How To Handle Questions After A Presentation?

Handling questions: most presenters find this the toughest part of their presentations they have to deal with some interesting and some tricky questions. It is very important to end the presentation effectively. It is also important to make the end impactful and interesting. 

Questions should be handled with utmost care, as some will be interesting, some offensive and some tricky. Here are important factors that help in the question phase.

  1. Ending effectively.
  2. Adding impact to the finish.
  3. The RACER model.
  4. Dealing with aggressive questions.
  5. Taking more questions.

 

  1. Ending effectively: it is important to signal the end of the presentation as it helps the audience to get attentive, just in case they have lost track. Ending does not only mean a summary, it should also include a set of personal reflections and ideas to leave a lasting impression. The presenter should stress on the point he made as well as the future benefits of his conclusions. A the end the presenter should also ask for questions.
  2. Adding impact to the finish: the audience should be pushed to action and be left with no doubt in their mind regarding what was presented. To add impact the audience must find value and must be inspired to do something because they feel good about it. If the task delegated needs creativity, it is necessary to emphasis creativity right at the end by being a leader in the group.
  3. The RACER model: the audience is going to ask questions and so it is necessary to be ready, the RACER model will illustrate how that can be done:

ü  R=Respond

ü  A= Answer

ü  C= Check

ü  E= Encourage

ü  R= Return to presentation.

Respond: it is necessary to respond to the question positively and openly, the presenter can be open and be thankful for asking the question, or can counter question to find out the reason for the question, this will help the speaker refrain from giving out unnecessary information.

Answer: the presenter should keep answers short, simple and focused to the core of the question.

Check: after answering a question the presenters fail to ask for more questions. The presenter needs to ask if the audience is happy and satisfied with the answer. They refrain from doing so because the presenter thinks the next question is on its way, but when it’s not, the presenter can be left in an awkward situation.

Encourage: if one person in the audience has been answered the presenter needs to move to the next question proactively and quickly, this will encourage people to ask more questions. The presenter can also be specific in encouraging some specific person in the audience to ask questions.

Return to the presentation: presenters make a mistake of spending too much time on questions, if no more questions are being asked; it is advisable to guide the audience back to the presentation.

 

  1. Dealing with aggressive questions and comments: there are chances that someone in the audience disagrees with what the presenter has to say, and in this case rude and offensive comments may come in front of the presenter. Psychological insecurity is one of the major reasons for conflicts, if recognized can be solved by targeting the correct reason for the conflict or question. Some other major reasons for such questions can be relationship failure, difference in opinion and the presenter’s communication style. To overcome conflict the presenter needs to Clarify, Analyze and Recognize (CAR) the problem and then deal with it. This is how a presenter can easily deal with aggressive questions that too with a cool and calm mind.
  2. Taking more questions: a presenter can face some or more of the questions like:

ü  Not knowing the answer or having the information asked for.

ü  Questions that are not related to the topic.

ü  The audience takes up controversial topics.

ü  The questioner keeps asking questions and does not give others a chance.

In such situations the presenter needs to keep his calm and deal with the question after going through the CAR quickly. The presenter should not be rude or aggressive no matter what. 

Rahul Gonsalves for naashtapaani.com

Article Posted By : ceorahulgonsalveslView All Articles

CEO and Founder of naashtapaani.com with a keen interest in Hr and Marketing.

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