The ABC's Of Q & A Sessions In Public Speaking
During presentations, it is the question and answer part that
serves as a good occasion to know how much the audience
understood or how much they did not understand from all of that
speaking you did. It is also the best opportunity to be able to
show your sense of humor, if you have one. Also, the question
and answer portion is a good means to get your audience to
participate.
The most used way, if not the most boring one, to open up the
question and answer portion is: are there any questions? Or,
"Now let's take in questions."
To make the presentation more fun for them as well as for you,
as the presenter, to appear you are enjoying your time and are
also having fun, why don't you try saying this as a way to open
up the session on question and answer: "The last presentation I
had, the first question I received was, `Aren't you tired yet?'
and `Do you have the time?'"
In order for you to continually captivate your audience, you
should as much as possible try to do something different from
the regular presentations people do. It is also a good idea if
you prepare for the question and answer part. Try to spend time
thinking of the possible questions some people in your audience
may ask after your presentation. Now that you have a fairly good
idea, create some good natured humor to go along with your
answers. Use these before you provide the answer that is serious
and real.
The audience will think best of you if you provide them with a
witty remark that in their opinion seems spontaneous and does
not appear rehearsed, even if it is.
But what if no one dares ask the first question? This problem
will be automatically solved by planting - this time - rehearsed
questions on some members of the audience.
What you could do is to select some people from the audience and
ask them ever so politely to assist you with your
post-presentation session. You may ask them as you are
researching for the profile of the audience you will be
presenting to or while you are warming up to them prior to the
program. If in case they agree to being your accomplice, request
that they raise their hand when you open up the session on
question and answer. This is the time that they will be asking
you that pseudo-question.
The question you will ask them to ask serves two purposes: to
break the ice through humor and encourage others to ask their
own serious questions, or that they should be amused enough to
stay still and listen until the end of your presentation.