2. OF ALL POSSIBLE
PRESENTATION ELEMENTS
OPENING, STORIES,
DEMONSTRATIONS, CLOSING
THE Q&A HAS THE TENDENCY TO
MAKE EVEN WELL VERSED
SPEAKERS LOSS CONTROL
& FALL FLAT

3. ONE COMMON FEAR
THAT CAUSES MANY PRESENTERS
TO DREAD THE Q&A SESSION
IS THE FEAR OF
UNKNOWN
QUESTIONS

4. REMEMBER
Q&A SESSION
IS A FANTASTIC
OPPORTUNITY
TO SHOW JUST
HOW MUCH YOU KNOW
ABOUT YOUR SUBJECT

6. THINK OF
POTENTIAL
QUESTIONS
AHEAD OF TIME
1

7. PUT YOURSELF IN THE
SHOES OF YOUR
AUDIENCE &
BRAINSTORM EVERY
POTENTIAL QUESTION
THEY MIGHT ASK
1

8. PLANT
SOME QUESTIONS
IN THE AUDIENCE2

9. 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

10. PLANT
SOME QUESTIONS
IN 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
LOOK
AT YOUR
AUDIENCE
3

11. PLANT
SOME QUESTIONS
IN 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

12. LISTEN
TO THE ENTIRE
QUESTION
4

13. LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE
QUESTION BEFORE
YOU BEGIN TO
ANSWER. TAKE A
DEEP BREATH AND
THINK ABOUT YOUR
RESPONSE.
4

14. REPEAT THE
QUESTION
5

15. LISTEN
TO THE
QUESTION,
SUMMARIZE IT &
THEN VERIFY THAT
YOUR RESTATEMENT
ADDRESSES THE
QUESTIONER’S
CENTRAL CONCERN.
5

16. CHECK
THAT
YOU’VE
ANSWERED
THE QUESTION
6

17. 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

18. DON’T LET A
SINGLE
PERSON
DOMINATE THE Q&A
7

19. BE ASSERTIVE AND
DEFLECT THEIR
QUESTIONS OFFLINE.
GIVE OTHER AUDIENCE
MEMBERS A CHANCE TO
ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.
7

20. THERE'S NO
QUICKER WAY TO
DESTROY YOUR
POSITION AS THE
EXPERT IN THE ROOM
THAN THROUGH
LONG, WAFFLING,
UNINTELLIGIBLE
ANSWERS TO SIMPLE
QUESTIONS.
BE
CONCISE8

21. WHEN YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE
DON’T KNOW
ANSWER
9

22. 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

23. FINISH
ON A
STRONGNOTE
10

24. 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