Questions and Interruptions

Many speakers do well delivering the speech or presentation, only to falter during the question-and-answer period. The key to handling this segment effectively is prepa­ration. Spend time before your speech thinking about the questions that might arise— including abrasive or difficult questions. Then be ready with answers. In fact, some experts recommend that you hold back some dramatic statistics as ammunition for the question-and-answer session. However, bear in mind that circumstances may require some changes in the answers you prepare.

The golden rule is: Never dismiss a question. Never show you listeners to be stupid (even if they haven’t listened to anything). Never be sarcastic, or make a joke at your listener’s expense. Stay Cool! Stay Friendly! There are several techniques used to handle difficult questions.

REFLECT – back to the questioner what you thought was the question (“if I understand you correctly, you’re asking…»)

Depending on how the questioner ‘reformulates’ the question, answer OR

DEFLECT it as follows:

GROUP: “How do the rest of the group feel?”

“Has anyone else had a similar situation?”

RECOCHET: “(to one participant) “Bill, you’re an expert on this?”

REVERSE: (back to questioner) “You’ve obviously done some thinking on this. What’s your view?”

“DOs and DON’Ts” For Answering Questions

DO listen carefully to the question and check that you’ve understood it (“I think you’re asking…. Is that right?”).

DO check that you’ve answered the question satisfactorily (“Does that answer your question?”).

DO take questions from all over the room. Don’t concentrate on one particular group of people.

DO stay cool, however hostile the questioning may be.

DON’T expect questions to come up as soon as you stop talking. You are asking the audience to go into a different mode, so be prepared to wait to “plant” a question in the audience to get things going.

DON’T make your answers too long. You may bore the rest of the audience.

DON’T ever put a questioner down.

DON’T pretend you know the answer to a question if you don’t. (“I’m afraid I can’t give you the exact figures now. Or perhaps you might ask if anyone else in the audience knows the answer”).

DON’T try to answer a statement from members of the audience. Just say something like: ”That’s an interesting point of view. May I have the next question, please?”

The Visual Aids

Most formal speeches and presentations incorporate visual aids. From a purely practical standpoint, they are a convenience for the speaker, who can use them as a tool for remembering the details of the message. Novice speakers also like visual aids because they draw audience attention away from the speaker. More important, visual aids dramatically increase the audience's ability to absorb and remember information. Audiences remember only 10 percent of a speaker's message when it's presented solely through words; however, they remem­ber 50 percent when the information is supported with such visual aids as slides and overhead transparencies.