Handling Q&A with Grace Under Pressure: The Multi-Part Question
By Alexander Lyon, Ph.D.
We’ve seen it a hundred times. Somebody completes a great presentation only to crumble during the Q&A follow-up.
Maybe a questioner had a harsh tone, asked a loaded question, or was impossible to decipher. Whatever the case may be, the way we respond to difficult questions will either increase or decrease our perceived credibility.
I recently watched a presenter handle a difficult multi-part question. The audience member asked it like this: “My first question is . . . My second question is . . . And my third question is . . .” He stacked up three complex questions. I said to myself, “Let’s see how the presenter handles this guy.” Thankfully, she answered smoothly and confidently. How did she do it?
An important variable in this instance was that the questions were asked in a very orderly fashion. This helps. Sometimes the questioner strings them all together with little structure. That requires a different approach.
In this case, here’s what the speaker did. She repeated the first question only. She then answered just that one question in about three sentences or so. She then repeated the second question and answered it.
Then something interesting happened. She forgot the third question. Who could blame her? Most people would’ve forgotten at least one. She could have panicked or lost composure, but she didn’t.
Instead, he said with a smile and genuine chuckle, “I forgot the third question.” She sounded confident and secure in what she was doing. The man repeated the third question and she answered it. She made a difficult question look easy.
We can learn a few valuable lessons from the way the speaker handled this multi-part question.
1) She only attempted to answer one question at a time. It’s easier to remain composed when answering one question.
2) She repeated the question. In a large crowd, this helps the audience and the speaker get to hear the question again. It also gives the speaker a chance to think. This increases the likelihood that he or she will answer the question that was actually asked.
3) When she forgot the third question, she didn’t make a big deal out of it. I've seen some people try to fake their way through an answer. Audiences can tell when a speaker's answer loses focus. In contrast, she just signaled that she wanted the question repeated. She could have also said, “Could I have the third question again?” or “Could you remind me of the third question?”
4) She maintained her composure. Less confident speakers would have gotten visibly flustered. Our demeanor while giving an answer is just as important as what we say.
The way we handle questions, especially difficult ones, will shape how others view our leadership skills. Executives, presenters, and anybody working with clients should practice how they handle Q&A.
This article is one in an on-going series about answering questions under pressure. Alexander Lyon, Ph.D. is a professor, professional speaker, and trainer. Please visit www.alexanderlyon.com for more information.
By Alexander Lyon, Ph.D.
We’ve seen it a hundred times. Somebody completes a great presentation only to crumble during the Q&A follow-up.
Maybe a questioner had a harsh tone, asked a loaded question, or was impossible to decipher. Whatever the case may be, the way we respond to difficult questions will either increase or decrease our perceived credibility.
I recently watched a presenter handle a difficult multi-part question. The audience member asked it like this: “My first question is . . . My second question is . . . And my third question is . . .” He stacked up three complex questions. I said to myself, “Let’s see how the presenter handles this guy.” Thankfully, she answered smoothly and confidently. How did she do it?
An important variable in this instance was that the questions were asked in a very orderly fashion. This helps. Sometimes the questioner strings them all together with little structure. That requires a different approach.
In this case, here’s what the speaker did. She repeated the first question only. She then answered just that one question in about three sentences or so. She then repeated the second question and answered it.
Then something interesting happened. She forgot the third question. Who could blame her? Most people would’ve forgotten at least one. She could have panicked or lost composure, but she didn’t.
Instead, he said with a smile and genuine chuckle, “I forgot the third question.” She sounded confident and secure in what she was doing. The man repeated the third question and she answered it. She made a difficult question look easy.
We can learn a few valuable lessons from the way the speaker handled this multi-part question.
1) She only attempted to answer one question at a time. It’s easier to remain composed when answering one question.
2) She repeated the question. In a large crowd, this helps the audience and the speaker get to hear the question again. It also gives the speaker a chance to think. This increases the likelihood that he or she will answer the question that was actually asked.
3) When she forgot the third question, she didn’t make a big deal out of it. I've seen some people try to fake their way through an answer. Audiences can tell when a speaker's answer loses focus. In contrast, she just signaled that she wanted the question repeated. She could have also said, “Could I have the third question again?” or “Could you remind me of the third question?”
4) She maintained her composure. Less confident speakers would have gotten visibly flustered. Our demeanor while giving an answer is just as important as what we say.
The way we handle questions, especially difficult ones, will shape how others view our leadership skills. Executives, presenters, and anybody working with clients should practice how they handle Q&A.
This article is one in an on-going series about answering questions under pressure. Alexander Lyon, Ph.D. is a professor, professional speaker, and trainer. Please visit www.alexanderlyon.com for more information.
