The Most Difficult Question

So what is your favourite plant....?

Media Training

I’ve been undergoing media training this week. All the usual stuff: how to take command of an interview, how to stall things, play for time and talk without giving anything away.

It came free with my publishing deal, from a publisher who perhaps imagines me defending my views on moss while a radio host screams for answers.

During the training, we authors were invited to think of the most awkward questions we might face and script a perfect reply using the ‘ABCD Technique.’

The ABCD Technique

A) ACKNOWLEDGE – Make sure you acknowledge the question.

B) BRIDGE – Deploy a phrase to signal you’ll change the scope of the answer.

C) CONTROL – The part that follows the bridge. Draw focus to the key message you want to communicate.

D) DANGLE – Mention a new subject. The goal here is to tempt the journalist into following up on your desired topic.

The Hardest Question

Thanks to the ABCD technique, I’m finally able to answer that hardest of all horticultural questions: ‘what is your favourite plant?’