OF ALL POSSIBLE PRESENTATION ELEMENTS OPENING, STORIES,

DEMONSTRATIONS, CLOSINGTHE Q&A HAS THE TENDENCY TO MAKE EVEN WELL VERSED SPEAKERS LOSS CONTROL

& FALL FLAT

ONE COMMON FEARTHAT CAUSES MANY PRESENTERS TO DREAD THE Q&A SESSION

IS THE FEAR OF UNKNOWN QUESTIONS

REMEMBER Q&A SESSION IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITYTO SHOW JUST

HOW MUCH YOU KNOWABOUT YOUR SUBJECT

THINK OFPOTENTIAL

QUESTIONS

AHEAD OF TIME

1

PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF YOUR AUDIENCE & BRAINSTORM EVERY POTENTIAL QUESTION THEY MIGHT ASK

1

PLANTSOME QUESTIONSIN THE AUDIENCE2

IT CAN BE EMBARRASSING IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, SO ONE APPROACH IS TO ‘PLANT’A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED, OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL FEEL MORE AT EASE ASKING THEIRS

2

PLANTSOME QUESTIONSIN THE AUDIENCE

IT CAN BE EMBARRASSING IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, SO ONE APPROACH IS TO ‘PLANT’ A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON AUDIENCE MEMBERS YOU KNOW. ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED, OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL FEEL MORE AT EASE ASKING THEIRS

LOOKAT YOUR

AUDIENCE3

PLANTSOME QUESTIONSIN THE AUDIENCE

IT CAN BE EMBARRASSING IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, SO ONE APPROACH IS TO ‘PLANT’ A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON AUDIENCE MEMBERS YOU KNOW. ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED, OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL FEEL MORE AT EASE ASKING THEIRS

ACKNOWLEDGE THE QUESTION AND QUESTIONER WITH EYE CONTACT AND THEN INVOLVE THE REST OF THE AUDIENCE WITH YOUR RESPONSE THROUGH EYE CONTACT ALSO

3

LISTENTO THE ENTIRE

QUESTION

4

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE QUESTION BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO ANSWER. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND THINK ABOUT YOUR RESPONSE.

4

REPEAT THEQUESTION

5

LISTEN TO THE

QUESTION,SUMMARIZE IT &

THEN VERIFY THAT YOUR RESTATEMENT

ADDRESSES THE QUESTIONER’S

CENTRAL CONCERN.

5

CHECKTHAT

YOU’VEANSWERED

THE QUESTION

6

BE SURE TO RETURN TO YOUR QUESTIONER AND CHECK WITH THEM THAT THE ANSWER IS SATISFACTORY WITH A QUICK,

'HAS THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION?'.

6

DON’T LET ASINGLE

PERSONDOMINATE THE Q&A

7

BE ASSERTIVE AND DEFLECT THEIR QUESTIONS OFFLINE. GIVE OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS A CHANCE TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.

7

THERE'S NO QUICKER WAY TO DESTROY YOUR POSITION AS THE EXPERT IN THE ROOM THAN THROUGH LONG, WAFFLING, UNINTELLIGIBLE ANSWERS TO SIMPLE QUESTIONS.

BECONCISE8

WHEN YOU ACKNOWLEDGE

DON’T KNOWANSWER

9

IT IS WORSE TO MAKE UP AN ANSWER THAN IT IS TO HONESTLY ADMIT YOU DON’T KNOW.

Ex. “That’s a good point, but I would have to put some more thought into my answer” is much more effective than bashfully apologizing.

9

FINISHON A

STRONGNOTE

10

END WITH A SUMMARY, OR ONE TO TWO SENTENCES REITERATING

YOUR MAIN POINT

THANK THE AUDIENCE FOR THEIR USEFUL COMMENTS, AND THEIR

ATTENTION AND THEN BE SEATED.

10