HANDLE Q+A LIKE A BOSS - There Is No Maximum To Human Potential - HumanPoint
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There Is No Maximum To Human Potential
HANDLE Q+A
HumanPoint
LIKE A BOSS
11900 NE 1st Street, Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
425.637.3018 office
info@human-point.com
www.human-point.com
Dear Presenter,
Delivering a great talk requires being prepared for both the formal
presentation, as well as questions and answers. Many people fear
Q & A because they feel they are giving control over to the audience.
The reality is, the audience is already in control because they choose
individually when to engage or ignore the speaker. I wrote this guide
so next time you have a speech to prepare, you can review this and
remember the proper steps for preparing and facilitating Q & A.
Whether you are speaking alone or in a panel of speakers, this guide
is relevant, so I hope you find the information helpful. If you do,
please pass along to others who may benefit.
All the best,
Amy Hedin
human-point.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Introduction 2
• Q+A Logistics 4
• Q+A Transition 5
• Q+A FAQ 6
• About HumanPoint 8
Amy Hedin Handling Q+A Like A Boss human-point.com | 1BE AUTHENTIC. DON’T BE AN IMITATION.
Q+A is a chance for the speaker to virtually or literally hand the audience the microphone, and allow
them to direct the speech. It is also a chance for the speaker to show the audience who they really
are. This requires being authentic, transparent and vulnerable. Sometimes during the formal
presentation, we go into presentation mode because we are trying to remember the next thing we
are going to say. Q+A is not scripted, so we are required to think on our feet, and answer the ques-
tion to the best of our ability. If you are funny, show the audience your sense of humor. If you are
not funny, don’t try to be. In other words, be yourself.
Answers are real. No fillers.
When you answer a question, try to eliminate filler
statements. Here are some common filler statements…
“I think…”
“I believe…”
“I feel…”
The truth is, your audience does not care what you think, believe or feel, so just give them the
answer. If you think no, say, “no.” If you think yes, say “yes.” Then go on to explain your reasoning.
By doing so, you will sound more powerful, credible and confident.
Next, be succinct with your answers. Some people are better at thinking on their feet then
others. If you can’t do this well, you will need to prepare a list of possible questions in advance,
and rehearse your answers. When I am preparing individuals or teams for critical presentations, a
big part of our practice is to rehearse Q+A. I will draft a long list of possible questions, and I will
drill them while videotaping their answers. This is a highly effective way to work out clear, concise
and succinct answers.
You should always think and pause before responding. This advice seems simple and obvious, yet
so many times we are in a hurry to respond so we begin to formulate our response as the
audience member is still asking the question. So many speakers try to fill in the dead air during this
time by either speaking too soon, or by saying things like, “That is a great question.” This is just a
filler statement that does not add value, so using pauses is a more effective method.
2 | human-point.com Handling Q+A Like A Boss Amy HedinLISTEN FIRST. SUMMARIZE SECOND.
THEN RESPOND.
For extra credit, hit on a key message.
How many times have you sat through Q+A and have only
heard answers, but never heard the question? Please remember
to restate the question before answering so the rest of your WHAT IS A
audience can hear the question. It also gives your brain time to KEY MESSAGE?
create an intelligent response. When you restate the question,
don’t’ restate it word for word, especially if it is a three part A key message is
question that took the audience member two minutes to ask. an important theme
Instead, restate just enough to provide context to your audience. that exists in your
It is also an opportunity for you to enhance the question so it formal presentation,
ties back to a key message. that the purpose is to
get the audience to
Speakers believe their job in Q+A is to answer the questions to
take action, believe
the best of their ability. This is partially true. The best speakers
or feel a certain way,
use Q & A to really drill into their key messages from their
or become informed
formal presentation, by adding in statements in the form of
about a topic. Key
answers to questions. The best way to explain this is to use a
messages also help
real life example.
create flow and
Here is a simple example…
consistency in the
“Mr. Gates, when did you decide to tackle Polio eradication?”
formal presentation.
“Why is this such an important cause for you, and for the
Foundation?” “And finally, when do you expect our world to be
free from this horrible disease?”
Restating provides an opportunity for you to refine the question
and to hit on your key messages from your formal presentation.
Mr. Gates possible restatement:
“The question is regarding the Foundation’s commitment to
eradicating polio by 2020, and why this is a top priority for us.”
To read more about Polio eradication strategy and the
great work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visit
www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/
Global-Development/Polio#OurStrategy
Amy Hedin Handling Q+A Like A Boss human-point.com | 3Q+A LOGISTICS
BEFORE Q+A
Remember to factor in Q+A time into your overall presentation time.
To begin Q+A tell your audience how much time they have, or how
many questions you can answer.
EXAMPLE:
“We have time for 2 questions.”
EXAMPLE:
“We have 2 minutes for questions.”
Estimate 60 seconds per a question.
DURING Q+A
Keep track of time carefully and when you are getting close to the end
time, ask your audience for one final question and thank them for their
interaction and ideas.
EXAMPLE:
“Thank you for your interaction today, we have time for one final
question.”
AFTER Q+A
At the end of Q+A provide your audience with one final action
statement, a second close, that ties back to your key message.
Remember to thank the meeting sponsor or organization you are
speaking for.
4 | human-point.com Handling Q+A Like A Boss Amy Hedin3 STEPS TO
TRANSITION TO Q+A
1. Wrap up statement to
transition to Q+A
2. Pause for applause
3. Tell your audience how long
you have for Q+A
“I have 4 minutes for questions“
Amy Hedin Handling Q+A Like A Boss human-point.com | 5EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
Answer Questions Like a PRO
5 SIMPLE STEPS TO MANAGE Q+A LIKE A BOSS
1. Listen to question
2. Restate questions so your audience is able to hear-summarize not
word for word
3. Pause + think before you speak
4. Look audience member in the eye when you answer
5. Confirm with audience member that you answered their question
• If they nod their head or say ok, move on
6 | human-point.com Handling Q+A Like A Boss Amy HedinQ+A THEMES
Theme of Question
• Reveal audiences concerns
• Shows where you may need to add
additional opinions or beliefs
• Confirms overall opinions or beliefs
Use audience’s questions to draft a close
for your presentation
• Step One: Listen to theme of questions
• Step Two: Respond in your close
Amy Hedin Handling Q+A Like A Boss human-point.com | 7Q+A FAQ
What should I do if nobody asks a question?
First of all, you must wait for at least 30 seconds before doing anything.
During this time, be patient, smile and stare at the audience. Most of the
time someone will speak up to end the uncomfortable silence. If they
don’t, you have two options.
Option 1: End your talk by giving your final
statement or final close. Remember to thank the
audience and host.
Option 2: Prepare a question in advance, and ask
this question as follows,
“Many people wonder…(Insert your
question here).”
Then, provide the answer for this pre-scripted
question. When you do this, many times it breaks
the ice with your audience and they will begin to
ask questions. If they don’t, simply go to your final
close.
One way to avoid this with larger audiences is to gather questions from
the audience during the speech, then have a few selected for you to
answer. This requires support staff or technology to assist you.
8 | human-point.com Handling Q+A Like A Boss Amy HedinQ+A FAQ
What if you don’t know the answer to their question?
With proper preparation, the likelihood of this is greatly reduced. I prepare
speakers for Q+A by developing a list of questions we can anticipate the
audience asking, then rehearsing the answers until they are clear and
concise.
If someone asks a question you really have no clue about, and would be
completely guessing by answering, it is best to just say, “I don’t know.”
When this has happened to me in the past, I have had audience members
assist me in answering the question.
When I am more sure, but not 100% sure about my answer, I will take a
slightly different approach. I will state my answer as follows, “I think the
answer is X, and I will need to verify by...”
When you know the answer, state the answer. Remember, no fluff.
It is never wise to make up answers when you are not sure, because
speakers lose credibility with their audiences quickly when this happens. I
have observed people deliver amazing speeches, and then mess up in Q+A
by not having the confidence to be honest with the audience and admit
they don’t know the answer.
Remember, the best way is to prepare
and practice potential questions and
answers in advance.
Amy Hedin Handling Q+A Like A Boss human-point.com | 9There Is No Maximum To Human Potential HumanPoint empowers individuals and companies to reach their highest potential through customized executive coaching programs, strategic planning, organizational and talent assessment, and presentation and facilitation guidance. HumanPoint focuses on working with intelligent leaders to drive meaningful transformation on the human side of the business. Through genuine and deep collaboration with clients across quantitative fields such as aerospace, biotechnology, software, telecommunications, construction, and engineering, HumanPoint delivers results. Our relationships are built on trust and making good on our promises, and we strive to guide our clients to reach their desired outcomes by individually tailoring our solutions to provide fast and lasting change. Founded in 2007, HumanPoint is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington with clients located throughout the United States and world. Amy Hedin, HumanPoint’s CEO & Founder, is a top level executive coach, a business consultant, facilitator, and dynamic speaker, but is best described as a catalyst for her clients’ success. Whether she is working with an individual executive, a team, department, or an entire company, she brings intelligence, creativity, and clarity to helping her clients achieve their goals. Amy has an uncanny ability to see the elephant in the room and to create unique customized programs to address underlying issues and to uncover hidden potential in people and systems. Clients describe Amy as intelligent, insightful, engaging, genuine and dynamic. Working with Amy is like having an extra brain, an extra smart brain. Specialties include: preparing technical leaders for key presentations, executive coaching and leadership development, organizational and employee assessments. Amy is an excellent public speaker and delivers customized talks at conferences, industry events, and onsite at companies on relevant business topics. 10 | human-point.com Handling Q+A Like A Boss Amy Hedin
11900 NE 1st Street, Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
425.637.3018 office
amy@human-point.com
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