Questions
and answers
The public
really appreciate having the possibility to ask questions on those
apsects which they areunclear about or which they disagree with the
speaker.
The option
to ask questions enriches the speech, and you get to involve the
audience and transmit an image of security, that you dominate the
material.
If
you do not dominate the topic you are talking about, you will have
to avoid at all cost the question time, as you run the risk of looking
silly in front of people.
At the
start of the speech you should indicate whether people can interrupt
you when they have a doubt or if you will have a question time at
the end.
The possibility
to interrupt can be preferable when you are talking about a technical
topic, resolving the doubts as soon as they come up, which allows
the public to follow the reasoning displayed.
This
option can present some inconveniences; the interruptions can prevent
the fluid development of the argument, which can in turn confuse
the audience; besides interruptions make it difficult to control
the length of the speech, and you can find yourself without enough
time to finish the speech.
A
question time at the end of the presentation allows the speech to
develop naturally, without interference and also allows the speaker
to control the length.
If you
opt for a question time at the end of the session:
You should
indicate the time available.
You
should invite the audience to put forward their doubts. If nobody
intervenes after a while, the speaker can ask a general question
(for example, if such a point was clear or if the speech was easy
to follow) with the aim of animating the audience to participate.
You need
to make sure that it is not just a few people that take over the question
time, try to make more people intervene.
When the
speaker is asking the question he should look at the person he is
asking but when he is responding he should look at the whole audience.
The questions
should be answered clearly, with precision, avoiding digressing (this
allows you to take advantage of the time and allows the audience to
think of more questions).
When you
respond to a question, you should ask the audience if anyone would
like to add anything (this way you emphasize the audience's participation).
The speaker
should always answer in an educated way, even if the question asked
totally lacks interest or has already been asked.
If someone
asks a question which has nothing to do with the topic, you should
kindly let them know that the question they are asking isn't relevant.
When you
answer a question, give the person that asked the question the opportunity
to give thier opinion on the topic (just in case something is not
clear or if they do not agree with the answer).
If this
exchange of points of view starts to drag on, you will have to try
and stop it, offering the people the possibility to continue analyzing
the topic once the session has finished (you have to try and avoid
exhausting the question time with just one point).
If the
orator does not know how to answer a question he should not show himself
to be nervous or setback.
He should
let the audience know that he does not know the answer to the question
and ask if anyone from the public knows how to answer the question.
If nobody
replies, the speaker can analyze the topic and answer the question
being as brief as possible.
Under
no circumstance can you invent the answer (you could be exposed).
The audience
appreciates sincerity and understand that the speaker may not know
one determined aspect of the topic.
When the
time available is running out, the speaker should point out that there
is only enough time for two more questions.
Once the
question time has finished thank the audience again for attending
and conclude the event.
If there
is not enough time for a question time, then the speaker can offer
to stay behind after the speech and answer any questions that the
public might have.
