The TV anchor’s last question during our client’s live interview was a complicated one. And the anchor’s body language indicated to me time was running out almost immediately after he asked the question.

Our client texted me, “I told him off air that it was kind of boring and technical. Evidently he still wanted to ask, even though there wasn’t much time. I couldn’t stop midway through my answer or it wouldn’t have made sense.”

Toward the top of his answer on air, he said, “Very briefly …” Those words indicated he understood time was tight.

The anchor even raised his pen, reinforcing what I might as well translate as, “I know I just asked you the most complicated question of this interview, but it is time to wrap things up buddy.”

Our client: “I saw him raise his pen so I knew we were out of time.”

The entire answer to a complex question was about 20 seconds. Sometimes you unexpectedly need a quickie.