What, why, how much
Say the three sentences from your homework — what, why, how much — for your prepared project. Just the three sentences, nothing else yet.
Three kinds of hard question
What a hostile question is actually testing
1 · The cost question. "Why does this cost so much?" Tests whether you can state a reason, not just a number — this is the acknowledge → reframe → propose sequence from Lesson 2, live.
2 · The comparison question. "My neighbour got a cheaper quote for something similar." Tests whether you can distinguish your design from a lower bid without disparaging the other bidder — a genuine trap, since attacking a competitor reads badly regardless of whether you are right.
3 · The confidence question. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Tests whether hesitation reads as honesty or as doubt — and whether you can be precise about the one thing you are not sure of, rather than either performing certainty you do not have or radiating vague anxiety.
None of the three is really about the words in the question. All three are testing whether the meeting stays open or closes.
Answering the confidence question honestly
Three ways to answer "are you sure?"
| Answer | Problem |
|---|---|
| "Absolutely, one hundred percent." | Dishonest if it is not true, and clients often sense it |
| "Well… I mean, mostly, yes…" | Reads as doubt about everything, even the parts you are certain of |
| "Yes, on the drainage and the structure. The one thing I’d want to confirm is how the existing soil handles the new load — that’s a standard geotechnical check, not a concern." | None — this is the target |
This is Unit 7’s hedging rule, in a different room. Hedge the thing you are actually uncertain about, and be precise about everything else. A compliance memo and a client presentation are different documents, but the underlying move — scope your uncertainty, don’t blanket it — is the same one.
Answer the three kinds
Rewrite each defensive answer as something stronger. Use the word given.
It costs a lot because it is a good design. ENGINEERING
My design is better than whatever your neighbour got. COMPARE
Yes, definitely, no problems at all. CONFIRM
I am not totally sure, to be honest. EXCEPT
Presentation plus hard questions
The full sequence, live, no stopping.
Task card
Mr. Alvarez, meeting you for the first time, on your prepared project
Present in full — what, why, how much — then answer three unscripted hard questions.
- One cost question, one comparison question, one confidence question, in any order your teacher chooses.
- Acknowledge before you answer, every time.
- End the meeting with something Mr. Alvarez can actually decide on — do not let it just stop.
Which question threw you?
Of the three, which one did you handle worst, and what actually went wrong — the acknowledge move, the conditional, the intonation, or something else entirely? Name it specifically.
Before the unit task
Homework. Prepare the project you will present and record next lesson. You may reuse today’s project or choose another — but this is the one that goes in your portfolio, so choose the one you can defend best.