(Total reading time: 3 hours)
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS C.
To have a slip of the mind is human; to drag out the incident is intolerable. When you admit that you lost your train of thought, you're showing your authenticity, and that is acceptable; in fact, it limits the damage to your credibility. Just make sure that you follow up as soon as possible with the missing information.WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ANSWERS?
A. Perry famously blurted out, "Oops!" (See it on MSNBC here.) Although this is understandable, we recommend that you don't skip lightly over your gaffe as he did. Neither should you let your nerves take over (yeah, right!). Finally, the worst thing you could do is to make a disparaging comment that might be insulting to certain groups. (Never say, for example, that you had a blonde or senior moment.)B. Pregnant pauses and extensive note-hunting may work, but it is possible that this method can last a little too long become uncomfortable for both the speaker and the listener. This solution is also unproductive; it does not forward the action appropriately. If you can recover in 5 seconds, great. Any more time than that, move ahead.
D. Spin is often thinly veiled speech. It is so transparent, almost everyone will identify the spin for what it is. Spin doctors generally lack credibility. Proceed with caution on this one.
The main ideas: Forward the action, be authentic, and follow up when you have a brain freeze.
