It's Your Move

You’re in a high-stakes meeting. You present your data. A US Director and potential buyer interrupts: "That number is wrong."

You know the number is correct. The Director is simply looking at it through a different lens.

How do you handle this without losing ground or making them lose theirs? There are no wrong answers here, but I think one sticks out more than the others.

What would you say? 

A) “Allow me to present my source for this data.” 

B) “Good catch,” and offer to verify after the meeting. 

C) “Let’s align on the definition, because we may be using different data inputs.” 

D) “What dataset are you referencing?”

Well, what do you think?

In Option A, you might prove them wrong. Comes with risk. He’s a potential buyer after all. 

In Option B, you risk looking as if you made a mistake. Also, leaving room for ambiguity through the rest of the meeting, an American stress-point.

In Option D, you put them on the spot. In America, that's a challenge.

The best move, as I see it, is C.

In many cultures across the Gulf and East Asia, a public correction feels like a personal confrontation. In the US, it’s often seen as "just business." 

However, this case takes a little nuance, a little neutrality to stay in the high-stakes arena with a potential American buyer. Even in the US, direct confrontation can stall a meeting. Here is why Option C works best:

• Reframing: You move the focus from "Who is wrong?" to "Where is the misalignment?"

• Protection: You protect the Director’s seniority while maintaining your own credibility.

• Discovery: You invite them to solve a puzzle with you rather than defending a position.

Some sources to consider:

This is the intersection of Ting-Toomey’s Face Negotiation Theory and Edward T. Hall’s work on context. By using low-context language ("align on the definition") to solve a high-context social problem ("saving face"), you bridge the gap and keep the partnership moving forward.

Influence is not about being right; it is about keeping everyone in the room with you.

Which of these responses would be the easiest for you to use in the moment? How about the hardest?