Quick Tip: How to Respond to a Hostile Question (The Four D’s) — Deflect

Quick Tip: How to Respond to a Hostile Question (The Four D’s) — Deflect

Deflecting helps you avoid letting someone else take control of the conversation.

Examples:

* “The short answer is…” (then pivot and move on).


* “That’s outside the scope of today’s discussion—let’s come back to it later.” (Then move on.)


* Answer the question you wish they had asked:

* “I hear your request for a quote, and this individual has accomplished so much—I’m

confident we’ll be hearing more from them in the coming days.”


Deflection keeps momentum without getting pulled off track.

Deflect

“Deflection isn’t dodging the conversation; it’s refusing to let someone else hijack it.”