How to handle a Q and A: 3 common and difficult Q and A session questions—and how to turn them to your advantage

"We will now open up the floor for questions". These words strike fear into the hearts of even the most experienced speakers. A Q and A session can make a fool of even the best speakers if handled badly. This is because, even though you have control of what you present, you have little control of what you might be asked in a Q and A. Therefore knowing how to handle a Q and A is critical.

The first step is to be well prepared ahead of time by knowing what to expect. Therefore, in this article, I will describe the top three most common and difficult types of questions you may encounter in a Q and A session and how to handle them effectively and use them to your advantage. Let us begin.

#1 The Out of scope Q and A question

You have just finished a presentation about how your audience can grow vegetables in their backyard. And then during the Q&A an audience member asks a question about your views on the political implications of organic biofuels.

You stare blankly for a while trying very hard to compute the connection to your presentation. The whole time, your face a classic portrait of a meme just waiting for a comical caption.Has something like this ever happened to you?

Usually found following informative speeches, the Out of Scope question takes the discussion way out of the boundaries of the presentation usually to set it selfishly on grounds the asker wants. Indulging the question right away can gravely derail your presentation and undo a lot of the work you have done. It decouples your presentation and takes the focus off the content you have worked so hard to present and refocuses the rest of the audience on an unrelated and presently irrelevant topic.

So, what do you do?

How to handle the out of scope Q and A question: Ask for clarification—shift the burden of proving relevance

Regardless of what direction the question seeks to take the discussion, placing the burden of relevance on the asker is your best bet. Yet what you see many speakers doing is assuming this responsibility.

They try to link the unlinkable and end up diminishing their credibility.

In the example above, a good response might be to say

“Thank you. I am having some difficulty connecting that to backyard gardening. Can you please elaborate a little more on the question?”.

Regardless of what direction the question seeks to take the discussion, placing the burden of relevance on the asker is your best bet.

This forces the asker to either provide a real and relevant link or admit that there isn’t one.

In the first case, you can proceed to answer within the context provided. In the second case, you may refer the asker to discuss with you later as the question is outside of the scope of the audience’s interest in your presentation. This shows respect to all concerned and displays professionalism. Both of which serve to your advantage. Now on to the next difficult kind of Q and A question.

#2 The rambling-on Q and A question

This question starts off well but then 2 minutes in nobody knows exactly what is being asked. This can be a very difficult one to tackle because there are many different reasons the person asking may be rambling on. On one hand they may be nervous or confused. And on the other hand, they may be trying to confuse you on purpose or hog attention.

The latter is rare except for when you are dealing with a hostile audience. In any case, the best response is the same. For me, I use a combination of verbal and non-verbal techniques.

Non-verbal techniques for handling the rambling-on Q and A question

During a Q&A, I like to let each asker know they have my full attention. To do this, I usually take a few short steps towards the person asking the question. When the setup does not allow this, I will at least lean slightly in their direction or turn my body fully to face them.If the question turns into a rambling-on kind, and especially when the rambling reaches unreasonable levels, I will make a smooth but firm motion away from the person. Or I will turn my eyes away as if to say that I am now ready to speak.Want to give this more punch? Nod vigorously as you turn away. This says "Yep! Gotcha!"This is a strong but polite signal that the speaker has exhausted their time and it is time to move forward.

Verbal techniques

Sometimes, non-verbal queues are not enough. Having done the non-verbal, if the speaker persists, I begin to interject. The problem is, the speaker has gone on for so long that, often the question is no longer clear. What I say at this point is to suggest what the question is…“So what you are asking is…?”By doing this, I force the question into a box that I can work with. If the box I choose is not the box the asker means, they can always correct it.

With a little finesse, you can help the asker save face while still adding value for the rest of the audience through an answered question.

Now you might think that, because you give the floor back to the person by asking a question, this approach has failed.  But it really hasn’t. The gentle interruption itself prompts the person so that, when they repeat the question, they are more likely to keep it clear and concise enough for you to answer plainly.

With a little finesse, you can help the asker save face while still adding value for the rest of the audience through an answered question. This is a clear advantage for you because the rest of the audience will appreciate your ability to ease an uneasy situation.

Now on to the most complex of the three kinds of Q and A questions in this article, and how to deal with it.

#3 The Comment-Q and A question

Ah! The infamous comment-question. Every speaker who has been around for a while is all too familiar with the comment question. And, of course, the appending comment-questioner. But what is the comment question exactly? And how do you handle it in a q and a?

Well, it is a comment masked as a question. The scenario usually plays out with the audience member indicating that they have a question and then proceeding to publicly share a comment related or not to your content. Comment-questions are not even questions, strictly speaking.

The good side of comment-questions

Interestingly, comment-questions are not always a bad thing. Sometimes, they can open up an opportunity to briefly explore an aspect of your presentation and to provide people with a fresh and interesting perspective.

Remember that no one knows it all and, often, as speakers, we can learn a lot from our audiences, especially from the questions or comments they share. Comment-questions like this are fine. But there is another side to the comment-question.

The not-so-good

The problem arises when the comment is inherently disruptive or destructive. Or, clearly intended to push the asker’s agenda over the good of the audience.

This tends to happen when speaking as an outsider to an organization – often in the process of change. You might encounter a “question” from an audience member that indirectly attacks the organization’s policies. In other cases, an audience member might have taken issue with something you said during your presentation and then sets out to “set you straight” as it were.

They may be doing this to protect their own beliefs or practices that you perhaps challenged in your presentation. Whatever the reason, for you, it is important to keep one thing in mind – it is not about you – it is about them. Understanding this key concept is at the heart of how to handle this tricky type of q and a question.

Don’t take it personally. Instead, shift the focus back to the presentation.

Shift the focus

Don’t take it personally. Instead, shift the focus back to the presentation. That is, after all why you are all there in the first place.

If the comment is not really relevant, you may use the technique for how to handle the Out of Scope question.

If, however the comment is relevant, I suggest you say something along the lines of

“Thanks for the contribution, but I think I might have missed what the question was”

This encourages the asker to actually ask a question. They will be forced to either ask a question which you can then answer. Or they will be forced to admit that they were only commenting. In which case you can choose whether or not it is appropriate for you to respond to their comment.

It is a Q and A and not a C and A after all.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

Ok. You have decided to respond to the dangerous comment having clearly called it out as a comment and not a question. How do you do it?

Well, your mission, should you choose to accept it is to zoom out to the big picture. A good catch-all response to disruptive and non-constructive comments is to simply reiterate the positive outcome your presentation is aiming to achieve. In other words, zoom out to the big picture.

For example:“I appreciate your views and thanks for sharing. Even though differences might exist in individual approaches and experiences, I am sure we can all agree that improving X is a worthwhile goal. I am here to help us achieve that and with our commitment, we can surely work through to that end”

This is often sufficient because disruption usually occurs at the level of detail. Rarely is the issue about the overall positive changes intended in the presentation.

By moving the focus to the bigger positive outcome you are all pursuing, you can successfully defuse the situation. Your choice of words may differ of course. But the approach can be very effective and work to your advantage by reinforcing your position to the audience as an agent for good.

One last important word

So you have aced your Q and A. You have applied all these techniques and are now glowing at the front of the room as a result of a successful presentation. Your audience is clearly impressed and inspired and your time is just about up. But before you say thank you and take your seat, there is still one very important point to keep in mind.

NEVER end your presentation on a Q and A.

Anthony, you might think, pray tell, why not? After all, if I did so well, why not end on a high note?

I’m happy you asked.

Never end your presentation on a Q and A.

A Q and A often has the power to move yours and the audiences focus back and forth like a ship in a storm.

Even when you have done a good job of handling the q and a session, every question fielded was like a wind pulling or pushing attention in one direction or another. It is not uncommon for this to erode your audience’s memory of your actual presentation.

In addition, people (your audience members) have a tendency of remembering the sensory peaks of an experience and the end of it more vividly than any other part of the experience. In psychology, this is called the peak-end rule. Now, you probably see how a Q and A will tend to stick in their minds especially if it is allowed to end your presentation.You probably do not want this.

The last word should be yours.

I suggest crafting a clear and compelling conclusion for your presentation and saving it for after your Q and A. Craft a conclusion that reiterates your key points; one with a powerful call to action. Once the Q and A session is over, thank every one for their questions, take a step forward, plant your feet and deliver your strong conclusion in a loud and clear voice.

By doing this, you, again, shift the focus back to your message and goal. This stroke of genius on your part takes advantage of the peak-end rule and will further dissipate any negative impressions from a difficult Q and A session.

The audience leaves with the message you want, not the oft mixed-messaging a Q and A delivers. This is perhaps, your biggest advantage in mastering a Q and A. Be sure to use it.

Until the next post, speak with skill.