Questions From the Audience

PLAN AHEAD

Plan the time you’d like to spend on questions, unless your audience is terribly lost and needs to ask a question during your speech, save questions for the end of the presentation. Put the information you want people to ask about near the end of the presentation. Anticipate what questions the audience might ask and practice responses to them out loud.

HANDLING QUESTIONS

Clarify the question and repeat it. Be concise, specific, and brief. Don’t bring up other issues; always focus on the question. Avoid coming across as defensive.

TO ANSWER OR DEFER?

If you’re unsure about an answer to a question, feel free to admit that you don’t have the answer, tell the questioner and the audience you will follow up, confirm when you’ll respond, and get back to them, or, if you feel confident doing so, you can seek help from someone else in the audience.