The YouBlog

Making the Most of a Q&A Session

SO MUCH POTENTIAL — for good and bad — lurks in a typical Question & Answer period. But before I give you my thoughts, let me ask you how you handle these:

· Do you finish your presentation with a slide that says "Questions & Answers" and just go from there?

· Do you say, "Any questions?"

· Do you consider in advance what kinds of questions you're likely to get?

· How do you wrap things up when the Q&A session is over?

· What's the reason for a Q&A session in the first place?

Okay, that last question should be easy. It's to give your audience a chance to get your response on things that may be of interest or concern to them. But Q&As provide a lot more than that.
        A Q&A session breaks through the formality of a presentation. It provides a chance to make a personal connection between a presenter and his or her audience. And those can be incredibly powerful results — if you don't come across as stiff, defensive, or unprepared.
        Q&As can be deadly when they just hang-there; when the audience seems to have nothing to say. Is it because you absolutely nailed the presentation and there's not a thing they could possibly ask you? Is it because you bored them to tears and they just want you to leave? Are they afraid of speaking up, for fear of how you or others may react to their question?
        It doesn't need to be this way . . .

How best to handle a Q&A

A Q&A should be an extension of your presentation as a whole — a vibrant conversation between you and your audience. If you've gotten them excited about your ideas, the Q&A enables you to get into detail on specific items. If they're interested, but not yet certain about your case, the Q&A helps them resolve their concerns.
        You can't leave this all to chance, however.
        Preparation is critical to handling Q&As smoothly and succinctly. Think through what your audience is likely to ask and see how much of that you can build into the body of your presentation. Being preemptive in answering their likely questions or concerns strengthens your case substantially. You may still get questions you haven't anticipated, but preparing for their questions will increase your sensitivity to their point of view.
        During the Q&A, it's important to answer their specific questions. That sounds simplistic, but very often presenters launch into an answer that is not what the audience was looking for. So make sure you understand their question. It's perfectly acceptable to repeat the question back to them or paraphrase it. (And you might want to then add something like, "Is that correct?" or "Did I hear that correctly?")
        If paraphrasing still doesn't help you, go ahead and ask them for some clarification. They want to get to the heart of an answer as much as you do.
        The Q&A also provides a great opportunity for you to ask them questions. Prepare two or three questions on which you'd like to hear their answers — either to deepen your knowledge of their situation, or to help prompt their questions and interaction. You should never be stuck with that awkward pause that surrounds a "No questions?" remark.
        If you're part of a team presentation, there should be one person in charge of moderating the flow of the Q&A. It's too easy for a session to spin out of control if each person on the team feels compelled to add their view.
        Finally, be on the alert for when and how to wrap up the session. Don't let things just peter out, followed by a limp "Ah, thank you." Instead, give a high-level recap of the ideas covered in the presentation, add any insights from the Q&A if its appropriate, and then finish with the next steps you've already laid out for them.

Comedians will tell you that the best ad-libs are not left to chance. Your Q&A sessions should be the same.

Presentation Sleight-of-Hand

AHH, THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: "Where do I put my hands?" Ever heard it? Ever said it or thought it? It's not a stupid question, but it's not the most important thing to think about when you're getting up in front of an audience.
        The bigger question is: Do you have something to share with them that will get them at least interested, and perhaps even excited or inspired about what you have to say? If you've got that, all the rest is superfluous.
        Think about magicians. Not the grandiose ones, but the ones who excel at close-in work like card tricks and other sleight-of-hand. What makes them successful (beyond their patter and dexterity)? Misdirection. That's the key. They get you so absorbed in one part of their trick that you don't even see what else they're doing. It's amazing what you don't see when you're focused on one thing.
        Want a fun example? Play this video and count how many times the guys in white pass the basketball. (Be sure to press the green "play" button.) When you're done, play it again and watch the whole scene, not just the people in white. See anything different? (Even if you've seen this before, watch it again and focus only on the people in white. See how strong our brains are!)
        The point of all this is not to turn you into a slick showman. You can be very simple in your approach and still have great impact — IF you have really compelling content. If you don't, no amount of flash or dancing gorillas will help you.
        So rather than worry about where you should put your hands, just concentrate on getting them locked into your ideas. Do that and they won't care where you put your hands (and neither will you).