When you think that presenting to a lot of people is difficult, it gets even more challenging if there is a question and answer session. During your presentation, you control what you are saying. You own the narrative, and the people will sit there listening to what you have to say. However, during a Q and A session, you have no control over their questions. They can ask something relevant to your presentation, or they could also ask something shocking.
Either way, you need to prepare how to respond to them to avoid getting thrown. These are some tips to make you feel confident in responding to questions.
Remain professional
Regardless of the nature of the question, you need to stay professional. It does not matter whether the person is asking a question to make you look dumb, you still need to be respectful. You might also receive a personal question that you don’t expect someone will ask in public. Whatever the question is, you need to use the same approach. Be diplomatic and try your best to answer all of them logically.
Prepare for answering questions
If everyone revolves their questions around your presentation, it is easy for you to respond to them. You know your presentation well, and you can also project the type of problem that they might ask. Therefore, it is an excellent idea if you take the time to identify possible questions and answer them.
Be confident
You might not give the best and most satisfying response, but you won’t make the questioner feel bad if you stay confident. You show that you know what you are saying, and you can look at the person in the eye when you respond.
Be honest
It helps if you can give the first thing that comes to your mind as a response to the question. Avoid sugar-coating or thinking of words that will make your response sound smart. You also need to be honest if you don’t know how to answer the question. However, you need to avoid saying that you don’t know the answer all the time, as it undermines your credibility.
Confirm if you answered the question
After you respond to the question, you need to ask the questioner if you fully answered their question; otherwise, you might need to continue explaining some more. In your mind, your response might have been clear, but it might not have come across the same way to everyone else in the room.
Use your visual aids
It helps if you opt for presentation folder printing. You can use the folders to provide information to the people listening to your presentation. If they fail to catch everything you say, they can look back at the visual aids. However, it also helps you since you can use the information in the folder as a reference when you don’t know the exact answer to a question. You can also direct the people to the folder for clarification.
Answering questions during a Q and A session can be overwhelming. You need to stay calm and answer to the best of your ability.
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