Honest Answers Are Short Answers

Whenever I watch a spokesperson at work I watch to see if they know their message and how effective they are at staying on message. Last evening while watching C-SPAN (yes, I occasionally watch C-SPAN) I caught a press briefing and an interview of a member of congress. Both programs showcased the importance of knowing and staying on message. Both showcased the ability of the media and others to get one off message and both unfortunately demonstrated what happens when one gets off message.

I noticed that the responses to the questions the messenger was most comfortable with were short and to the point. Those with which the messenger was least comfortable were long at the start and became even longer as the messenger's level of discomfort grew providing fodder for even more difficult questions. It got to the point that I began to question the believability of the responses. Why? Because in my opinion honest answers are short answers.

If you truly know your message you should be able to easily answer questions in a manner that reinforces your message and your credibility. Remember, you are in control. But the key to control is preparation. Prepare your message in advance. Prepare your responses in advance. Prepare your messenger in advance. Or prepare for the devastating consequences of being unprepared.