In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts [Hardcover]

This item: In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts by Jerry Weissman

Whether you’re a classroom teacher or the President, this book will help you be an effective communicator. This book is so insightful, reading it feels like cheating.
When asked a crucial question in a public forum, a novice may panic and freeze. Jerry Weissman shows how it’s not necessarily what the answer is. It’s how you answer that will allow you to prevail and win!”"
Weissman shows how the speaker can control the question, the answer, the questioner, the audience, the time, and himself/herself — and create and maintain a positive image in the process. Discover how to avoid the defensive, evasive, or contentious answers that have destroyed political careers and ruin credibility. Learn to control your entire exchange with a hostile questioner: the question, answer, interactions with questioner and audience, timing, and above all, yourself
Weissman provides techniques that will help someone defuse hostile inquiries without being defensive, evasive, or contentious. When you get right down to it, most of these strategies seem obvious and logical. Rely on absolute truth. Honor the audience. Listen effectively. Paraphrase and restate the Roman Column (the key issue) of the question. Identify and develop position statements for each red flag issue. Achieve Topspin. Prepare and practice, practice and prepare.
What makes this book additionally entertaining as well as educational is the use of real-life case studies from the realms of television, sports, and most of all, politics - from Presidential debates to stock analyst meetings.  They show what to say and do, and what NOT to say and do. Here we see the best and the worst of the figures we’re all too familiar with.
 It is relevant to anyone in a position of authority who must deal with the public or with employees or colleagues. It offers good advice for everybody, even those not running for the presidency of a country, a company, or a community group. The examples are clear, easy to understand, and empowering.
Whether an executive, politician, fundraiser, interviewee, teacher, student — or even a family member at Thanksgiving dinner — you’re judged on how you handle these moments. Get this book: handle them brilliantly.
“”In an era where businesspeople and politicians unfortunately have proven their inability to be honest with bad news, I believe this book should be prescribed reading in every business school, and for every management training session. In fact, I hope it is read by a far wider audience than that. It’s just what our society needs right now.”"
Great truths made simple and compelling for any leader to use.”"
This book provides the fundamental foundation on how to prepare, be agile, and take charge no matter how difficult the question.”"

“Jerry’s technique is both masterful and universal because it finds common ground between audience and speaker, hard questions and direct answers, all with a very simple principle: truth"

....

CONTENTS

Introduction: Agility versus Force

Challenging Questions • Martial Arts • Effective

Management Perceived • Baptism under Fire

Case Studies: Bill Clinton; David versus Goliath;

Bruce Lee; David Bellet; Mike Wallace

Chapter One: The Critical Dynamics of Q&A

Defensive, Evasive, or Contentious • Presenter

Behavior/Audience Perception

Case Studies: The Classic Bob Newhart Episode;

Trent Lott on Black Entertainment Television;

Pedro Martinez; The NAFTA Debate; Two Weeks

of an IPO Road show

Chapter Two: Effective Management Implemented

Worst Case Scenario • Maximum Control in

Groups • The Q&A Cycle • How to Lose Your

Audience in Five Seconds Flat

Chapter Three: You’re Not listening!

Case Studies: 1992, 2000, and 2004 U.S.

Presidential Debates

Chapter Four: Active Listening (Martial Art: Concentration)

• The Roman Column • Sub-vocalization •

Visual Listening • … You Still Don’t Understand

• Yards After Catch

Case Study: 1992 U.S. Presidential Debate in

Retrospect

Chapter Five: Retake the Floor (Martial Art: Self-defense)

Paraphrase • Challenging Questions • The Buffer

• Key Words • The Double Buffer • The Power

of “You” • The Triple Fail-Safe

Case Study: Colin Powell

Chapter Six: Provide the Answer (Martial Art: Balance)

Quid Pro Quo • Manage the Answer • Anticipate

• Recognize the Universal Issues • How to

Handle Special Questions • Guilty as Charged

Questions • Point B and WIIFY • Topspin •

Media Sound Bites

Case Studies: George W. Bush; John F. Kerry;

George H. Bush Revisited

Chapter Seven: Topspin in Action

(Martial Art: Agility)

Michael Dukakis Misses a Free Kick •

The Evolution of George W. Bush • Lloyd Bentsen

Topspins • Ronald Reagan Topspins

Chapter Eight: Preparation

(Martial Art: Discipline)

Lessons Learned

Case Studies: John F. Kennedy versus Richard M.

Nixon, Al Gore versus Ross Perot

Chapter Nine: The Art of War

(Martial Art: Self-Control)

The Art of Agility • Force: 1992 • Agility: 1996 •

Agility and Force: 2000 • Agility and Force: 2004

• The Critical Impact of Debates • Lessons

Learned

Case Studies: Al Gore debates Dan Quayle, Jack

Kemp, and George W. Bush; George W. Bush

debates John F. Kerry; The Presidential Debates:

1960 through 2004

Chapter Ten: The Role Model

Complete Control

Case Study: General Norman Schwarzkopf

Endnotes

Acknowledgments

Index