Page 38 - Power Presntation

Question & answer Session

Sometimes people will get more from the answers to some questions at the end than
they will have got from your presentation as a whole simply because the questions were
phrased in a way that made sense to them from their perspective.

Plan for the transition to the Q&A session in the same way you have planned the rest of
your presentation. When you have your final content, read through it carefully and note
any questions that it is likely to raise, and prepare answers to these in advance. Focus on
any areas in which your message is short of facts or vulnerable to being challenged. This
will help you to anticipate most questions that are likely to arise, as well as prepare more
lengthy answers in advance for questions you are sure will be raised.

Make sure your answers to any queries are helpful and informative, thus helping you to re-
tain control. Some common ways to manage this transition and get questions flowing are:

Have noted on a flip chart questions as they arose during the presentation
and answer them in turn. (Eliminate any early questions that the latter part
of your presentation answered.)

If you have a chairperson agree with them beforehand that they will
intervene and ask some initial questions in an attempt to involve your
audience.

Have someone in the audience primed to ask a simple question.

Ask the audience if there is anyone who can relate to or has practical
experience of an item discussed in the presentation and if their experience
was the same or similar.

Remember, even people who do have questions may not want to be the first to speak up.
In some instances it is equally likely that you are just facing an unresponsive group. This
may be due to the character types within it or the intra-group politics.

When answering questions speak clearly and confidently, otherwise you will appear un -
sure of what you are saying. Do not let nerves draw you into responding hastily, always
think about your answer before you speak, and if necessary refer back to your notes in
order to answer a question.

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