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How to Talk Your Way Out of Anything
By Ian Parrish

Chris Militscher
Star Treks Jean Luc Picard had a certain savoir
faire, a style of getting out of dilemmas
smoothly and quickly like when he tricked Q
into promising never to meddle with humanity.
Im no Starfleet captain; I am an average 30-
something who dislikes speeding tickets, jealous
girlfriends, and unnecessary personal inquiries.
Over the years, Ive learned a few tricks to talk
my way out of hot spots, and as a business
owner Ive studied how others squirm before the
sharp end of my own questions. Here are a few
tips that have worked....

Avoid
It worked on Ezra, a high school bully I dodged
for an entire semester after beaming him in the
back of the head with a juicy seeded grape. The
easiest way to talk your way out of a jam is not
to put yourself in that situation at all. In short,
be prescient and avoid confrontation. Avoidance
may delay the inevitable, but it may also give
you time to prepare and your adversary time to
cool off.

Sidestep
Avoidance is also possible, but not as easy, in
conversation. Simply changing the subject rarely
works. Instead, create a conversational diversion
such as a compliment, call-waiting, and in
extreme cases, poor cell phone reception (thats
right, hang up).

Explain (in Detail)
Oscar Levant said, Theres no problem so simple a little explanation cant make complex. Indeed,
every time I try to get straight answers from my IT team I end up wading neck-deep in geek-speak.
Talk your way out of a jam by making your opponent regret ever asking their elementary question.
Elucidate, expose, and expound upon your explanation enigmatically and inscrutably. Add an
argumentative tone or a thats a stupid question to your verbal defenestration and your sophistry
will be complete ... or whatever I just said.

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Print - How to Talk Your Way Out of Anything - Marie Claire
The Power of Suggestion
A master stroke of conflict avoidance, or, as I like to call it, my coup dtat. One morning while
driving unbuckled in my convertible, I was waved to the side of the road by a police officer at a seat-
belt checkpoint. Why arent you wearing your seat belt? he barked as I stopped the car. And then I
did something that would have made Miss Cleo, Mind Freak, and every other intuitive out there
proud. Excuse me? I answered before I knew what I was doing. You just watched me take my
seat belt off as I was pulling over. You were looking at me the entire time! The deer-in-the-
headlights look on his face was priceless. I had just rocked his entire world, I shook the very
foundation of his sanity, I blew his mind and he let me go! Never underestimate the power of
suggestion.

Defer
When confrontation is unavoidable, consider deferring to another authority (your friend, your boss,
your mother). I see it regularly as a real estate investor; the person with whom I am speaking is
uncertain about giving a price, so they have to check with someone. It can be an effective, albeit
freshman, approach.

Lie, or Be Selectively Honest
In his The Decay of the Art of Lying, Mark Twain said it best: Lying is universal we all do it.
Therefore the wise thing is for us diligently to train ourselves to lie thoughtfully, judiciously; to lie
with a good object and not an evil one; to lie for others advantage, and not our own; to lie
healingly, charitably, humanely, not cruelly, hurtfully, maliciously; to lie gracefully and graciously,
not awkwardly and clumsily; to lie firmly, frankly, squarely, with head erect.

Practice these tips, and at the least, they may get you out of your next traffic stop.

Ian Charles Parrish is an investor and president of Investors United School of Real Estate,
Americas first professional school for real estate investing. For more advice, Ask Ian.
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