What is Compliment Sandwich?
1.
This is a technique used in the corporate world to masque an insult and make it pallatable for your audience. Specifically you begin your criticism with a compliment follow up with your criticism/insult and then end with a compliment or something favorable about your audience.
"Your firm is in the top tier for the second year in a row and only 6 firms out of 52 are named to the top tier . You did an excellent job. (The Criticsim/Insult) However, you can still improve, we are rolling out personal development plans and every person is going to be expected to improve over the next year. (Ending Compliment) Keep up the great work... here, we got you some pizza!" That is a compliment Sandwich.
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2.
When someone tries to ease the blow of a criticism by delivering it between two insincere compliments.
Scot: "Liza, I love your hair. Your work sucks. Where did you get that sweater?"
Liza: Thanks for the compliment sandwich, Scot.
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3.
The use of strategically placed compliments to buffer an otherwise abrasive remark. These compliments should surround the unpleasant remark, preventing the recipient of the compliment sandwich from becoming insulted.
"Hey, congrats on the new car it looks great! We should defintely joy ride this weekend! Maybe I could get that 10 dollars you owe me while were at it! You're gonna look so cool in this car I can feel it!"
"I just wanna thank everyone for the great effort they put in last saturday to really make things a success. Please stop parking in the faculty lot, or you will be fired. Also, I would like to say you're all doing a phenomenal job so far this year!"
"whoa... I should feel insulted right now... did I just get a compliment sandwich?"
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