PRESENTATION SKILLS

Handling Q&A sessions

• Questions are the interactive element of your presentation. They give you a chance to respond to the concerns of your audience by adjusting your presentation on the fly.

• Plus, you can take each one as an opportunity to support your argument and reinforce your message.

• It's also an opportunity to learn more about your audience and give them a chance to see you think on your feet.

Why are question

s and your

responses so

important?

What's the best way to prepare for questions?

Start by anticipating questions that might come up. What questions are likely to be

prompted by your presentation?

Once the questions start coming, what

should you do?

First, listen to the question. You may have to go beneath

the surface and read between the lines.

Make sure you hear and understand the full question before

answering.

Ask for clarification of anything you don't

understand.

Don't pre-empt the questioner by

answering before the question is fully

stated.

Be straightforward. If you don't know the

answer, don't guess. Admit you don't

know; offer to get the answer and provide it to your questioner.

A technique to keep people from shouting out questions, rather than allowing you to call on selected people, is to raise your hand while you ask for questions.

Raise Your Hand

Avoid the Deadly One-on-One

In the worst cases, the question and the follow-up comments from the questioner cannot even be heard

by the rest of the audience.

Your audience quickly loses interest

your focus on the questioner who is rebutting your answer leaves all the other questions unasked and

unanswered.

More importantly, you still risk appearing defensive, unprepared, or less than expert on your subject matter.

Repeat or RephraseCould you repeat the question, please? • Repeat the question before you answer it.• Even better, rephrase the question so that your response can

be presented as a positive. • Nod with your head to convey a feeling of acceptance for what

you are saying to the audience• One of the most important benefits of repeating or rephrasing

the question is that it can buy you time to discern the real question or objection and to formulate an effective response.

Rephrase a negative question while maintaining eye contact with the questioner. •Subtly, nodding your head up and down while you do so will imply that the questioner agrees with your rephrasing.

JUMP! Move your eye contact to someone on the opposite side of the room as you begin to deliver your response.

Finish the answer as far away from the original questioner as possible, by moving your eye contact to someone of the opposite side of the room.

Immediately take another question, if possible, from the side of the room away from the original questioner.

If there are no other questions except for a rebuttal from the original questioner, announce that you are out of time and thank the audience as you move to exit the stage.

Jump, 1-2-3The most carefully crafted presentation, delivered by an expert public speaker, will still face an occasional disruptive or negative questioner who has their own agenda. The Jump, 1-2-3 response can save you.

• Stay calm at all costs. If you return the fire, you'll only encourage more negative behavior.

• Don't judge your entire audience by the reactions of a few, who may not represent the views of everyone. People who interrupt, loudly disagree, or become combative are likely to offend others in the audience as well.

• Be sure to address the issue only. Don't put the individual on the defensive and certainly don't criticize anyone personally.

• Look for areas of agreement you can build on. You can acknowledge the other person's point of view without agreeing with it.

• Stay within the immediate discussion. Avoid offering more facts or opinions that could trigger more disagreement.

• End the discussion by saying simply that you've explained your position, but now it's time to move on. You can offer to discuss the issue further after your presentation.

• Make it clear that time is short and that you want to stay focused on the day's agenda.

The listener who is still resistant—no matter what.

If someone starts to dominate a Q&A

session, respond to the first question or

comment, then move on to include other people in the interaction.

Make sure no one else has a question, before you come back to the same person or call an end to

the Q&A session.

Gen

era

l Ti

ps If the question is totally irrelevant, allow it if it serves

your interest. But again, keep your answer short.

Be quick to correct a questioner who wrongly paraphrases something you said or makes an assumption you don't share.

Don't be led into giving yes-or-no answers if you'd rather put your answer in context.

If someone missed something you said in your presentation, repeat it briefly.

Even if you've already answered the question, respond again, being careful not to embarrass someone

If there is no questions:

Eye Contact

Holding eye

contact is

important for

Connect with one person for certain periodTill you

finish a sentence or a point, then you move to another person

Avoid looking to everyone in the room without connecting to

any one.

Talk to one person at a time than when you finish with him

move to another person

Avoid jumping eyes from one

side to the other in the middle of

a sentence

The goal is to connect to small group of people First, than slowly

move to the other side of the room.

Hand Gestures

People become self conscious

about their hands while they are presenting

What to do with their

hands

Gesturing all the time will be tiring to people

Resting position for your hands while not

gesturing

Resting position for your hands while not gesturing