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Archive for How to handle Q&As

7 Steps to an Awesome Q&A

Public speakers and business presenters know that adding a Q&A to their talk can be a great way to get instant feedback from their audience, engage an audience in a conversation, and ensure everything was covered that the audience wanted to hear. But, if managed poorly, a Q&A can look sloppy, get out of hand and torpedo an otherwise great presentation.

So, here are seven tips to ensure your next Q&A is handled well and goes smoothly:

1) The Q&A does not come last. The Q&A portion of your talk should come just before your conclusion. This allows your presentation to end on a high note rather than fizzle out with “I guess there are no more questions.” Finish answering your last question and then launch into a short conclusion that ends with a bang.

2) Invite Questions. Set up your Q&A in a welcoming tone by saying “What questions do you have?” rather than “Does anyone have any questions?” This will position you as open-minded and elicit a better audience response.

3) Come With Your Own Questions. Come prepared with a couple of questions of your own to get the ball rolling. “No one has a question? Well, here’s a question I get asked all the time …” or, “I have a question for you. You are all experts in this field, [insert question]?” Or, you might ask “Were there any parts of my presentation today that surprised you or that you found particularly interesting?”

4) You Control the Time. Don’t allow a Q&A to make your presentation run over your allotted tine. When the time is about up say “We have time for one last question” and then do not take anymore questions. You don’t have to answer every question. If you know you have more questions than you have time for, just say “I’ll be right over here after the presentation and I’ll be happy to answer any additional questions then.”

5) Repeat the Questions. Listen carefully to each question and then repeat it or paraphrase it. The ensures that everyone in the room hears all the questions and it gives you a moment to gather your thoughts before answering the question.

6) You Don’t Have to Know All the Answers. You should prepare for the questions that are most likely to be asked but you may encounter a question that you’re not ready for. Be honest if you don’t know an answer. You can promise to get back to the questioner with an answer or, if it’s appropriate for your audience, you can toss the question to the group by saying “We have a lot of expertise in this room — I’m curious how you would handle this question?” and then quickly become a facilitator. Audiences often enjoy interacting with another and, besides, no one likes a know-it-all speaker.

7) Take Inappropriate Questions Off-Line. If a questioner gets too technical or wildly off-topic, ask them to meet with you later to discuss. Just say, “You are very knowledgeable in this area. I don’t want to lose everyone else here, so let’s take that topic off-line.”

If handled well, a Q&A can be an important public speaking tool and a great component of a business presentation. Following these tips, will help you to deliver a polished and professional presentation from beginning to end.


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Public Speaking Tip 29: Handling Questions When You Don’t Know the Answer

So you’ve just given a great presentation and you’ve moved into the Q&A. Someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer. What should you do?

  1. Make up an answer?
  2. Admit you don’t know but promise to find out the answer?
  3. Throw the question to the audience?

Let’s look at each course of action:

Make up an answer?

Never make up an answer. It’s not ethical and it will catch up with you eventually. Don’t fall into the trap that you have to know everything because you are the speaker. You’ve already proven your expertise in your presentation. Remember: nobody likes a know-it-all. You don’t have anything to prove, except perhaps your humbleness.

Admit you don’t know but promise to find out the answer?

This is an acceptable way to handle the situation but be sure that you do indeed follow up with an answer and that you do so in a timely manner.

Throw the question to the audience?

I believe this is the best of the three choices. It engages the audience and often provides an insightful discussion. You can say something to the effect of “That’s a great question. I don’t have an answer. What do you the rest of you think? How would you handle this?” I sometimes throw questions to the audience even when I do know the answer just to see what others think. “I have an idea but I’d really like to hear what everyone else thinks.”

The Q&A in public speaking and business presentations is a great way to engage your audience and a great opportunity to be inclusive with other ideas and other points of view.