Structure Beats Brilliance

A mediocre answer with clear structure beats a brilliant answer that rambles. When you are caught off guard, the audience is not grading the depth of your insight — they are grading your composure and clarity.

When you genuinely do not know the answer, acknowledge it directly and pivot to what you do know: "I don't have those exact figures, but here's what I can tell you about the trend." Honesty plus a useful redirect beats a faked answer that collapses under follow-up.