Think on your feet

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ThinkingonYourFeet.htm

This doesn't mean you have to know everything about everything, but if you are reasonably confident in your knowledge of the subject, that confidence will help you to remain calm and collected even if you are put unexpectedly in the hot seat.

1. Relax
2. Listen
3. Have the Question Repeated
4. Use Stall Tactics
5. Use Silence to your Advantage
6. Stick to One Point and One Supporting Piece of Information
7. Prepare Some "What Ifs" - brainstorming the most difficult questions that people might ask
8. Practice Clear Delivery
9. Summarize and Stop


http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-12/living/rs.how.to.think.on.feet_1_blueberry-pie-improv-unscripted-world/2?_s=PM:LIVING

1. "yes...and"
2. Go with your gut
3. Make everyone else in your group look good.

1. "yes...and"
"It was a beautiful weekend." If all you say is "Yes, it was great," that ends the conversation right there. But if you say, "Yes, it was great. And I really made the most of it. I went to a concert in the park and brought my yellow Lab. He snatched a sandwich right out of the hands of some poor woman having a picnic. But we had fun."

You can follow up with "Do you like dogs?" or "Have you ever been to a concert in the park?"

The "yes...and" technique gives you the chance to acknowledge what's been said and then move the conversation to a new place, where you just might discover something -- or someone -- delightful.

2. Go with your gut
"There's no time to rationalize, no time to weigh the pros and cons of your response," says Mike Ross, a 34-year-old lawyer and a student at the UCB.

Or as Yogi Berra put it: "You can't think and hit at the same time."

Try to break the habit of second-guessing yourself before you speak. While you're busy thinking up the "right" response, that awkward silence is settling in.

The key is to trust your instinct.

3. Make everyone else in your group look good.

How it works: Here's what you learn in improv: You're nothing without somebody else. There's nothing to improvise without someone to improvise with. The more you trust others to be your props, the more you invite them to shine, the stronger you get.

How to make it work for you: In any situation, practice acknowledging the others in your group (the "yes") and always make an effort to promote their ideas (the "and"). It quite simply makes for better conversation.