Episode 28: How to get unstuck and continue a conversation

Script:

Episode 28: How to get unstuck and continue a conversation:

Hello, everyone. How are you? Last week I was not feeling well, and skipped an episode. Sorry about that.

This week, I want to talk about how to get unstuck and continue a conversation.

We have all been there. Sometimes, when somebody asks us a question, we need time to think of an answer, or we forget what we are trying to say. Sometimes, we simply don't know the answer.

What should we do when we are in these situations? It depends on the question that you are asked.

Scenario one. You need more time to get your thoughts together, so buy yourself time by saying something.

You can say,

a) "Great question, let me think about that for a moment."

b) "You know, I have never thought about that. Let me think about that."

c) "You know, I am not sure, let me think about that".

Scenario two: When somebody asks your opinion about something that you don't know, answer a question with a question.

You can say, "I am not sure, what about you?"

You often hear people say "what about you?" and "how about you?". These two phrases are often used to ask for the other person's opinion or response.

"What about you?" is more straightforward and direct. "How about you?" is less formal, more friendly and casual. It is often used as a follow-up question to a proposal and suggestion.

But this strategy doesn't always work. What if somebody asks you about your job and you are not sure how to describe it in English? You certainly cannot say, "I am not sure." However, you can say, "Let me think about how to say it in English. In the meantime, why don't you tell me about your job?"

Scenario three: What should you do if you don't understand the question? Those moments can be embarrassing.

First of all, don't panic. And secondly, don't pretend you understand the question. You can ask the speaker to repeat the question or speak more slowly.

a) "I am sorry, could you please repeat the question?"

b) "Could you say that again more slowly?"

c) "I didn't quite catch that. Could you say that again?"

d) "I am not sure I understood your question. Could you rephrase it?"

Sometimes, I hear people say, "say that again?" or "one more time please". "Say that again?" is very casual and informal and shouldn't be used at the workplace, unless you and your co-worker are more like friends. You should never say that to your boss or clients. "One more time please" is polite and simple. But the suggested phrases made you sound more professional.

Thank you for listening.