How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts

Jerry Weissman

During the 43 days of the 1991 Gulf War, General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander-in-chief of Desert Storm, held only about half a dozen press conferences in the press room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and each of those sessions was very, very brief. Despite such minimal exposure, “Stormin’ Norman,” as he was known, became an instant global celebrity. The reason he attracted such attention is that, in each of those sessions, broadcast live throughout the world, the general exhibited complete command and control in answering the journalists’ questions. In doing so, he served as a role model for every proper Q & A technique, which you would do well to emulate.

A particular case in point ...