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One technique
is to announce at the start of your speech that you will have a question and
answer session. This will insure your speech is not interrupted and that the
audience is thinking of some questions to ask you. It will also help you control
use of your time.
If
nobody has a question, start out by saying that one question you are frequently
asked is "..................". Normally people will think of questions
while you are answering your own question. It's also a good idea to put the
items you want to be asked about immediately before the question and answer
session. If there are no questions, be prepared to go directly to your summation.
When
you prepare your speech, try to predict what the questions will be and prepare
your answers in advance.
There
may be a question that you think most of the audience doesn't understand. In
which case you should rephrase the question. If the question isn't related to
your subject, you might tell the audience member that the question doesn't
directly relate and that you would like to discuss it privately at the end of
your presentation.
If
you don't know the answer to a question, you can redirect the question to the
audience or admit that you aren't familiar with that particular aspect of the
issue, but will research it and provide an answer. Offer to put the answer up on
your web site.
It's important to keep your answers short.
The audience doesn't want to hear another speech or see your slides all over
again.
Take questions from the entire room, not
just the first rows.
Address the entire audience, not just the questioner.
Always be respectful of your audience. If you get asked a
dumb question, provide an answer without disparaging the questioner.
If
a hostile questioner starts giving his own speech, wait until he
takes a breath and thank him for his thoughts. Immediately state that you would
also like to hear what others have to say and quickly call on somebody else from
another part of the room. That way everyone's attention is redirected elsewhere.
Signal
that you're finished with questions by saying "Does anybody have a final
question before I conclude my remarks?" During the conclusion briefly sum
up your key points. |
