Disney cast member ready to PREspond toguest questions. Photo: Offbeat Training LLC

A woman, holding a very young child at arm’s length, rushes by a Disney cast member. (She needs to get to the restroom.) He says, “Third door on the right.”

An older man looks down at a guide map and almost walks into a cast member. (He's confused.) She asks him, “Can I help you find something?”

A woman opens the back of her camera. (She needs batteries.) The cast member says, "The camera center is right here.”

To these guests the cast members' comments seem like magic. To the cast members, it's just another day on the job PREsponding to guests’ need.

Walt was a movie maker and PREsponding is an old movie trick. Things that happen in a movie can be pretty farfetched and elicit an “Oh come on now” response from an audience. To prevent that response, movies will often have one character object to what is happening so that another character can address the audience reaction at that precise moment.

The best example ever: In the 1980s movie War Games, a young Matthew Broderick is given control over the USA’s nuclear missile control computer. A character then objects, “But general, he’s just a kid. How can you put him in charge?” The general responds, “I’d pee on a spark plug if I thought it would help.” The audience, objection forgotten, laughed and accepted the premise.

It was only natural that Walt Disney would apply this technique to his parks. Beyond cast member behavior, the Disney parks are designed to PREspond to guest needs.

• Entering a park? If you need a stroller or camera supplies, they are on your right (Most people veer to the right).
• Exiting a park? If you want a last-minute souvenir, it’s on your right.
• Liked a ride? Merchandise is available at ride exit.
• Have trash to drop? There is a trash can within 25 steps of your location.

Regardless of our profession or our life situation, we can all apply PREsponding techniques. 

• Customer service personnel can answer common questions when they are usually asked by customers.
• Trainers, teachers, and instructional designers can place pieces of content at the moment of most relevance for the student.
• Leaders should address rumors and needs as soon as they surface.

The trick is to deliver what the guest/customer/client/spouse/other needs when the other person begins to realize they have that need. So how do you do that?

Pay close attention to the questions that are asked of you, and the times, location, and context within which they are asked. Then offer the answers BEFORE the questions are asked. For you it will be a normal part of your process. For them it will be magic.

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