TIPS FOR CONTROLLING QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS

Opening:  Remember, when introducing the question and answer session it is important to advise your audience as to the duration allowed for it.  Always pause to give your audience time to move from passive to active involvement.

If after a pause, no questions arise, you may want to get the ball rolling with a question you are frequently asked.  This will give your audience even more time to think and may provide the impetus for generating related questions.

Controlling: When asked a question, repeat it in your own words. This will check your understanding and also ensure the audience have heard what is being asked. Always break eye contact with the questioner and respond to all your audience.

If the question is hostile ensure that when you repeat it in your own words you take the sting out of it.  Once you have answered their question, do not return eye contact to the questioner.  If the individual continues to demand your attention or contribute incessantly suggest that you can both continue this interesting discussion over coffee or at the end of the session. Remain courteous and invite other questions from the group.  Sometimes a member of the audience may be noisy or talkative during the session.  This can be avoided by requesting one person to speak at a time before commencing.

To avoid going off the point during a question answer session consider the questions carefully. If you believe a response would take you outside the remit of your presentation say so. Perhaps you can discuss the answer after the presentation or send it to all the audience at a later stage.

If you do not know the answer to a question always say so. Once you have done so you can see if anyone in the audience knows the answer although that does not guarantee that you will get the   correct answer. It is always a good idea to promise to send the correct answer to all participants at a later date. Always follow through on such a promise as not to do so may damage your credibility.

Closing:  When the questions from the floor have dried up or the time for questioning has elapsed and you have taken your final question this marks the end of the question and answer session but it does not represent the end of the presentation.  Rather than ending on a low note return to presenter mode and summarise the objectives and your expectations for the audience and thank them for their time.   Ensure you are the last person to leave the room and make sure it is as you found it.

An Extract from "Talking The Talk – A Guide to workplace communications" by Eimear Barry and Fionnghuala Kelly published by Blackhall Publishing

www.blackhallpublishing.com