Playing offence
Addressing the elephant in the room is often better than dodging questions.
What do Megan Fox, Kanye West and Sarah Palin have in common? They are American celebrities whose careers got derailed owing to one cringe-worthy interview. Megan Fox compared her boss to Hitler. Kanye said slavery is a choice. Sarah Palin, when she ran as vice presidential candidate, claimed that she “can see Russia from her backyard”.
A prolepsis can help you recover from a media disaster. Prepare a sound explanation or honest apology and move on. Nobody wants flimsy excuses. Everybody understands that mistakes can happen. With this technique, you preempt proactively. You can also use it in debates to address arguments before the other side puts you on the defensive.
How to pre-empt with prolepsis
Make a list of challenging questions and counterarguments.
Prepare answers and rebuttals for the top five.
Counter your critics already in your opening statement.
Exercise
The press conference room is packed. You are about to make a major announcement that will boost space tourism. Think of three challenging questions journalists might ask. Address these in your presentation before you open up the floor.
Learn the techniques. Boost your confidence. Make your point.
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