You’re two minutes into a pitch when an investor cuts you off with a question you didn’t see coming. Or you’re updating your board, and someone challenges a core assumption.
In these moments, your slides and preparation matter less than how you respond. Communicating clearly under pressure—especially when you can’t plan every word—is a critical skill.
Mistakes to avoid
When the stakes are high, mistakes happen. Here are a few common ones to avoid:
Rambling or overexplaining: “Healthcare is complex, and it can be easy to slip into overexplaining,” says Claire Bolger, Senior Director of Marketing & Growth at Health2047. “I always advise founders to research who’s in the room so they can calibrate their level of detail. Set a mental timer for yourself—stay high-level unless you’re invited to go deeper.”
Getting defensive instead of addressing the core concern: “Go in with the mindset that every question is diligence in action, not a personal challenge,” says Bolger. “One thing you hear presenters say a lot is ‘that’s a good question,’ but can sound disingenuous and defensive when a question catches you off-guard. If you flip it, you wouldn’t say it’s a bad question, so don’t fall into the trap of filler language.”
Guessing when you should defer: You may sometimes feel pressure to provide an immediate answer even when you don’t have the information on hand. Instead, consider strategically deferring, either to a co-founder, as a follow-up, or to your appendix. On that last point, “your appendix is your phone-a-friend,” says Bolger. “Have a robust appendix ready, but don’t assume your audience will dive into it. Use it strategically when you need a bridge to provide more context without guessing.”
Drifting off your core message: “You don’t want to sound scripted, but you do need your core message honed and practiced,” says Bolger. “When founders drift too far into hypotheticals or side conversations, they risk losing the clarity that investors and partners are looking for.”
Strategies for communicating clearly
1. Pause and think first. Silence feels louder to you than to your audience. A three-second pause signals thoughtfulness, not hesitation. It gives you space to organize your response.
2. Structure your answers. Yes, you can structure for off-the-cuff responses. Try these two simple frameworks:
Point → Reason → Example: Lead with your key message, explain why it matters, and support it with an example. “We focus on improving chronic disease management (Point) because it’s one of the largest drivers of healthcare costs (Reason). For example, our platform has helped reduce hospital readmissions by 18% (Example).
Repeat → Reframe → Respond: If the question is complex or loaded, restate it in your words before answering. If asked, “Aren’t you worried that reimbursement rates will fall?” you might say: “You’re asking whether changes in reimbursement could impact our business model (Repeat). We actually designed our model to be independent of fee-for-service structures (Reframe). Let me explain how our direct provider partnerships work (Respond).”
3. Know when to say “I don’t know.” Not every question necessitates an instant answer. Sometimes, what you say when you don’t know is just as important as what you say when you do. A confident “I don’t have that information in front of me, but I’ll follow up” builds far more trust than a guess.
4. Know when to say “no.” Some questions require drawing a line. Saying no clearly and confidently shows strategic discipline—and protects your credibility. For example: “No, our model isn’t based on payer reimbursement; it’s a SaaS-based approach designed for direct provider adoption.” It’s better to say no upfront than to hedge and back-track down the line.
In high-pressure conversations, it’s easy to get pulled into hypotheticals or minor details. Effective communicators use those moments to reinforce their mission, their market fit, and their strategic vision. Every answer is an opportunity to remind your audience why your company matters—and why you’re the person to lead it.
