When you're caught off guard

- Have you been caught so off guard that you didn't know what to say? The professionals we surveyed as we prepared for this course, ranked this as a top challenging communication situation to manage. When Jake asks Amanda for additional resources on a project, she feels caught off guard and is not prepared to cope. Let's watch what happens. - Hey. I'd like to speak to you about something important. - [Amanda] Sure. - I would like to bring on an additional rep to the new account. So I'm hoping that you can identify somebody with a ton of digital media experience. And then I'll set up an appointment to meet with the person to get them up to speed. How does that sound? - Why? I mean, don't you think we can handle it? This will blow our budget completely. - It's tough to know how to respond when you're caught off guard. Jake's requests pushes Amanda to re-scope her budget and her team. She needs these three steps to help her manage the unpleasantness and formulate a better response. Buy time and acknowledge the situation. Say something like, "This is catching me off guard. "Give me until the end of the day to consider." Or buy some time on the spot with some questions. "Tell me a little bit more about your idea. "I want to understand." Calm yourself, take a deep breath, possibly look away momentarily to try and focus your thoughts. Exhale deeply. All these behaviors will help you bring your elevated heart rate down and physically center you. Use a response formula. If you have to respond immediately, use this pattern to focus your thoughts. What I do know, what I don't know and how I will find out. Here's Amanda responding to Jake using these three tips. - Hey, I'd like to speak to you about something important. - Sure. - So I would like to add an additional rep to the Vibe account, what are your thoughts? - Well, I know how important the campaign is and that we have ramped up social media. I need to know a little bit more about your expectation for adding an additional rep. What responsibilities did you have in mind for this person? - Well, we need somebody to run the social media so I can stay focused on the overall strategy and the brand alignment. - At this point, I don't know what the exact hour requirement will be. I can talk to Carlos who can help estimate the time involved. Let me get back to you tomorrow. - Sure. Thanks. - Like Amanda, when you're caught off guard, you can turn an uncomfortable situation by calming yourself, buying some time and using the turnkey formula that projects your transparency and your credibility.