphrasing
Triple Fail-Safe
"you," power of
Reagan, Ronald
debate with Walter Mondale
Topspin
impact of presidential debates
recognizing the questioner
control in group settings
red flag issues See universal issues in tough questions.
refuting accusations
repeating the question
dangers in asking for
reasons not to
Republican National Convention (RNC)
2004
responding to questions
obligation for
restating the question
versus paraphrasing
retaking the floor
control in group settings
RNC (Republican National Convention)
2004
role model
Norman Schwarzkopf as
Rollins, Ed
Roman Columns analogy (key issues in questions)
and paraphrasing
Rudman, Warren
S
Saturday Night Live (s/b ital) (television program)
Schieffer, Bob
presidential debate between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
presidential debates between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
Schwarzkopf, Norman
as role model
press conferences
self-control
importance of
Sensei Ittosai
Simon, Greg
NAFTA debate between Al Gore and H. Ross Perot
importance of preparation0
Simpson, Carole
obscuring key issues in questions
town hall debate between George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and H. Ross Perot
skipping answers
danger of
sound bites
speculative questions
handling
split screens
in presidential debates between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
statement questions
paraphrasing
strategic information See confidentiality
sub-vocalization
in active listening
succinct answers
importance of
Sun Tzu
The Art of War
T
tangential questions See also irrelevant questions,
handling
The Atlantic Monthly
The Bob Newhart Show
defensive reaction to questions
loss of control example
The Last Samurai
The New York Times
interview with President George W. Bush
themes of 2004 presidential election campaign
Thurmond, Strom
Trent Lott's statement about
time management
importance of
of Q&A sessions
timing systems
in presidential debates between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry
Topspin
earning
George W. Bush example
importance of
John Kerry's debates with George W. Bush
Lloyd Bentsen example
Michael Dukakis example
Norman Schwarzkopf example
Ronald Reagan example
tough questions See challenging questions, reasons for asking
Trewhitt, Henry
debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale
Topspin
Triple Fail-Safe (control measures summary)
truthfulness See honesty, importance of.
U
understanding the question
importance of
universal issues in tough questions
unknown answers to questions
handling
V
verbalization See also paraphrasing
importance of
visual listening See body language, importance of
W
Wallace, Mike
WIIFY See also Topspin
WIIFY ("What's in it for you?")
Woodruff, Judy
debate between Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle
Topspin
Y
Yards After Catch analogy
active listening
yielding the floor
control in group settings
Yin and Yang
"you"
power of
Z
Zen master analogy (active listening)