You have learned how to build an effective presentation,
with an opening, body and a conclusion, and how to incorporate gestures and
vocal variety. And, now we want you to DO WHAT?? Answer questions!!
Your skill and confidence are back at ZERO once
again!!
Handling questions can be nerve wracking because of
the potential to get questions that you can't or perhaps don't want to answer.
However, just as with presentations, preparation is a vital tool to help you
perform with ease and confidence in a question and answer session.
Preparation
How can you prepare for something you can't control?
It may seem impossible. However, if you think about it, you do have a fair
idea as to:
- what questions might be raised,
- the expected attitude of the audience (i.e.
hostile, friendly, curious or confused).
The best way to prepare yourself and build
your confidence is to take the time to write down as many possible questions
as you can think of, and then practice answering them prior to the event.
To get more ideas of possible questions, you can ask
others to pose questions to you and practice answering them.
It is particularly important to practice answering
what you consider the most difficult questions. Then, if you do get that
question or a similar one you will be better prepared to respond than if you
received it totally unprepared.
In my experience, unless you are dealing with a very
hostile audience, most questions are much easier than you anticipate they will
be. If you are prepared to answer the most difficult questions you can
think of, handling the less difficult ones will be easy to do.
Some additional tips for "Acing the
Answer":
- If you don't hear the question or understand it,
ask the questioner to repeat it,
- Try to keep calm, even if your audience is
hostile,
- Always respect the questioner, even if you do not
like the question or the manner in which it is posed,
- Don't feel offended if someone asks you a question
you already answered in your presentation or a previous question, they may
not have heard or understood the information previously presented,
- honesty is the best policy, if you don't know the
answer to something, admit it - you can offer to get back to the person
later with the answer.
"I was gratified to be able to answer
promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know".
Mark Twain, Life on the
Mississippi, 1883.
With experience handling question and answer events
you will get an even better idea of what to expect. But there can
always be some surprises.
Ending the Session on a High Note
While a question and answer session can be
stressful, it can offer you an opportunity to clarify things your audience
may not have understood; repeat things you think are important. In
ending the session you will usually have the last word ... use it to
summarize your position or stress what you think is your most important
point of your presentation. This will be your last chance to impress
or inform your audience - use it to your advantage.
After the Session
Following the event, take the time to review your
performance to identify what you did well and what could be improved.
If possible get feedback from others as to their impressions.
With practice and preparation you will be as
professional "in the hot seat" as you are at the podium.