PQ & PA Skill Sharpener

October 2007
Using Precision Answering in Email

Answering email creates endless opportunities for building skill at Precision Answering. Email is easier to edit than speech, so before you press that “Send” key, pause for a half-second. Re-read the question they asked, re-read the answer you gave, and then ask yourself: Have I been clear? Crisp? Concise?

The Three Rules of Precision Answering
Learning Precision Answering is like learning any complex skill. We need to return to the fundamentals again and again. For Precision Answering, there are three.

Rule 1: Answer the Question
Q: “Are we going to hit our next milestone?”

A: “The next milestone isn’t the issue. It’s the following one that’ll be the problem. It looks like there might be a strike next month. If that happens….”

Q: “Yes, we will have to think about that, but what I need to know right at the moment is whether or not we are going to hit the next milestone.”

A: “Yes, we will. In fact, we’re two days ahead of schedule.”

Don’t answer the question you think they should have asked, or wish they had asked, or were certain they meant to ask. You don’t know where the questioner is coming from or where they are going so, for starters, assume they asked exactly the question they wanted to ask. If you don’t understand, clarify.

Rule 2: Start with the Core
Q: “Are we going to hit our next milestone?”

A: “You know, at that last review I didn’t think Luis’ team was on track, but after talking to him yesterday and phoning the Detroit team today, I went back to my spreadsheet and….”

Q: “So, are we going to hit our next milestone?”

A: “Best case, yes.”

In everyday discussion we often try to “save” our answer for the end of the meal, like dessert. Precision Answering says to serve dessert first. We start with the core (yes, no, number, date, etc.). This makes the logic of our thinking clearer to others.

Rule 3: Keep It Short
We know a great deal about our work, and we’re excited by what we know. So when we’re asked a question we have a natural tendency to want to share our expertise. All of it. All at once. We naively assume that the more we say, the more value we add. The fact of the matter is that the poor questioner doesn’t know what to do with our heaping pile of information, jam-packed with answers to questions that haven’t been asked and that would never have been asked. The more we say, the less they hear. As a result, the efficiency of discussion plummets.

The Essence of Precision Answering
“Speak in bullet points.” The three basic rules of Precision Answering can be boiled down into those four simple words. Bullet points help us discover the structure in our thinking, and they help us communicate that structure to others.

Exercise
Martha asked John three questions. As you can see, John’s reply was blurry. Rewrite his email using the Three Basic Rules of Precision Answering. Think in bullet points! You can compare your answer with ours by visiting here.

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“If it doesn’t fit in the preview pane, it doesn’t get read.”
Stacey Dickinson, PQ Trainer