How to buy time when you respond to questions (aka a better version of “That’s a great question…”)

Here's a tip for a more effective way to use the phrase "That's a great question..." when responding to a question...

First of all, there are a few reasons why people do this:
- to buy time
- to acknowledge/validate the question asker
- because it actually was a great question!

Whatever your reason, saying "that's a great question" is essentially a feedback message. It's also a chance to demonstrate real listening, genuine communication and connection.

Here's one way to UPLEVEL the message.

SKILL: SAY *WHY* IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION:

For example:

• "That's a great question. (Because) It shows you're thinking about how this connects to xyz..."

• "That's a great question because it speaks to the impact this change will have on our team."

• "That's a great question because we haven't explored that angle yet. This is definitely something to look into."

• "That's a great question. It's one of the biggest concerns we hear from our customers."