career advice

What to Say When You Don’t Know the Answer in a Meeting

What to Say When You Don’t Know the Answer in a Meeting

We’ve all had that moment.

You’re in a meeting. Someone asks you a question you weren’t expecting. You don’t know the answer. Your stomach drops.

Now what?

Most people panic.
Some guess.
Some waffle.
Some freeze and say nothing.

None of those responses help. In fact, they usually do more harm than good.

Because when you try to bluff your way through, it shows. And when you freeze or stay quiet, you risk looking out of your depth. Either way, it knocks confidence in your ability.

But here’s what most people don’t realise. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to show that you know how to handle it when you don’t.

Here’s the line that will save you every time:

“That’s a good question. I don’t have the answer right now, but here’s what I do know.”

Then give them something. The bit you are confident about. Context. Direction. Constraints. Whatever you can offer to keep the conversation moving.

And then follow it up with:

“Let me confirm the detail and come back to you by the end of the day.”

That’s it. Short. Simple. Clear.

Why it works

You stayed calm.
You didn’t guess.
You didn’t disappear.

You showed judgement. You showed awareness. You took ownership.

And that’s the bit most people miss. In meetings, people aren’t just listening for answers. They’re watching how you think. How you handle pressure. How you deal with gaps in information. And how you communicate when you’re not 100% sure.

That’s what earns trust. Not always having the answer, but being clear about what you know, what you don’t, and what happens next.

A quick example

I once sat in on a meeting where a product manager got asked a pretty niche question about a system integration. You could see he didn’t know the detail. But instead of guessing or dodging it, he said:

“I’m not across that integration fully, but I know there were a couple of risk flags raised last quarter. I’ll check if they were resolved and come back to you this afternoon.”

Straightforward. No flannel. Everyone moved on.

Nobody in the room thought less of him. In fact, they respected it. Because he didn’t waste time, didn’t stall, and didn’t bluff. He kept the conversation moving and made it clear what would happen next.

That’s the kind of response that builds credibility. Especially in senior settings.

The real risk? Winging it.

The reason most people try to wing it is simple. They think saying “I don’t know” makes them look bad.

But that’s not what breaks trust.

What breaks trust is pretending you know something when you don’t. Giving half answers. Hiding behind waffle. Making promises you can’t back up.

Saying “I don’t know” the right way shows confidence, not weakness. It shows you know your limits, and you know how to handle them.

It shows you’re focused on getting it right, not just being seen to have all the answers.

And that’s exactly what good decision-making looks like.

Try this structure next time

If you tend to freeze in these situations, this four-step structure will help. You can prep it in advance and use it in the moment.

1. Acknowledge the question
“That’s a good question.”
(Or “That’s something we’ll need to dig into a bit more.”)

2. Be honest
“I don’t have the full answer right now.”
(Or “I’d need to double-check the specifics.”)

3. Share what you do know
“This is what I can tell you...”
(Keep it short. Focus on facts, direction or relevant context.)

4. Own the follow-up
“I’ll confirm and get back to you by [insert time].”
(Then do exactly that.)

You don’t need to over-explain. Just be clear and confident.

And if you’re not sure when you’ll be able to follow up, say so. Something like:

“I’ll check in with [person/team] and let you know what I find out as soon as I can.”

Again, it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about being reliable, clear and easy to work with.

You don’t need to know everything.

When you handle uncertainty well, it builds trust.

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to show that you know how to respond when you don’t. That’s what people really pay attention to.

Next time you feel the pressure to sound smart, remember this. It’s not about having all the answers in the room. It’s about owning what happens next.

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