Presentations: Responding to Questions

When attending conferences, meetings or workshops, the presentation allows the presenter to share ideas and findings, to open up discussion and to inspire others. It is an important means of communication between colleagues, co-workers, clients and investors.

Usually when the presentation is over, there is time allocated for the audience to ask questions. Why is the question-answer (Q/A) session important? Why do many presenters dread the Q/As? How can this challenge be addressed?

This blog has a look at each of these questions.

Why is the Q/A session important?

The question and answer (Q/A) session allows the audience to interact directly with the speaker and ask questions. It shows that they have engaged with the presentation and are interested to know more about the topic. This time creates a valuable opportunity to exchange information and for learning. It gives the presenter feedback on what is of interest to the audience and on areas for improvement.

There may be a number of reasons for the questions asked:

• To clarify misunderstandings or ambiguities

• To delve deeper into specific aspects to the presentation topic

• To share an interpretation or alternative viewpoint.

If a Q/A session is well-managed, it can enliven the discussion, cultivate connections with the audience and increase the credibility of the speaker.

Why do presenters find the Q/A session challenging?

In the first place, giving a presentation in itself can be a daunting process. Your level of experience and sense of authority in your chosen field will be one factor in the equation. Giving a presentation in front of an international audience of peers is going to be far more nerve-wracking for someone starting out on this journey than for someone who has already done so a few times.

However, there are many tools available to help with creating the text and slides. Good preparation beforehand will allow the creation of an effective and well-articulated account of the presentation topic.

The challenge of the Q/A session is the uncertainty and unpredictability that it entails.

You do not know the exact questions that the audience may ask and whether you can answer them credibly and with confidence. You may fear that the questions will be unexpected, difficult to answer or overcritical of your work. You may worry about remembering everything or get nervous speaking to more senior or more experienced colleagues. A previous poor experience may still be on your mind. This can all add to stress and tension.

If English is not your first language, you will have the added challenge of processing the question from an unfamiliar language and formulating an answer. This adds to your cognitive load and leads to a feeling of being overwhelmed.

How can the challenge be addressed?

Preparation is key. Most professionals devote time and effort to the presentation text and slides but often neglect to prepare for question and answer time. A very important aspect of preparation is that it allows you to role-play scenarios and to achieve a sense of readiness. This in turn builds confidence.

Know your audience

Who will be attending? What will interest them most? What level of understanding will they have of your topic? How formal or informal is the setting?

Having a sense of who will be present will enable you to feel more confident and to identify their likely interests.

Anticipate questions

What is your main argument? Are you putting forward something novel or controversial? Are there technical details of interest to your audience?

Go through your presentation, identify questions that might be asked and prepare concise answers to each one.

Prepare sentence starters

Sentence starters act as prompts and can help to activate your language flow, especially if you feel nervous.

Thank you for your question. I will answer by referring to my work on…

Before I answer, I would like to comment that…

I appreciate your critique and will address it as follows.

Practise

Practise answering imagined questions aloud. Learn to speak slowly and clearly. Record yourself. Ask friends or colleagues to ask you questions and to give feedback.

During the Q/A session:

Take a deep breath and calm your mind. Listen carefully to the question. You can repeat or paraphrase the question, if feasible.

• You are asking me if….

• You would like to know the rationale for…

This gives you thinking time and ensures that the audience has heard the question.

If you are unsure of the question, check understanding or ask the person to repeat the question.

• Can I check that I have understood you correctly?

• Would you mind repeating the question?

Keep it simple

Effective communication does not need fancy terminology or complicated sentence structures. Clarity is what matters.

Use short sentences and terminology that is familiar to you. Practice saying technical terms out loud and take your time when saying them. Speak clearly and slowly. Give yourself time. Use pauses to add emphasis.

Sign off with confidence

Finish the question and answer session assertively. Thank the audience for their questions and show your appreciation for their participation.

• It has been a pleasure speaking to you today. I look forward to speaking further with you in the course of the conference.

• Thank you for your questions. I will be available during lunch to continue the discussion if you wish.

As with any other skill, practice is critical to good performance in question and answer sessions. Prepare well and learn from the experience - you will soon come to see the Q/A session as an opportunity rather than an obstacle!

Based on content originally published in the Communicate with Confidence LinkedIn newsletter

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