Confidently handling Q&A is one of the most important Presentation Skills to sharpen. In a business setting, questions are a welcome sign of audience participation and interest. However, even some of the best public speakers can find Q&A sessions challenging. Unexpected and provoking questions to cause a flood of stress hormones and trigger defensive reactions.
So, how can we nail Q&A sessions without anxiety and stress?
Here are a few simple yet effective tips:
Set a process for asking questions
Keep control of how and when questions are asked by setting a Q&A process upfront. For example, you can ask the audience to type their questions in the chatbox. Inform them that you will go through these at a specific time set in the agenda. A great tool for online Q&A and polls is Slido. I really like the innovative features they offer and it does make the Q&A session a lot more interactive and efficient.
Anticipate & Prepare
Before your presentation, take the time to anticipate questions that might come up. You can do this simply by brainstorming with your team or even checking feedback forms from past meetings. Write them down clearly with answers next to them. Use these for easy reference during the Q&A session.
Show Appreciation
Questions are a sign that your audience is engaged. Make the effort to appreciate their interest with a simple "Thank you, Mark" or "Jen, that's a great question...". It relays confidence and sets a positive tone.
Keep Calm
Stay relaxed and don't allow yourself to get into a defensive position when tackling challenging questions. John Millen talks about the importance of knowing emotional triggers which can set off a downward spiral. A good way to keeping yourself calm is through deep breathing. There are some great tips in my last post on how to untangle your anxiety.
Stay true
Don't feel pressured to have every answer in the book. If you're not sure, it's better to say so and buy time to get back with the right answer after the meeting. Here is an interesting read on how to answer four types of difficult questions.
Delegate and involve the audience
Delegate Q&A tasks to your team members. For example, you could have someone keeping an eye on the questions in the chatbox. Ask them to summarize and even facilitate this part of the meeting. It could help take some of the pressure off and allow you to focus. Slido offers a neat feature in which the audience votes to choose the most important questions that should be answered.
How do you handle Q&A sessions? I would love to hear your views and helpful tips - do share in the comment box below.
Happy Presenting!
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