{"id":30169,"date":"2020-06-30T11:32:12","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T09:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.presentationload.com\/?p=9001"},"modified":"2023-08-09T12:01:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T10:01:18","slug":"qa-sessions-presentations-manage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/qa-sessions-presentations-manage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Manage Question and Answer Sessions (Q&#038;As) in Your Presentations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Allowing the audience to ask questions after a presentation is a popular way to finish, and it has many advantages. You get direct contact with your audience, and the chance to clear up any ambiguities. It\u2019s a good way to show commitment to and interest in your audience and gives you the opportunity to really deepen participants\u2019 knowledge of your subject.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Q&amp;A sessions are not risk-free; they can get out of hand pretty quickly if you don\u2019t manage them properly. Questions unrelated to the topic pop up, criticism of the presentation swells in volume, or someone wants to make a name for themself and hogs all the speaking time, leaving others frustrated. Good management of Q&amp;A sessions involves excellent advance planning and a certain tact and sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The following tips will help you get the most out of your Q&amp;As.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_a5eb5e-72 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_a5eb5e-72 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_a5eb5e-72\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Respond to Questions Positively<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Always answer questions positively and with gratitude. Creating a good atmosphere in which no one is afraid to speak out is paramount. A simple \u201cThanks for your question\u201d or \u201cThanks very much; you raise an interesting point\u201d before you answer in detail helps to ensure this.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_015923-93 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_015923-93 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_015923-93\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Repeat the Question <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is really important to repeat every question. Most of the time, there\u2019s no microphone for the audience to use, so the only way to ensure that everyone has heard the question is for you to repeat it. Not only will all your audience then get something from the answer, but you will (hopefully!) prevent the same question being asked more than once.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_256186-a6 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_256186-a6 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_256186-a6\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Thoughtful Answers Need Thinking Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to give well thought-out and structured answers, even if you need a bit of thinking time. Resist the urge to respond immediately; take the time you need to give a clear answer. Audiences are more patient than you might think and will appreciate not being fobbed off with a shoddy or bungled answer.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_469291-0f .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_469291-0f .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_469291-0f\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Restate Irrelevant Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chances are that at least one question in your Q&amp;A will be nothing to do with the topic at hand. With a little practice, however, you can restate such questions to make them fit in the context and allow the answer to create added value for your audience. You need to work out which aspects of the question <strong>do<\/strong> fit the presentation and reword the question to focus on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allowing random questions can sometimes be a challenge! Thinking about how to reshape any question to make it relevant does wonders for your self-confidence, though.&nbsp; With good preparation and a little practice, the benefits can outweigh the disadvantages and really liven up your Q&amp;A sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_6c9554-29 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_6c9554-29 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_6c9554-29\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prepare for Q&amp;As Thoroughly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before any Q&amp;A it\u2019s vital to have a good think about what questions might arise. Once you\u2019ve finished creating your presentation, study it carefully with this in mind, noting any possible areas which could be questioned.&nbsp; This way, you can think of possible answers, meaning you\u2019ll be far more secure in the Q&amp;A. &nbsp;A trial run in front of a test audience can also be useful, especially if you encourage them to ask absolutely anything!&nbsp; If there are any questions you really don\u2019t want asked, you can modify the content of the presentation to avoid them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will come across as particularly professional and well prepared if you\u2019ve prepared a few extra slides containing additional information, graphics, etc, specifically for the Q&amp;A session.&nbsp; The content for these flows naturally from imagining what you might possibly be asked.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_79a6ea-23 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_79a6ea-23 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_79a6ea-23\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Establish the Rules in Advance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you going to allow questions during your presentation or leave them until the end? Or both? Decide beforehand when questions will be allowed; this is totally up to you. Experienced speakers are usually not put off by questions during the presentation. Leaving questions until after the presentation, though, is just as legitimate, prevents interruptions and also facilitates time management. If you\u2019re an inexperienced or nervous speaker, this is probably a better way to organize things.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_f65739-54 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_f65739-54 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_f65739-54\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q&amp;As vs. Discussion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When planning your presentation, you need to think about how much discussion (as opposed to single questions and answers) you are comfortable with.&nbsp; Intense discussions can of course be interesting and enriching, but there\u2019s a risk of them being dominated by a particular person or faction, leaving the rest of the audience irritated.&nbsp; You can head such situations off with sentences like \u201cI think we should let someone else have a say now\u201d, or offer to continue the discussion at a later date. &nbsp;It\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_79d3b6-05 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_79d3b6-05 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_79d3b6-05\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/QA-powerpoint-presentation-4-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"Q&amp;A-powerpoint-presentation-4\" class=\"wp-image-9006\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_9478b3-6c .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_9478b3-6c .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_9478b3-6c\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>React Calmly and Confidently to Aggressive Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s generally at least one troublemaker at every Q&amp;A. They try to corner you with negative or aggressively formulated questions (often several at the same time). Often people who know the topic well, and can rebut your answers, their underlying intention is definitely to provoke.&nbsp; In such a situation you need to react confidently and <strong>not<\/strong> go on the defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trick is to remain calm and in control, and try to turn the conversation in a positive direction.&nbsp; Conceding that they have a point, or that you agree with certain of their reservations, creates perceived agreement; this can defuse the aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another bugbear is questions which were already answered comprehensively in your presentation, so it\u2019s obvious that the questioner wasn\u2019t actually listening. In this situation, try to avoid making them look foolish in public by such phrases as \u201cAs I\u2019ve already explained \u2026\u201d \u2013 the best tactic is simply to answer the question in a calm and friendly manner.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_006e76-18 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_006e76-18 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_006e76-18\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Manage a Flurry of Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people will throw several questions at you at the same time. It\u2019s almost impossible to keep them all in mind while answering. So the best tactic here is to choose an easy question and answer it thoroughly, allowing the questioner to follow up on it and the other topics to build organically into the discussion. Asking \u201cSo, you had another question?\u201d will either elicit a repeat of an important question, so you can answer that with the attention it deserves, or, interestingly, you will have covered the ground in the preceding discussion, and the questioner will declare themselves satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_2b8433-5d .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_2b8433-5d .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_2b8433-5d\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Don\u2019t Guess! <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to have an immediate answer for every single question. Someone in the audience may have new information, or perhaps you don\u2019t have the relevant figures to hand.&nbsp; Bluffing in such circumstances is a very weak response and can turn people against you.&nbsp; Honesty really is the best policy here:&nbsp; if you don\u2019t know the answer, admit it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to answer but need to make assumptions to do so, you have to make it very clear that you\u2019re proceeding on assumptions, and state what they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, you can promise to contact the questioner with an answer later if that works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_f10101-37 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_f10101-37 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_f10101-37\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Exercise Discretion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some questions can\u2019t be answered; others mustn\u2019t be answered. These might involve such things as internal company matters or data protection issues. An answer such as \u201cI&#8217;m sorry, but I&#8217;m not allowed to say anything about that\u201d might get your point across, but is a bit harsh and dismissive. It works far better to invoke your audience\u2019s sympathy with something like \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ll understand that I can\u2019t &#8230;&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_1809f7-b4 .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_1809f7-b4 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_1809f7-b4\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Set Boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes Q&amp;A sessions come to a close naturally, simply because the questions dry up. However, you can\u2019t automatically assume this. Have a plan in place to prevent the Q&amp;A dragging on forever. You can do this at the beginning by clearly specifying a certain number of questions or a particular time frame for questions. If you prefer to leave the Q&amp;A more flexible, then have a few phrases prepared that will bring things elegantly to a close, for example, \u201cWe still have time for one last question\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_29ba7f-9e .kt-block-spacer{height:20px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_29ba7f-9e .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_29ba7f-9e\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In an Emergency: Break the Silence at the End of Your Presentation!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Even if you\u2019ve prepared thoroughly for questions after your presentation, nasty surprises happen. Like the time when your cheery \u201cSo, any questions?\u201d is met with deafening silence.&nbsp; Most of the time, this has nothing to do with how well you presented, and a lot to do with the reluctance of the individual members of your audience to speak up.&nbsp; It might help to phrase your invitation to speak more gently, e.g. \u201cI\u2019d love to answer any questions you might have\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could also start the Q&amp;A session with something like \u201cWhat people often ask about this is &#8230;\u201d. This often leads to follow-up questions and breaks the ice.&nbsp; Questions to the audience, such as \u201cSo what\u2019s your experience of this topic?\u201d can help. &nbsp;You could also prime a third party (maybe the moderator, if you have one) with a few initial questions, to warm the audience up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Armed with this knowledge, and having prepared thoroughly, you\u2019ll find that Q&amp;A sessions can be not just survivable, but actually interesting and informative.&nbsp; New perspectives are suggested, new options appear.&nbsp; Your hard work has reaped rich rewards.&nbsp; Good luck!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Allowing the audience to ask questions after a presentation is a popular way to finish, and it has many advantages. You get direct contact with your audience, and the chance to clear up any ambiguities. It\u2019s a good way to show commitment to and interest in your audience and gives you the opportunity to really&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":32087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c_presentation-tips"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":134,"label":"Presentation Tips"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/3-14-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Tom Becker","author_link":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/author\/tom\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":134,"name":"Presentation Tips","slug":"c_presentation-tips","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":134,"taxonomy":"category","description":"<strong>Create a professional PowerPoint presentation on your (business) topic that resonates with the audience and stays in their minds. Perfect your presentation speech to match! In this section, we are sharing many helpful and effective tips &amp; tricks for the creation of your presentation and the associated speech with you. Benefit from the tips of our PowerPoint experience of 25 years! <\/strong>\r\n\r\nHere you will find tips on how to prepare your presentation in a target-oriented way, all the way to effective tips on how to create and hold presentations...\r\nFor a varied and at the same time professional presentation speech \u2013 whether on site in front of an audience or online \u2013 use targeted techniques, such as rhetoric, to underline your statements and achieve your goals. Also, use features of PowerPoint to deliver your presentation skillfully. Use the PowerPoint speaker view, or a time display to keep track of the remaining presentation time.\r\n\r\nSkillfully assemble your slides and heed our tips to impress your audience with a professional presentation and a perfected speech and achieve your goals.","parent":0,"count":126,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":134,"category_count":126,"category_description":"<strong>Create a professional PowerPoint presentation on your (business) topic that resonates with the audience and stays in their minds. Perfect your presentation speech to match! In this section, we are sharing many helpful and effective tips &amp; tricks for the creation of your presentation and the associated speech with you. Benefit from the tips of our PowerPoint experience of 25 years! <\/strong>\r\n\r\nHere you will find tips on how to prepare your presentation in a target-oriented way, all the way to effective tips on how to create and hold presentations...\r\nFor a varied and at the same time professional presentation speech \u2013 whether on site in front of an audience or online \u2013 use targeted techniques, such as rhetoric, to underline your statements and achieve your goals. Also, use features of PowerPoint to deliver your presentation skillfully. Use the PowerPoint speaker view, or a time display to keep track of the remaining presentation time.\r\n\r\nSkillfully assemble your slides and heed our tips to impress your audience with a professional presentation and a perfected speech and achieve your goals.","cat_name":"Presentation Tips","category_nicename":"c_presentation-tips","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.presentationload.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}