Salespeople use Cushioning Statements when they want to allow the customer to feel heard, enable the customer to gain confidence in the salesperson, and when the salesperson wants the customer to open up his/her thoughts. In Model UN, it is a strategy that the Best Delegatemay use when he or she too wants other delegates to feel heard and enable other delegates to gain confidence and trust in him/her.
Here are some examples:
* Good question!
* I’m glad you asked…
* Another delegate asked me that earlier.
* Interesting point.
* I haven’t heard that argument made yet.
* I understand, but…
* I understand, and…
* That’s a legitimate concern.
* I can see why your country would agree/disagree with this policy/idea/operative clause/etc.
Think for a moment that you’re a delegate with a real question or concern. Wouldn’t you feel at least a little more respected or heard if another delegate replied with one of those Cushioning Statements before launching into his/her response? I sure would.
There are many situations in Model UN when you can insert a Cushioning Statement to make other delegates feel like they can trust you or that you care about their questions and opinions: when you yield your speech time to questions, when you are defending your policies or solutions in an unmoderated or informal caucus, and when you are answering questions during formal caucus. You can even insert Cushioning Statements into your speech, although Cushioning Statements are usually most effective when directed at the individual delegate that is questioning or interacting with you.
Try some of these next time, and post in the Comments section some of the Cushioning Statements that you use!
