Bridging is the most effective technique I know for handling difficult questions, whether those questions arise in the context of a business meeting, a media interview or the Q&A session that traditionally follows a presentation.
Bridging is, crucially, a three-stage process, which neatly fits into an ABC format:
- Acknowledge the question, or Answer it briefly, if you can
- Create a verbal Bridge back to the comfort zone of the positive key messages you are focused on delivering
- Communicate one or more of those messages.