Mastering the question-and-answer portion of any public-speaking appearance or presentation is critical to ensuring your audience walks away confident in your expertise, convinced of your main point and willing to accept your call to action. Ace the Q&A, and you are a winner. Fumble answering questions, and you may end up a loser.
That is why we are spending so much time on this portion of your presentation. We have already looked at how to prepare for Q&A in this blog post as well how to invite questions from the audience (here). We went over some practical tips on handling the questions, and looked at how to handle a rude or rambling questioner (here).
Now let’s look at how to answer questions in ways that will increase their confidence in you and make them more open to persuasion.
Because you should keep in mind that your goal in the Q-and-A isn’t just to respond to what they ask. Your goal is to reinforce your main points and lead them to take whatever action you want.
Opinion Questions
If the information in your presentation is clear, it is likely that many of the questions you get will be along the lines of “What is your opinion regarding…” or “What do you think about…” In other words, the questioners want your analysis of some aspect of your presentation, either to resolve something in their minds or to test your knowledge by asking you to apply it.
Here is a simple format for you to learn that can be applied to any question that requires you to give an opinion.
After thanking the questioner and repeating the question for everyone, follow this steps:
1) Make a simple declarative statement of your opinion. It can start with “I think…” or “I believe…” Be straightforward and clear, which helps establish your credibility as an expert. Avoid starting with phrases that undercut your opinion, such as “I’m not sure but…” or “I haven’t really thought about it, but….’’
2) Give one or two reasons or examples that back up your opinion
3) End with “And that is why I think…” Either repeating your opinion or tying it to your main point in a way that reinforces what you want the audience to believe.
Here is an example:
Question: “Do you think your proposed project, which very expensive, is really worth us spending that amount of money?”
Response: Start with “Thank you for the question. The question is, Do I believe the benefits of the project outweigh the costs?” (Note how in the rephrasing it becomes more neutral).
Then use the above format:
1) “I 100% believe the benefits of this project outweigh the costs” (clear, declarative statement)
2) “There are a number of reasons, and here’s two of them. First, the project will streamline production which will cut our production costs. Second, the project will enable us to reduce our headcount, saving labor expenses. (Two clear reasons, the more specific the better).
3) “That is why I believe the benefits outweigh the costs, and why you should approve this project.” (repeat opinion and tie it into your call to action.)
This may feel formulaic at first, but with practice you will find it becomes more natural. You can practice this outside work, which will almost certainly make you more persuasive regarding any topic.
“I Don’t Know”
No matter how much you prepare or how well you know your subject there will be an occasional question that will stump you. It may be something you missed in your presentation or something off-topic. This happens to everyone, and most audience won’t expect you to know everything about what you are discussing.
Even so, you want to stay in control and look confident when you respond.
If the question is about something in your data that you have not thought about, you can shift your answer to something related that does reinforce your main point or call to action.
Start by saying something like, “I haven’t looked into that particular aspect yet, but I do know…” and then continue with the related info. The related information could be examples of similar projects or studies, or what other companies have done. As long as you are relating useful information you will still come across as confident and in control.
If the questioner is asking for detailed information that you simply don’t have, say something along the lines of “I haven’t got that in hand, but I will get it to you by tomorrow if that is OK.” If you are speaking at a public venue and don’t have the questioner’s details, say that you would like to swap contact info after the presentation is over. (Note: You absolutely must get back to questioners in the timeframe you stated or you will lose a lot of credibility.)
If the question is so completely off-topic, you can be respectful and just say, “I think that is a discussion for another time. Let’s stick to the subject at hand. Do you have a question regarding that, or should we give someone else a chance?”
More than likely, the audience will appreciate that you kept the focus on your presentation’s topic rather than forced them to listen to something irrelevant.
In the next post we will continue to discuss tips on how to answer question during Q-and-A.
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