- Tell the audience in advance when you will be taking questions.
- Anticipate questions in advance.
- Realise that questions are a good thing.
- Make eye contact with the questioner.
- Always take a brief pause before launching into your answer.
Presentations can be a daunting task for many individuals. From gathering research and organizing content to delivery and engaging with an audience, the process of creating a successful presentation can be overwhelming. This blog post will cover the importance of preparing questions for a presentation, what types of questions to consider, and techniques for engaging with an audience.
Questions are a fundamental element of any presentation as they allow the presenter to demonstrate their knowledge on the subject and engage with their audience in meaningful dialogue. They also provide a platform to expand upon the subject being discussed, making the content more comprehensive and memorable. Asking questions during a presentation can also help the presenter stay in control of the situation. Therefore, it is important to think through and prepare questions in advance.
The types of questions that should be considered when preparing for a presentation depend on the purpose of the presentation, the length of the presentation, and the audience that is being addressed. Questions should be relevant to the content being discussed and
How to Answer Questions in a Presentation
Benefits of answering presentation questions
Although not every presentation will involve answering questions, many have a Q&A format. Answering questions during or after your presentation has many advantages, including ensuring that your audience is satisfied with the information you’ve provided and that you’ve covered all the bases regarding your subject. Answering questions competently can mean the difference between getting hired and not getting hired if you’re giving a presentation to pitch a project or gain business.
It can be advantageous for everyone involved if you respond to questions from the audience during or after a presentation. Your audience will now perceive you as an authority on the subject who can respond to inquiries, giving you the chance to share more details.
What is a presentation?
You could deliver a presentation in a variety of settings, usually with the aid of visual materials. You might give a presentation to just a few people to discuss a business proposal, or you might do so as a subject matter expert to hundreds of people. The visual materials you use to support your speech during a presentation are typically in the form of a slideshow that provides context and visual aids. Whatever the purpose of your presentation, you might have to respond to inquiries about it.
How to prepare for presentation questions
The actions you can take to get ready for presentation questions are as follows:
1. Consider what others might want to know
How you approach your presentation will depend in part on your audience. Your approach may differ depending on whether you’re addressing a group of professionals in your field or those who aren’t familiar with the subject. By determining who your target audience is, you can think about the kinds of questions they might have and the best ways to respond to them.
Experts are more likely to focus their inquiries on particular aspects of your subject that are relevant to other professionals in your field. They might demand in-depth responses and be amenable to industry-specific jargon. Unacquainted people are more likely to have general inquiries and may require straightforward responses in understandable language.
2. Ask others what they might ask after your presentation
Asking people you know who are similar to your intended audience what their questions are can be a good way to find out what concerns your audience might have. If you’re presenting to a customer or client, this may be more difficult, but you could still talk to people you know who work in a related field or position about it. You can either give these people written copies of your presentation materials or give your presentation in person or on video for them.
You could even create a list of questions for them to ask in order to anticipate their inquiries. To find out if certain key points were understood or to learn what questions they would have at the conclusion of your presentation, you could ask about specific sections of your presentation.
3. If possible, review other presentations on this topic
You might be able to find similar presentations online that are on the same topic or at the same event, depending on the type of presentation you’re giving. This can give you a sense of the questions those audiences had and the subjects that generated the most inquiries. Additionally, it can show you how other speakers handled their questions and what sort of responses worked best. Additionally, it might provide you with ideas for relevant data to include in your presentation or additional details to use when responding to inquiries.
4. Research frequently asked questions on your topic
Finding out what questions people frequently ask about your subject online is another way to get ready for the kinds of questions you might receive. This could range from reading questions on websites designed for queries to reading academic research papers, depending on the complexity of your topic. Understanding prior inquiries into this subject will help you prepare for how to respond in the context of your presentation. If the presentation is more of a sales pitch, do some research to find out what queries customers usually ask.
5. Educate yourself on your subject beyond the basics
Depending on the subject you’re presenting on, you might already be a subject-matter authority who is able to respond to even the most difficult queries. However, you might want to prepare by doing more research than just for your presentation if this is a new topic for you or one that you are still learning about. While you aren’t required to respond to every query, having knowledge at least slightly beyond the scope of your presentation can make you seem more knowledgeable to the audience as they do so.
Tips for answering presentation questions
Here are some suggestions for how to respond to questions if you’re getting ready to give a presentation where you expect to field them:
Consider vetting questions
If you are giving a presentation on a delicate subject or to a large audience, it might be difficult to plan a Q&A session. You might be able to arrange this through a contact at the venue where you’re giving your presentation, or you might even be able to set up a way for people to ask you questions online. Then you’ll be able to anticipate questions, prepare responses, and overcome problems with who gets to ask questions during your presentation.
Tell the audience when to ask
Not being clear about when you consider it appropriate for audience members to ask questions can lead to problems with questions during a presentation. The response may differ depending on your presentation style and subject, but typically, the two main choices are throughout your presentation or only during a particular Q Unwanted interruptions can be avoided by stating at the beginning of your speech how you intend to handle questions.
Its okay to pause
You might feel pressed for time if you are asked a question that you weren’t expecting or that is more difficult. However, it’s acceptable to pause briefly before responding if you need a moment to collect your thoughts and decide how to respond. Generally speaking, you don’t want a pause that lasts too long during a presentation, but if you have to pause for a minute before responding to a challenging question, it’s preferable to stumbling over your words or providing a poor response.
Answer truthfully
It’s preferable to respond honestly to a question if you don’t know the answer rather than making up one that might be incorrect. If you’re unsure, you can admit it and provide resources to help people find the answer. Similar to this, you ought to respond in a way that accurately covers your subject and demonstrates your knowledge rather than giving a response that corresponds to what you believe the questioner wants to hear.
Be clear about opinions
It can be beneficial to make it clear when you are offering an opinion when responding to a question if the topic is one that is heavily focused on factual data and research. This is a good way to keep the audience from becoming confused or from hearing your opinion presented as fact. Declaring to the audience that your response is your opinion on the question being posed is clear and has no bearing on their perception of you as an authority on the subject.
Redirect as needed
Sometimes during presentations, attendees will ask questions that are irrelevant to the topic at hand or that may be more concerned with what they want to say than with what you are discussing. In the event that a question is irrelevant or unfocused, it is perfectly acceptable to reroute it. It’s important to do so politely, but you can let them know that you’d prefer to focus on your presentation’s subject and respond to any questions specifically related to it.
Offer to follow up
If a question is posed to you that you are unsure how to respond to, you can offer to follow up with the questioner later. You can admit to them that you are ignorant of that particular aspect of your subject but that you would be happy to speak with them later to discuss how to find the solution. If you can provide an honest response that demonstrates your integrity and lets the audience know you’re willing to find out for them, that can be helpful because if you’re giving a presentation, you’re frequently regarded as an authority on your topic, even if it’s a sales presentation.
FAQ
What are the 3 questions to ask yourself when setting up a presentation?
- Question # 1 – What do I want my audience to know? This question deals with your audience’s minds.
- Question # 2 – What do I want my audience to feel? .
- Question # 3 – What do I want them to do?.
How do you prepare a presentation question?
- Consider what others might want to know. …
- Ask others what they might ask after your presentation. …
- If possible, review other presentations on this topic. …
- Research frequently asked questions on your topic. …
- Educate yourself on your subject beyond the basics. …
- Consider vetting questions.
What are the 7 presentation skills?
- Understand your audience. …
- Tell the story of you. …
- Create a call to action. …
- Use storytelling to make your résumé come to life. …
- Rehearse your interview. …
- Watch your body language. …
- Control your voice.
Should you ask questions during a presentation?
The majority of presentations include audience questions, so speakers should anticipate them. Questions demonstrate interest and a desire for more information from the audience. And even if someone wants to argue with you, it at least shows that they were listening.
