Speakers can often dread the Q and A part of a presentation, thinking ‘what if I can’t answer, what if I fail, what if I lose face?’

Think instead of the Q and A as the most spontaneous part of your talk, sparking fresh and lively debate and giving the audience the chance to join in.

Remember that most people are nice. They’re there because they’ve chosen to come to hear you, they want and need to hear what you have to say, and they’re interested in your message.

But occasionally, you may have to deliver an unwelcome message to a difficult audience, and deal with some challenging questions.

Here’s how

There are only three reasons why people ask questions:

They’re interested and want more information
They want to join in, support you, and show what they know
They want to challenge and test you

Be prepared: Instead if thinking ‘please don’t let them ask me about that’, think up the six worst questions you can imagine them asking, and prepare clear, confident, factual answers.

Take charge: Set your questions policy at the start – tell them if you’ll take questions throughout, at the end of each section or at the end of your presentation.

Listen: Give each questioner your full attention and repeat the question to the whole audience if they couldn’t hear.

Think: It’s OK to pause for thought for a moment before you reply; it adds a note of gravitas. They’ll wait.

Reply: Give the answer to the entire audience too, because if you start having a private conversation, so will they.

Correct: If their question contains an error or an attempt to make you look bad, politely correct the error first. ‘In fact …’

Positive language: ‘Bloggs Widgets has a great record for protecting the environment’ rather than ‘Bloggs Widgets does not pollute the environment’ strikes a positive note, and avoids connecting ‘Bloggs’, ‘environment’ and ‘pollute’ in the audience’s minds.

If you don’t know the answer

Say so: ‘Interesting question! I haven’t encountered that before – I’ll find out and let you know’. And make sure you do, because that’s useful extra information for you, too.

Share: There may be someone in the room who does know. Invite them to contribute – you don’t have to be the font of all knowledge, and being seen as a networker who’s prepared to share the limelight can be great for your image.

Dealing with difficult people

The heckler: Tries to use aggression to intimidate you.

Aggression often comes from fear. It may be they haven’t understood or have the wrong impression, and giving a clear, calm explanation may defuse the situation.

If not, stop. There’s no point getting into an argument or a shouting match, as you’ll lose.

Ask the rest of the audience if they’d like you to continue – the majority will be on your side, and may well deal with the heckler themselves.

Being seen to get upset or angry will harm your reputation. If it continues and you’re a guest speaker, it’s best to leave the stage and let the organisers deal with it. They may be able to have them removed, which will be a relief to the rest of the audience.

Hecklers can feel frightening and intimidating, and you don’t have to subject yourself to threatening behaviour.

The saboteur: Tries to use negativity  to make you look bad.

Know your stuff. Prepare to counter each attempt to undermine you with positive, accurate and courteous fact.

The hijacker: Tries to take over and steer the message in their own direction.

Some questions are not really questions. They’re designed to show off, or to pursue a personal agenda.

Remember people are usually there because they’re attracted by the subject. They’re unlikely to want to waste their own time indulging one egotist, so thank the speaker for the contribution, remind the audience of the objectives and steer the conversation straight back to the point. The majority will be with you.

If a few really do want to discuss this side issue, you could offer them a focussed discussion over coffee.

The exception is when there’s an elephant in the room … one enormous issue is taking up everyone’s thoughts, and it’s getting in the way of the aim of the presentation. While you may be required to deliver the original brief, you could offer them a ten-minute block where the issue will be aired first, on condition that you return to the objectives for the rest of your allotted time.

Whatever happens: keep calm. Control your breathing, listen without interrupting, and speak more slowly than you may want to. Keep a neutral expression, body language and tone of voice, and use professional language throughout. You’ll look, feel and sound better, and leave with your image intact.

Q and A is a great chance to shine – enjoy speaking well in public.

Speaking Well In Public is based in Brighton
Corporate training and 1-1 coaching in Confident Public Speaking

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The previous speakers over-ran, and little by little your time’s been chipped away …

From forty-five minutes you’ve now got thirty, twenty, ten …

You could just insist, doggedly sticking to your prepared script, getting all your anecdotes, examples and details out there, oblivious to the sullen expressions, theatrical watch-glancing and ‘I’m going to be late … ‘ phone calls.

You could reschedule – chances are people came because they wanted to hear what you have to say.

Or you could save the day and gracefully and elegantly deliver a stripped-down presentation on time, with all key messages and your reputation intact. Clarity, simplicity and brevity are public speaking virtues. No-one ever complained about a short, snappy, memorable talk.

It probably won’t happen. But be prepared in advance, so if it does, you can keep your cool.

Here’s how:

Ask yourself ‘What does this group of people need to hear from me right now?’

Remember your aim – your clear one-sentence statement that says exactly what you’re aiming to achieve. And if you can’t Tweet it you probably haven’t got it yet, so now’s the time to hone it down.

Remember your objectives – what do you want them to know, to be able to do, to take away from the experience? Keep it to three maximum, to help retention.

Identify the core essentials, the key points and messages you want to deliver, then arrange your material into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have levels.

Use coloured Post-Its while preparing, to clearly identify those levels, and what you could drop while remaining on-message.

You might like to print your notes on different coloured note-cards, to help you make snap decisions if you have to cut mid-speech.

It takes confidence to ditch, but the nice-to-haves and the should-haves can go because they’re extras. Whatever happens, your key must-haves remain.

You can still ensure they receive the extras, via your handouts, uploading your presentation, pointing them to articles on your website, offering a chat over coffee – you might gather a crowd and some new contacts.

Always leave them wanting more – not less.

Talking speaking with a group of businesswomen: avoid breathing from your upper chest – breathe from your diaphragm, instead.

 

 

 

 

 

How you sound affects how your message is received. Taking control of the way you speak will help you to capture and keep attention and deliver that message with ease.

Breathe
It all begins with relaxation and breathing. Relax your shoulders, stand up straight and breathe from your diaphragm (around the base of your ribs), rather than from your chest.

Slow down
Nerves can speed you up and people do tend to speak too quickly in front of an audience. Breathing from your diaphragm and paying attention to your consonants can help you master your pacing. Consciously speaking more slowly both projects and inspires confidence.

Project
Everyone needs to hear you, and if they can’t, they won’t try to listen. Someone may shout ‘speak up!’ but most will give up and start staring at their phones. The first two points will help you project your voice without shouting, as will plenty of practice.

Pause
You don’t need to fill every second with sound, so edit out the distracting ums and ahs. A moment’s pause allows everyone, including you, to think.

Add variety
Changing your pace, tone and volume, supported by natural expressions and gestures, will help keep their interest.

Enjoy speaking well in public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should you sit or stand when you speak?

Standing will always be more powerful for you as you’ll be the focus of attention, they’ll be able to see and hear you and you’ll find it easier to move about the space to the PowerPoint or flip chart if you don’t have to keep getting up first.

Remember too that we read a lot of meaning through what we see, and if any of your audience are hard of hearing, being able to see your face, lip movements and body language will help them to put what you’re saying into context, and pick up your message. Another good reason to stand when you speak, including when making contributions in large meetings.

Face them when you speak – sitting or standing, the sound will travel better.

If you do decide to sit, consider your choice of chair.

A comfy armchair – as long as everyone has one – encourages a relaxed, informal tone best for a smaller conversational group. Remember that it’s generally harder for them to make notes, and for you to get up gracefully.

An office chair with arms looks more businesslike – but can become a trap when you to try to get up and get tangled in the little arms then the chair falls over with you on it …

Beware the swivel chair – they tend to be heavier and the temptation to swing rhythmically, especially if you’re nervous, can make you look child-like and your audience feel seasick. And fiddling with the lever can provide great comedy value when it suddenly shoots you up and down with an embarrassing release of air …

A plain static office chair is versatile, light and easy to move out of the way.

How you sit matters as much as what you sit on. Ignore the back of the chair – it’s not there to hold you up. A straight back, relaxed shoulders and your chin parallel to the floor will help you to breathe, project your voice and move with ease. Feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles looks better than crossing your legs.

I’ve worked as an artists’ portrait model and I’ve always noticed that if I’m perching on a backless stool it produces a more flattering painting than if I’m lounging in an armchair. So be careful not to slump and you’ll find it easier to stand up if you’re poised and alert.

Please avoid the dubious informality of sitting astride a backwards office chair – it won’t enhance your image, or their view.

The comfier the chair the more casual you’ll look to them. So consider the mood and image you want to convey, and your choice of standing, sitting and chair should support your message.

We’ve all been there – someone’s said or done something that’s upset you. Whether it’s your partner, relation or friend, your manager, colleague or team member, the effect’s the same – you’re reacting and you want to do something about it.

‘Reacting’ s the key word – if you let your emotional reaction affect the way you deal witih it, you may trigger theirs and your intention to improve the situation may get lost. Instead, an intellectual response will encourage a calm, controlled conversation and a positive outcome.

Set the scene …
Saying ‘I need to talk to you about …’ will help focus your mind and theirs on the subject and the fact that you need to have this conversation.

Say what happened …
Specifying ‘when you …’ clearly reflects back to them what they may have done. It’s a statement of fact.

Say how you felt …
Saying ‘I felt …’ sets out the personal impact of what they did.

Explain the consequences …
Saying ‘and as a result …’ tells them how your relationship, their image, your opinion of them and so on have been affected.

Take it forward …
Saying ‘so in future …’ tells them what needs to happen, and gives them a way to put things right, make amends and avoid the same thing happening again.

Keep calm …
Calm polite language, a relaxed, controlled expression and body language and a measured volume and pace will support your message.

The ability to deliver feedback to your team is vital for business, management and leadership and the way you deliver feedback will directly affect how it’s received. Valid and important points can be lost when the recipient is reacting to your manner, not responding to your message.

Giving confident and effective feedback is a SNIPP: Specific, Neutral, Immediate, Practical and Private.

Specific – one thing at a time, focussed and clear, agreeing the way forward.

Make your point – but there’s no need to hammer it home until the recipient is upset, offended and unable to respond intellectually. Going on about the recipient’s multiple failings will batter self-esteem, knock confidence and humiliate. It’s akin to bullying and will hinder development. Keep it short and simple.

Neutral – feedback should address current behaviour, not personality.

Remembering not what you said, but how they felt in their conversation with you will colour how they see you and your reputation and relationship with them can be affected. If you’re angry and frustrated, your feedback will be emotionally driven and may be perceived as an attack.

Show courtesy and consideration for dignity. Strong language feels threatening – and we react to threats.

Be ‘fight / flight / freeze’ aware – some people’s reaction to a perceived threat will be to defend or attack back, to walk away, burst into tears or have a panic attack, or to be unable even to think straight or speak up. Their reaction is not a fault – it’s their way of dealing with threats and it may not be the same way as yours.

Immediate – tackle it as soon as possible, to stop problems escalating.

If you need to, take some time to calm down and think your strategy through first. It will be more effective than exploding at them. But ensure you do deal with the issue and don’t let it drag on. It’s only fair to the recipient who may have no idea there’s a problem. Suddenly springing a bad mid-year or end of year appraisal on a team member because you didn’t do something about it when you had time is unfair and will lead to complaints. If you’re nervous about having the difficult conversation, some confident communication, assertiveness and coaching skills training will help you feel more comfortable and effective.

Practical – the recipient has to be able to do something as a result of the feedback.

Think ‘stop – start – continue’. Either they need to stop doing whatever it is, start doing what you need them to – or carry on, because whatever it is, it works! Offer help and resources where needed, agreeing objectives and setting up regular reviews.

Private – losing face is humiliating and embarrassing.

If others can hear you, the recipient’s main focus will be on ‘what must others be thinking – pity, embarrassment, glee, scorn?’ – not on your message. Keep it private.

Getting into the habit of visibly calling people into your office for a little chat will mean people quickly come to recognise the walk of shame, so be discreet.

And, of course, praise, thank-yous and congratulations are developmental feedback, too. Positive feedback may also be best in private – not everyone likes to be the centre of attention. Know your people.

Get into the habit of giving frequent and regular feedback, whether positive or developmental and, of course, be a confident and receptive role model prepared to request, receive and respond to feedback yourself.

Next: Six tips for giving personal feedback

A three-step approach to pitching for your next contract.

Any business pitch needs to show that you’ve considered them and their needs, what you have to offer them and how great you could be together.

Step 1 – about them:

Know their task; what they’re all about, and the pride they take in their achievements and successes.

Understand their values, beliefs and goals, and how they perceive their image and reputation.

Empathise with their worries, the issues, problems and challenges they face, the efficiencies they’re called on to deliver and the mistakes they regret.

You’re telling them ‘we know who you are, we respect and take you seriously, and we know what it’s like, because we’ve listened.

Step 2 – about you:

Ensure they know what you do, what you’re great at and what you’re currently doing.

Be able to highlight your USP, what’s so special about you, your success stories, awards and achievements.

You’re telling them ‘we’re experienced, qualified and skilled, we’ve done this before for people you respect, and we can do this for you, too – we’re a fit.’

Step 3 – about us:

Talk about your practical, realistic solutions.

You’re telling them ‘you’ve got a problem – we’ve got what you need.’

‘Here’s how we’ll help you, our specific proposals, how we’ll benefit you.’

‘We understand what’s wrong and what you want to achieve; you can trust us and we’ll work together to make it better. This is our promise to you.’

So next time you’re preparing a pitch, think through these three steps while you plan, and use them as the basis for your presentation.

And finally … remember that people don’t hire Powerpoint presentations; they hire people.