avatarWam

Summary

The article outlines four methods to effectively answer impromptu questions: "What? So what? Now what?", "Problem. Solution. Benefit.", "Past, present, and future.", and "Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion."

Abstract

The author shares insights gained from a Stanford lecture on communication techniques, emphasizing the importance of structure when answering unexpected questions. The methods "What? So what? Now what?", "Problem. Solution. Benefit.", "Past, present, and future.", and "Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion." are presented as tools to create coherent responses. The article illustrates each method with examples, including personal experiences with IELTS preparation and writing on Medium, and suggests that these techniques can be applied by anyone from students to professionals to improve their communication skills.

Opinions

  • The author found Matt Abrahams' lecture on "Think Fast, Talk Smart" particularly helpful for structuring responses to impromptu questions.
  • The "What? So what? Now what?" method is seen as an effective way to organize thoughts and provide clear answers.
  • The "Problem. Solution. Benefit." approach is likened to a sales pitch, as demonstrated by an anecdote from the movie "Wolf of Wall Street."
  • "Past, present, and future" is the author's preferred method due to its ease of use and personal relevance.
  • The "Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion." technique is presented as accessible and useful for individuals of all ages, including students.
  • The author believes that these methods are beneficial and can prevent one from getting lost while speaking or writing extemporaneously.
  • The article concludes with a personal anecdote of success using these methods and a recommendation for an AI service, suggesting the author's endorsement of both the methods and the AI tool for improving communication skills.

4 Quick Ways to Answer Impromptu Questions Using Simple Methods

The key to communicating verbally or nonverbally through writing, without getting lost or your audience lost, as a listener or a reader, is to have a structure. Here are some ideas to help you with that.

While preparing for my IELTS exam in 2021, I came across this YouTube video where Matt Abrahams lectured on "Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques" at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The only reason I got curious about this and decided to watch the whole video is this.

I find myself stopping in the middle of answering impromptu questions during practice, and I always find it difficult to continue.

It's like getting stuck on the tracks, and despite all the power and steam from the engine (gush of thoughts coming in), I didn't know how to move on.

I stare there blankly.

And it felt as though my mind was blank, even though I knew it wasn't empty. The answer is just right there!

And before I knew it, I ran out of time.

Returning to Matt Abrahams, here's the link to the video I was talking about.

I learned about the two simple methods he's using to create a structure in answering questions. These are the following:

What? So, what? Now what?

Problem. Solution. Benefit.

I immediately practiced these two methods myself. After one or two rounds, I said, "Hey, that wasn't so bad!"

The other two methods are the ones I learned from the IELTS coaches on YouTube. They are the:

Past, present, and future.

This is what I always used, which got me an 8.0 score on IELTS.

Here's the next one.

Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion.

I'll give you examples of those techniques below.

Contents

What? So What? Now What?

Problem. Solution. Benefit.

Past, present, and future.

Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion.

What? So what? NOW what?

Instead of a question, starting with a statement is easier if you want to use this method.

I'll use my experience with how I found out about Medium.

Example:

What?

I just saw this 2-hour interview with Nicolas Cole on YouTube about ways to make a million as a writer.

So what?

Well, I didn't know that I could earn as a writer using the ways he mentioned.

I was a copywriter over a decade ago and never earned as much as he did! I also tried to create blogs over the years, but I stopped. I wasn't so consistent with it because I find it hard actually to monetize it.

I also didn't know that I could earn from writing online if I did it on Medium.

NOW what?

Starting today, I will begin my Medium account, read several posts, and start writing!

Here's the video that I was talking about.

Problem. Solution. Benefit.

Now, this one can be a sales pitch. Learn from the movie, "Wolf of Wall Street."

For example, how do you sell a pen as a nurse?

The doctor finally came to the nurses' station. He asked for his patient's charts and started to open one. Then he searched his pockets.

"Do you have a pen?" he asked one of the nurses.

"I actually do, doc. That's a dollar each!" the nurse responded.

The doctor handed him a dollar and started to write.

Like that scene on "Wolf of Wall Street," you just learned about supply and demand.

Note that this doesn't only solve the doctor's problem of what he's going to use so he can write orders on his patient's charts; it also solves the problem of nurses who keep losing pens from letting other people borrow them all the time!

I'm not serious about that example. An actual real example of this method is this whole article.

I presented you with a problem. I gave out solutions for a benefit: to answer impromptu questions without getting lost because you now have more ways to form a structure.

Here's my real example:

This one is, again, based on my experience on Medium.

Problem: I have been writing on Medium for a month but only got 18 views and nine reads for six posts. How can I increase that?

Solution: Upon reading more and more posts from other writers, I learned what I was missing. I wasn't commenting enough. I wasn't joining any publications. I wasn't posting on Social Media. I wasn't ticking members only when I was publishing. Lastly, I wasn't writing enough.

When I learned all that, I promised to make all the necessary changes and do everything I wasn't doing enough!

Benefit: Doing all of those solutions presented will provide me with more views, more reads, and, who knows, perhaps even more followers that will eventually help me earn more from writing on this platform.

And guess what? When I did those, I got the benefit I was asking for.

I started by building more content and connecting to other Medium members by commenting and answering comments.

The rest of the solutions? I tried to do that in just one day, and boom. The next day, I was surprised to get 50 views and 40 reads.

That was just one day!

I planned to post about that later today, with the screenshots of my progress.

Past, present and future.

Photo by Paico Oficial on Unsplash

This is my favorite method because it's the easiest for me. All I need to do is internalize the question, dive into my past, compare it with the present, and tell the interviewer about the future.

Example:

Do you think it’s important to have a daily routine?

Answer:

As a child, daily routine doesn't matter to me. I would wake up excited on the weekend because I knew I didn't have school. That means I can do whatever I want! I could play all day. I can ride my bicycle, watch TV, play with my neighbor, do whatever we can think of, or paint using watercolor.

I do those activities throughout the day, in any order.

However, growing up, I realized the importance of a daily routine, especially now.

Now that I'm working as a nurse, my schedule can be out of sorts. It can be hard to maintain going to the gym, which is essential for my well-being, while prioritizing having enough rest, particularly sleep, and wanting to develop my writing skills, which is what I wanted to do most.

Without a routine, I'd get lost.

Keeping a daily dose of writing, physical activity, and sleeping after my shifts helps keep me healthy and sane.

This type of routine keeps me alive. So, in the future, I still see myself having those activities in my life.

Comparison. Contrast. Conclusion.

Photo by AltumCode on Unsplash

Question:

Do you prefer desktops or laptops?

Answer:

Whether I use a desktop or a laptop for writing, both can deliver the same results. They can help me produce my thoughts into writing that I could later organize or structure.

However, desktops are heavy compared to laptops. It can be powerful because it is customizable. And for that reason, many gamers love it.

But I am not a gamer.

A desktop is too heavy for me. I cannot take it anywhere the way I could with a laptop. I can't just grab a desktop, so I could go to a library or Barnes & Noble to write. I can only do that with my light and handy laptop.

For this reason, I still prefer to use laptops. Perhaps when I return to being a gamer one day, I would prefer to use desktops again, but I'm sticking with writing for now. Writers don't really need powerful desktops; they just need handy laptops that they can take anywhere.

See that?

Anybody from Grade School to High School can use the last two methods. You can, too!

What's your favorite among these four methods? Are these helpful?

Your neighbor,

Wam

Writing
Writing Tips
Writing Prompts
Writing On Medium
Self Improvement
Recommended from ReadMedium