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There are certain types of questions you usually can anticipate in an interview. And, while they are easily predictable, they’re not always as easily handled. The Media Trainers®, LLC, has a Tough Questions eBook on our Web site that you can download free for easy reference. We’ve defined eight question types:

  1. Speculative Question
  2. Built-in Premise
  3. Pregnant Pause
  4. Multiple Questions
  1. Interrupted Answer
  2. Negative Questions
  3. Third-party Questions
  4. Personal Opinion

Starting with this edition of Interviewing we’ll take a look at how some of the captains of industry have handled these situations. This month, we start with the Speculative Question.


The Bill Gates Model

Call him a geek and a nerd, but the chairman of Microsoft has become quite adroit at handling news media interviews. For instance, several years ago when Microsoft was under legal assault from competitors and dragged into U.S. District Court in Washington, DC. Gates and company lost round one and there were strong indications the federal judge would order Microsoft split into two separate companies, each with their own stock and very much divided by a firewall.

Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates

Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates

On the night of that court decision, Gates was interviewed by Ted Koppel on ABC’s NightLine. Koppel tried several times to get Gates to speculate on the possibility of Microsoft being divided. But Gates had more than Koppel in mind with his answers. His focus was on substantially more important audiences: his employees and the investment community (Wall Street, analysts, etc.). Koppel could not break Gates’ determination not to give either audience any reason to worry about his commitment to Microsoft staying the same. After several tries, Koppel relented and re–asked the question again, but this time in a much more favorable way for Gates to handle it.

The Media Trainers® Re–winder Reminder:


  • "What if…" often leads off the speculative question. Listen for it, learn to recognize it.
  • Speculation is a slippery slope. Before you "bite" on a speculative question, ask yourself who’s going to read or hear what you say and what’s the potential impact.
  • Let facts be your guide. What do you know that is true, rather than possible? Head in that direction and tie it to a message.

The Media Trainers®, LLC, has a Tough Questions eBook on our Web site that you can download free for easy reference.

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