66. Spin versus Topspin: The Political World versus the Business World

In the competitive world of politics, jockeying for position is often expressed by spinning, the dark art of attempting to influence public perception in one’s favor or against that of the opposition. Spinning can be as harmless as gilding the lily, or it can escalate to distortion or even to outright deception; however, all the points along that scale are of dubious integrity.

One of the best examples of political spin is the 1998 film Wag the Dog, in which a U.S. president is accused of a scandalous liaison. To limit his damage, the president calls in a Washington spin doctor, played by Robert DeNiro, who proceeds to retain a Hollywood producer, played by Dustin Hoffman, and together they concoct a fictional war in the Balkans.

In this scenario, spin could more accurately be called “slant,” for the tactic diverts attention away from the main issue. Spin is akin to the sleight-of-hand magicians use to misdirect audiences. This is not to say that a politician, a businessperson, a representative of an organization, or anyone in any competitive walk of life—including you—should not do everything you can to defend your own cause and position it in a favorable light. However, before you do so, you must address the issue directly; only then can you go on to counterbalance the negativity by adding your own message.

This additive instead of digressive approach is called Topspin, a subject covered in detail in In the Line of Fire. Topspin is a tennis term that refers to a power stroke that causes the ball to bounce sharply and give a player a winning advantage. In presentations, Topspin is a positive statement or restatement of a key message that gives a speaker a winning advantage.

But just as tennis players must first meet the ball before applying Topspin, presenters must first address the central issue directly before adding their own message. They must earn the right to state their case. Politicians rarely address issues; businesspersons must always do so. In business, accountability trumps messaging.

For instance, if a salesperson were to be asked by a customer, “Why do you charge so much more for your product than your competition does?” the salesperson could respond, “The reason we sell our product at that price point is because we provide you with a service guarantee that extends the life of the product. When you buy our product, you get more for your money.”

Notice that the response doesn’t deny the price point, nor does it agree that the price is high. Thus, the salesperson acknowledges the negativity in the question without any evasion, admission, or contention. Then, having addressed the issue directly, the response continues to Topspin with a call to action (“When you buy our product”) and a benefit (“you get more for your money”).

Topspin is a world apart from spin.