English for Oral Presentations - How to handle audience questions

Slides on how to hand presentation Q&A and set ground rules for presentations

1. HANDLING AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 5 Unit

2. At the end of the unit, you will be able to : Handle questions and comments from the audience Set ground rules for presentations LEARNING OUTCOMES

3. 11 Ways to Help You Handle the Q&A Session Professionally Listen to each question attentively Keep a neutral stance Maintain eye contact with the questioner Ask for clarification or repetition of the question if you are in doubt Allow yourself a minute or two to think about the question HANDLING QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM AN AUDIENCE

4. Be honest Give credit to the person who asked the question Correct the questioner if he/she has misunderstood what you have said during the presentation Do ask the questioner if you have answered their question Keep track of the allocated time Thank the audience for their questions, then conclude with a brief summary of your presentation HANDLING QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM AN AUDIENCE (cont.)

5. HANDLING QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM AN AUDIENCE (cont.) Anticipating the Questions and Comments Conduct an audience analysis Implement a brainstorming session

6. IDENTIFYING THE TYPES OF QUESTIONERS IN AN AUDIENCE Five Random Types of Questioners

7. IDENTIFYING THE TYPES OF QUESTIONERS IN AN AUDIENCE (cont.) Interacting with the Questioners If someone keeps asking questions and dominates your Q&A session with his/her mini speeches, you could just answer the first question and move on to the next person.   If someone asks you a question about a topic or an issue that you have already covered in your speech, do reiterate your explanation briefly.

8. IDENTIFYING THE TYPES OF QUESTIONERS IN AN AUDIENCE (cont.) If someone asks you an irrelevant question, you could just state that your presentation focusses particularly on your topic. When dealing with hostile questions, you could address only the questions. Avoid dealing with the issues behind the hostility.

9. SETTING GROUND RULES FOR THE PRESENTATION Two Ways to Set Ground Rules Outline the format of the presentation Suggest written questions

10. SETTING GROUND RULES FOR THE PRESENTATION (cont.) Categorising the Questions

11. SETTING GROUND RULES FOR THE PRESENTATION (cont.)

12. SETTING GROUND RULES FOR THE PRESENTATION (cont.) Dealing with Interruptions Answer the questions quickly (provided the questions are related to the topic) Ask the questioner(s) to postpone the questions

13. CLOSING WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS If there are no questions during the Q&A session, you could turn the session into an extended session of your presentation. E.g. For a product/service presentation, you could use this excess time to: Share more information about the benefits or gains Ask the audience a few questions to get feedback that could benefit your product/service Explain about your company and other available products/services