It's okay to not know the answer to a question

Let's say I'm on a sales call and I don't know the answer to a question that I'm asked, I'd default to responding with one of the following:

"I'm not sure, but let me find out and tell you". And then follow through.

"I believe the answer to your question is X, but I'm not fully sure. I could find out and let you know if you want me to do that"

Or sometimes in the moment I might say something with certainty but later on privately I may have come across some new information which makes me realise I have given incorrect information to someone. In such cases, I'd quickly reach out to the person who asked the question and tell them that I might be wrong about what I said.

The idea is here to signal that you are someone who cares more about the truth than appearances. That you aren't someone who has ego issues. That you aren't someone who worries that saying "I don't know" would take away from your image as someone who is meant to know a subject well.

Let's flip things around now. And let's say this time it's me who asks one of our managers a specific detail about the progress her subordinate team has made. But let's assume the manager doesn't have the specific details. The natural first reaction of this manager would be to want to start winging it even though they aren't sure about what they are saying. And as much as it is embarrassing to not know the details of something that they are meant to know, it's far better to admit to not knowing and ask for time to get back with proper details. Rather than bullshitting your way through the answer.

The problem occurs when the asker of the question later realises that you told them something incorrect/intentionally vague and didn't bother to hedge the answer with something like "i'm not fully sure, but..". Because they then start doubting other things you say with confidence - even if they are actually true or correct.

If you want to read up more on this topic, go into a rabbit hole with the term "Epistemic Humility" on Google.