Almost no public speech is complete without questions from the audience. They can be either during the speech itself or after it, in the question-and-answer section.
Questions from the audience are beneficial for the speaker. Firstly, they indicate interest in the topic. Secondly, they allow you to establish relationships and form an opinion about the speaker. Thirdly, they help people better understand the subject of speech and, if it is a sale, then make a purchasing decision. Fourthly, they help the speaker feel the audience, understand the most relevant topics for it and adjust his speech.
In working with questions there is several tools we can use. Each of them is aimed at correct interaction with questions and maintaining the interest of the entire audience, as well as reducing the risk of a conflict situation or causing unintentional offense to the listener.
We can at the beginning of the speech, talk about the order of voicing questions. For example: “Our meeting will last 15 minutes. At the end there will be time for questions from the audience. If you have any questions during my speech, please write them down, I will be happy to answer them.” You can also allow questions to be asked during the meeting. It depends more on your own confidence, familiarity with the audience and speaking style than on the audience. So take your pick :-)
Another way to establish the order in which questions are received is to ask them to write them on paper and pass them to the stage moderator. During the speech, he will select the most relevant or frequent ones and at the end the speaker will answer them.
One day I saw an updated version of this method: on the side of the stage there was a sign with a phone number written on it. The speaker asked to send your questions in the form of SMS to this number.
A block of questions and answers can be arranged after each individual section or topic. The main thing is not to delay the performance. A good answer is concise, short and complete. Be carefull:-)
The emotional reaction to questions is always calm. I have observed how speakers perceive questions as a hindrance. Can you imagine what is written on your face with such thoughts?!
To prevent this from happening, be prepared for questions- emotionally open to the fact that they can ask a question at any moment. Then they will never cause a strange facial expression.
And of course, during preparation think about what questions you might be asked.
In the government of any country there is a separate group of people who anticipate questions from the audience and prepare answers in advance for politicians. According to statistics, they predict 70–90% of questions. Politics in full force. And you? :-)
Tell me, eh What does it mean to answer questions from the entire audience?
You're just in time! Thanks for the question. He is very faithful - you really need to answer the whole room to one person's question. Now you asked a question and I began to answer it, looking at you. And then he turned his gaze to the entire audience and began to connect his eyes with each one in turn... This means that I am answering the question of the entire audience. And now I will return my eyes to you and clarify: “Did I answer your question?”
Acknowledgment for the question and clarification after the answer is a way to encourage questions. This can encourage the audience to ask. If it is “profitable” to answer questions, then you should definitely encourage them. By the way, clarify in the correct form: “Did I answer your question?” There is no need to clarify: “Is that clear?” or “Got it?” The answer suggests itself: “Got it, I’m not a fool” :-)
Tell me, what if I just said...and...that...question...or?
- Please clarify your question and repeat louder.
- Tell me, what if I just said something and someone asks a question that I just answered?
- Thank you!
Firstly, if the question is asked quietly and no one heard him, you need to ask him to repeat it louder. And if it is not clear, then you can ask for clarification.
The answer to your question involves an emotional response. And I will repeat again, even if after such a question you want to quit something, react calmly and positively. Briefly repeat what you have already said. I've noticed that sometimes people just can't put a whole thought together because they've missed a few words. When they hear what they need, they can tell you themselves: “Ah! Yes! Understood. Thank you!".
Well-mannered listeners raise their hands before asking a question. Please don't ignore them. This may offend. If a question arises, your hand is raised, and you need to finish your thought, briefly make it clear that you will now finish and answer the question: “Just a minute, I’ll finish and answer your question.” Finish the thought and let me ask a question.
The performance is over. No questions!
This is not a hopeless situation or a disaster. You can say goodbye and leave the stage.
Or you can... Push them to ask questions... For example: “Before the speech, I was asked a question...” or “I often get asked this question...” Voice the question and answer it yourself. Then invite questions: “Perhaps you also have some questions. Please ask."
If there are still no questions, we say goodbye.
Don't interrupt me!
Often you need to listen to questions until the end, even if the essence of the question is clear. The reason is simple - respect, tact and the rest of the listeners. Not everyone in the audience can understand the essence of the issue as quickly as the speaker himself.
And for a snack - I can't think of an answer right away!
“Thank you for the question. Give me a few seconds to think...” Pause, think, and give your answer. Such a reaction from the speaker to a question will have a positive impact on all listeners - everyone will be sure that the answer was given conscientiously. And this is a plus for you as a speaker.
Happy talking!
Dmitry Malinochka
The organizers of one of the HR forums asked the HR Director of an investment holding to speak and talk about the organization of training for middle managers. The HR director decided to delegate this task to a subordinate - the head of the training and assessment department. She was organizing training for managers. When the date of the speech approached, the head of the personnel service went to the forum to listen to his subordinate. And I was disappointed.
The boss felt embarrassed for his employee. She kept repeating that it was her first time speaking to HR professionals; the voice trembled, the breathing was ragged, which confirmed the veracity of her words. In addition, the woman stood rooted to the spot throughout the entire speech, and only from time to time turned to the screen to look at what was shown on the next slide. A when the audio recording did not start, the woman was completely confused, began to repeat what she had already said. The performance turned out to be nervous and boring. In the feedback questionnaires that the listeners filled out, the HR specialist’s report was given low marks.
Of course, the HR director, being a tactful person, did not tell the subordinate that her performance was a failure, much less reprimand her. He reassured the employee and said that it was normal for the first time. But I realized that it was necessary to organize internal master classes in the personnel service, during which discuss and work out with HR all the important rules of public speaking. Starting with what to say at the beginning and end of a report, how to answer questions, how to stand during a speech, how to interest listeners, how to joke. After all, it’s not enough to make a good presentation*, you need to deliver it successfully.
Rule 1. To reduce stress, shake your hands, walk quickly, imagine that you are a general
Of course, it is better to do this when you are alone in the room. Shake your hands and move them in different directions. According to neurologists, this stimulates the functioning of the speech apparatus, increases intelligence. In addition, walk briskly while swinging your arms.
To experience the excitement, sit on a chair and imagine that you are a general in a heavy overcoat. The army is with you, and behind you is your hometown, which cannot be surrendered to the enemy. Now remember what physical sensations you get when you need to do something super important or when you are afraid of something. At this moment, tilt your head forward, raise your shoulders, as if you are about to be slapped on the head. Then lower your shoulders, lift your chin, straighten your back. Now you can go out to the audience.
It’s as if you lived through your stressful state, let it pass through yourself. Remember: it is impossible to completely calm down before a performance. Even experienced speakers get a little nervous.
Example
The HR director of a large retail chain, Mikhail SEREBRYAKOV, a psychologist by training, himself found a way, on the one hand, to calm down before a performance, and on the other, to increase his tone. Mikhail once remembered from an anatomy course that very sensitive places are at the tips of the fingers. Impulses from here quickly enter the brain. In addition, many muscles are used when walking. This means that the nerve endings also work - they give commands to the muscles. Therefore, if you use all these nerve endings, you can kind of distract the brain. This is on the one hand. And on the other hand, to invigorate the brain, set it up for work. To do this, before the speech, the HR director seems to march in place for three to five minutes, while touching the tips of the other fingers in turn with his thumb. And so on each hand. This helps a lot. Tested many times.
Sergey SAVONKIN comments,
Director of the HR Department of the Seventh Continent companyIn order to smooth out the growing stress at the beginning of the speech, I ask a question to the audience, and park questions from the audience
In my opinion, the beginning of the performance is the most energy-consuming part. To cope with anxiety, you need to master group dynamics. To do this, start interacting with the group. For example, ask the audience: “When do you think the first rocket was invented?” Let the audience start talking and arguing. This will ensure that they are immersed in the topic of your story from the very beginning. Another technique that I often use is the so-called question parking. In my opinion, you should not answer questions from the audience right away. It’s better to put it aside and answer accurately later. By doing this, you will not rock the “locomotive” of your narrative and will firmly “follow your own rails”!
Rule 2: Listen to one or two previous speakers. Don't take the same seat as a failed speaker
Encourage your staff to arrive early at the venue to see how previous speakers will perform. For example, the speaker who was on stage in front of you spoke successfully. Then, when you go on stage, take exactly the right place(on the stage, behind the podium, on the edge of the stage) where this speaker was located. The audience is still fresh with his performances, and they will involuntarily associate you with him. And this is already half a success. If the previous speaker was not distinguished by his talent for speaking, then try to stand further away from the place where he was.
And one more piece of advice: it is better not to stand behind the podium, since such a location deprives the speaker of the opportunity to better establish contact with the public. Get up there only if she has given a brilliant report before. But every seven to ten minutes, get out from behind her. The public is only able to maintain attention on a static object for so long.
Three tips for a new speaker
1 . On the day when you have to perform, do everything slowly in the morning - walk, eat, talk. Then it will be easier for you to adjust to a new rhythm and maintain a calm pace during the report. Remember: this is the rhythm that is comfortable for the audience.
2 . Before and during a performance, breathe as quickly as possible, inhaling air in small portions. This kind of breathing looks better from the outside than deep, long sighs when the chest heaves.
3 . If it so happens that you made a mistake during your speech, apologize and admit the mistake as soon as you discovered it.
Rule 3. If the room is noisy, everyone is talking, arrange a “minute of silence”
People are busy talking to each other when they have just returned to the hall from a break or have already listened to many lecturers, and therefore it is difficult for them to remain attentive. In this case stand in the place where you plan to speak, direct your gaze into the hall and look at one point. Without moving, without saying a word, pretend to be a part of the interior. In short, have a “minute of silence.” Soon you will begin to notice that people have begun to slightly nudge the more talkative and noisy listeners with their elbows and point at you. This is a sign that you have to stand still a little longer. After waiting until everyone is silent, start talking as if nothing happened. Now the audience is focused on listening to you; its attention will last for 20 minutes.
You know: if the equipment malfunctions, you will be at a loss. Use minimal equipment!
All you need is a laptop, a projector and a microphone. Don't plan to play tunes or show videos. And if this is necessary, then practice how you will act if this fails. Try to verbally describe the melody, describe what was discussed in the video. Draw the outlines of objects in the air, show with gestures what the characters are doing or what is happening in the video. Having rehearsed this, you will not be afraid of equipment failure.
Rule 4: Make eye contact with the audience
Show a friendly facial expression with a slight half-smile. Then, without changing your facial expression, look into everyone’s eyes, as if gliding around the hall. But don’t try to look closely at each person’s face - this is unnecessary! If it is impossible to meet the gaze of each participant, freeze for a while and look around the hall from left to right. Now the performance can begin. After all, each listener gained confidence that the speaker was speaking here for him.
Rule 5. Captivate the audience at the beginning of your speech and end your speech beautifully
The beginning and ending equally influence the success of the speech. In the very first minute, make it clear to those present in the hall why they should listen to your speech, interest or intrigue them. How you end your speech determines what emotions the audience will leave with.. There is no need to figure out on your own every time how to beautifully start and end a performance. There are special techniques for this, see them in the diagram below.
Scheme. What techniques to use at the beginning and end of a speech to captivate the audience?
Example
The commercial director gave a presentation to representatives of a regular large client. It was necessary to talk about why and how the company is creating a unified call center. To show the scope and scale of the idea, he began the presentation like this: “Luzhniki Stadium can accommodate 100,000 spectators (an image of the stadium appeared on the screen). And the company I work for today serves 10 million subscribers. These are 100 Luzhniki stadiums.” A grid consisting of 100 cells appeared on the screen, each of which contained an image of a stadium. The audience was impressed. Meanwhile, the commercial director did not say anything extraordinary. He simply compared his company to the Luzhniki stadium. After that, he began a story about a call center.
Rule 6. Depending on what signal you want to send to the public, take a certain position
There are two main poses and, accordingly, two signals. Let's say you want to show your audience that you know what you're talking about. Then spread your legs so that there is 20–25 centimeters between your heels, spread your toes slightly, put one leg slightly forward (let the push leg remain behind). Shift your center of gravity slightly forward, lift your chin slightly to create a feeling of moderate impudence.
The other pose is completely opposite to the first. By shifting the center of gravity strongly back, you thereby demonstrate to the audience that you are unsure of yourself. This is the second signal that you can send to the audience. Use it when you want to get a question from the audience and start a discussion.
Anton EMELYANOV comments,
CEO and Managing Partner of Natiko Solutions
There's nothing more unprofessional than saying, "So, what do we have here on the next slide?"
This is the first unforgivable mistake that public speakers make. When a speaker says this phrase, it firstly shows that he is poorly prepared and does not know exactly what information is contained on the next slide. And secondly, it hints that he did not prepare the presentation. And this is even worse! The second mistake: having taken a pose at the beginning of a speech, a person maintains it, like a monument, until he finishes speaking or reading the text from the screen. Firstly, looking at a motionless “monument” is tiring. And secondly, when starting to read the text from the screen, the speaker, in fact, puts himself in the place of the viewer - he does what the listeners do. Why is he performing then? During your story, I advise you to move from left to right every 7-10 minutes, and, addressing the audience, conduct a dialogue. In this case, by the way, you can gesture, demonstrating imaginary objects of your story.
Rule 7. Take short breaks after moving to the next slide.
If information on a slide can be read in five seconds and less, immediately continue your speech. If people need time to study the slide, pause. Exactly as long as necessary to study the text. Please note that people are not able to listen to the speaker and study the slide at the same time.
Rule 8. To involve people in what you are talking about, ask them for help, play with them.
Remember: a person forgets about 90% of what he hears, 60% of what he sees, and only 10% of what he does. Therefore, encourage the audience to participate in your speech. For example, ask questions to the audience or give numbers and say that you may be mistaken, ask them to correct you.
Another option is to conduct surveys. For example, find out how many specialists in the room are in the profile you are targeting. Ask these people to raise their hands or stand. To "capture" the hall, show that you care about those present. For example, ask if the board is reflective, if the classroom is dark or, conversely, too bright, or if the window needs to be closed.
Another good trick - conduct a dialogue with the entire audience. But remember: with one technique you can hold an audience for no more than 10 minutes. Therefore, alternate techniques.
Example
The HR director spoke at the conference on the topic “Mergers and Acquisitions: Employee Motivation.” There were many CEOs and business owners at the conference. HR decided to play with the audience. First, he invited two volunteers onto the stage and gave them two posters with wolves on them. Then he invited two more volunteers and gave them pictures of sheep. When he explained that the wolves are managers and the sheep are employees of the company, the audience laughed. “What happens when wolves meet sheep? That's right, the wolves are attacking. And the sheep have nowhere to retreat - there is a river behind them. You know how it will all end.” Then the HR director explained that such an outcome, when all the sheep (employees) were eaten, was unpleasant for business. Work will stop because there is no one to do it. After that, he asked: “What should I do?” In the hall they suggested making a bridge across the river. To this the presenter said: “Then the sheep will all run away. The result is the same as before – there is no one to work.” They looked for a way out for a long time, and finally found it - to build a bridge, but in the middle install something that can feed the wolves so that they do not attack the sheep, and hold these sheep so that they do not run away, but stay close. “That’s the meaning of motivation, gentlemen!” - said the HR director. The audience applauded.
Natalya LEONTIEVA,
Head of Recruiting, Managing Partner of GLOBALPASExercise to overcome fear: tie a saucepan to a string, walk around the city with it, repeating: “Bug, follow me!”
This task was given to my colleague by a business coach at a seminar on negotiation skills. My colleague was afraid to speak in public, he spoke and behaved insecurely. When he heard that he had to drive the “Bug” (carrying a saucepan behind him) around the city for an hour, he was seized with panic. After a while he calmed down and honestly worked his hour. Passers-by stared at him, pointed a finger at him, twisted him at his temple and took pictures with their mobile phones. But after 20 minutes he didn’t care anymore. The feeling of shame was replaced by a feeling of freedom and joy. He felt the drive from this walk, the embarrassment went away. Since then, by his own admission, he is no longer afraid of any negotiations or speeches. I advise you to do the same if you have a fear of public speaking.
Rule 9. Thank you for questions, don’t answer difficult ones right away, ask for contradictory ones to be repeated
“Thank you for the sharp/good question”, “How you listened carefully!”, “The problem you are talking about really exists” - say such phrases to those who ask a question from the audience.
If the question is long or controversial, ask the person to ask the question again. Having said it again, a person will most likely organize his thoughts and express it more clearly.
If the question is vague or difficult, ask for a few minutes to think and say that you are open to hearing other questions for now. Eventually Either you will find something to say, or the audience will forget about the difficult issue. Another option. Say: “To answer your question, I need to remember something...” and start talking about what you prepared for your speech. But your thought must be related to the question that was asked to you. And then, having thought through the answer, give it to the listener.
Sometimes people tell their story to ask a question. Listen to the story, come up with a positive association in this regard and link it with your report.
Rule 10. Agree with a person you know that he will ask a question. Or voice it yourself
If there are no questions after the performance, this does not always mean that it was good. Therefore, agree in advance with an acquaintance or colleague, friend or event moderator that he will ask you a question on the topic as soon as you finish your speech. You can even formulate this question yourself or write it on paper.
There is another way to provoke listeners to ask questions. Having finished his speech, theatrically and tensely slowly say: “Ita-a-k, po-zha-lu-y-s-ta-a, first question...” And after that, notice where there is some movement in the hall, go there, and, when you are nearby, tell the person: “Surely you have something to ask about my report. What particularly interested you?” And without letting me come to my senses, hand the microphone into the person's hands.
Finally, just voice the question yourself, citing the fact that someone allegedly asked it to you before the performance or earlier. Start, for example, like this: “They often ask...”, “Before the start of the speech, I was asked this interesting question...”, “I recently received an interesting letter...”
Woodrow Nelson
28th President of the United States:
“It will take me a week to prepare a ten-minute speech, three days for a fifteen-minute speech, two days for a half-hour speech, and I’m already ready for an hour-long speech.”
Elena SOLODIANKINA, Managing Partner of the Fair of Solutions company
To become an effective leader, coach and speaker and make people follow you and grow next to you, you need to understand one very important rule. But before I tell you about this rule, I will share with you what prompted me to write about it.
Some time ago I took a training course in England. I won’t talk now about what kind of training it was and who conducted it.
During the training, I was introduced to material that was completely new to me, and it was important for me to understand this issue as deeply as possible. Of course, I asked the coach a huge number of questions, but I either received answers very rarely or did not receive them at all.
You can probably already guess what impression I got about such a coach?
The most common mistake that trainers, speakers and leaders make when teaching or simply speaking in front of an audience is trying to avoid questions to which they do not know the answers!
If you are truly passionate about what you are talking about and interested in communicating it to other people, you will never allow yourself to act in such a way.
But how to behave correctly when a question arises in the audience to which you do not know the answer?
HOW TO ANSWER DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
First, if you don't know the answer, be honest about it. Don't lie or try to "make up" an answer.
The father of professional speaking, Bill Gav, once said, “One of a speaker’s most powerful strategies on stage is the moment when he is asked and he honestly answers that he doesn’t know the answer.” By admitting that you don’t know the answer to a particular question, you will increase the audience’s trust in you several times over.
Don't try to play the role of a know-it-all coach and fool people. People always sense deception, even if they don't understand it.
If you don't know the answer, don't try to lie or make something up. Speak honestly: “I don’t know, but I can find out and tell you later.”
Secondly, you must understand that when learning something, you cannot thoroughly know every question on this topic. It often happens that we know some of the issues in our chosen field superficially. But it is precisely thanks to the curiosity of your listeners and their desire to “get to the bottom” that you have a unique opportunity to understand this area even deeper and increase your level of expertise.
Be grateful for any question that comes from your audience. After all, this is either a great opportunity to give a detailed answer, if you are competent in it, or at the end of the event, understand this issue and increase your expertise.
Thirdly, there are situations when a question is asked in the room and you know the answer to it. But make sure that all people in the audience really need the answer to this question.
If it is possible to give a comprehensive answer in one sentence, answer and move on.
But if this is an interesting question that requires a detailed answer, but is not related to the topic of this event, you can agree with this person and answer him personally.
Therefore, the third rule, if a question has been asked, but it is not relevant for the entire audience, agree with the listener that you will answer later, so as not to take away time, energy and attention from other participants.
So, when answering awkward questions from the audience: 1) don’t lie or make up an answer if you don’t know it; 2) thank you for every question asked of you, and especially for those to which you do not yet know the answers; 3) leave answers to irrelevant questions until the end of the event.
The background to this article is quite specific.
I began to notice more than once at various conferences how other speakers (not necessarily those who spoke on the same day) come up to me and ask the question: “Denis, give some recommendations on how to answer awkward questions?”
The last time I was asked this question was by personal email.
I also first asked my Facebook followers if they would be interested in an article on this topic. The answer was with a conversion rate of 100% - “Yes”.
The final part of the article was especially difficult, where I present 12 techniques for working with uncomfortable questions. It was difficult to systematize what was in my head.
I hope my thoughts are useful to you.
Basics and Concepts
There must be questions. Whether you like it or not. This is one of the components of public speaking, so your task is to always plan your talk in such a way that you leave time for questions.
What is an “awkward question”? Recently, during a discussion on Facebook, one reader interpreted this concept as “a question to which you don’t know the answer.”
Not certainly in that way. Here's an example of Quentin Tarantino's answer, which I mentioned in my book Content, Marketing and Rock and Roll:
- Quentin, don’t you think that you haven’t made anything better than “Pulp Fiction?”
- Who took it?
As you can see, the situation here is not one of ignorance, but one of provocation.
The next important point is that when you are on stage, NEVER respond to provocation, become rude or start grumbling. Difficult? Yes very. But this is one of the key points. The provocateur is just waiting for you to answer him in a raised voice. Break it off and it will break off on its own.
Why are such questions asked? Yes, everything is simple to undermine your authority and “show off” your intelligence in front of the public. And only you can decide whether to allow this.
Remember, when you are asked an uncomfortable question, think not about the person who asked it, but about the rest of the audience. This whole “show” is created by the provocateur just for them. And here it is very important to understand the defining moment of the action - what matters is not what the person asking the question thinks about you, but how the listeners accept your reaction and answer.
If you start swinging a saber, you yourself will suffer from it. If you approach the moment with a cool head and a sober mind, you will come out with dignity.
Sometimes the “question and answer” is remembered better than your entire speech. And most often, it is “questions and answers” that are discussed on the sidelines, not reports.
Always prepare in advance
The very first thing to do is to narrow the field of maneuver for the provocateur. This is not just a troll. Provocative questions during a speech are pure intellectual trolling. After all, in the hall there are not schoolchildren with ice cream, but smart and quick-witted people. Therefore, such intellectual trolling also needs to be resolved intellectually.
How to minimize the chances of awkward questions?
- During the report and in general during all your activities, tell the truth. Because if you are caught in a lie, this is already a blow to your reputation.
- Promote only your ideas - confirm your authorship with some statements, examples, and stories from the past. If you call someone else's yours, sooner or later you will get hit in the head.
- Know your weaknesses - we all have them. Some are striking, others are rare. But you must always remember that your vulnerabilities are the troll’s strong trump card.
It all starts from the very beginning. There should be a “man” on stage, not a “rag”. To my regret, I have heard reports where the speaker mumbled so much that my nerves simply could not stand it... Uncertain, quiet, hesitating, etc. It was truly a pathetic sight. Friends, LEARN TO SPEAK, develop the confidence to work in front of an audience.
In the hall and on stage during your performance, you are the king. And during the performance, only your rules apply. This needs to be made clear from the first second. A strong, charismatic person should appear before the audience. Then the troll will think twice about whether it's worth the risk.
Another disadvantage that I noticed is when speakers begin their presentation before they even go on stage or even climb the steps. This is disrespectful to the audience.
I do this: I confidently and slowly walk into the middle of the stage, remain silent for 7-10 seconds, and look around the entire hall. As soon as I saw that everyone was looking at me, then I started. You perform not for a microphone and a camera, but primarily for the people sitting in the hall, even if there are only 10 people, or even less. A professional is always a professional.
Never start with an idea of who you are or what you do. Tell an interesting short story, an anecdote, an interesting fact, research data, or immediately blurt out some serious secret. Your task is to include the audience from the first seconds. And during your report, also practice light educational activities or humor. Your task is to win over your audience. You must become a “star” for the duration of your performance.
Why am I writing this now if these tips are not about questions? But because charisma and skills in working with an audience are serious weapons for a speaker. A confident speaker, who is accepted and supported by the audience, does not really want to ask awkward questions.
And, of course, the basics - you must have a strong report. I periodically heard from speakers that they prepared their presentation almost on their knees or several hours before the moment when the whole country woke up.
This is only possible for aces who are able to perform effectively without slides. If you do not yet belong to this category, I recommend that you give your report at least 2 times, get into character, walk around the office or room, and actively gesticulate. In general, conduct a dress rehearsal.
There is nothing wrong with this, this is the area. It's not for nothing that artists do this?
When you have made a strong report that the public has appreciated, by and large, they don’t even want to “touch” you. Well done, what can I say?
Reconnaissance is a good move, smart
TOP famous speakers like to conduct sound checks. The day before the performance, they come to the hall, look around, get into the audience itself, and find places where they are more comfortable communicating with the audience.
Slides are also being run through and the acoustics of the hall are being checked.
By the way, I had one situation when, at the request of the organizers, I slightly altered the slides and structure of my report. And sent a new version.
When I approached the presenter before the speech and asked to look through my presentation on the computer, I was surprised that there was an old version there... It’s good that I always have a flash drive with me, so that in the event of such incidents I could fix everything.
Can you imagine what I would look like on stage? All the trolls would immediately wake up and start “frying” in a manner that is not childish. And, I admit, they would have fried it for the purpose. You have to pay for mistakes. Therefore, check the presentation before speaking.
I don't like to speak first. For me personally, it’s easier to attend two reports that take place before my speech and watch the audience. There are a lot of useful things you can notice.
Firstly, you will be compared with other speakers, this is natural. Therefore, watch them, note for yourself the moments that do not need to be repeated.
Secondly, notice the most attentive listeners in the hall. And maintain eye contact with them as you speak. This will make it easier for you when you meet attentive eyes.
Third, pay attention to whether there are people you know in the hall. Or people with a name known to the audience. It wouldn’t hurt to mention them during your speech and draw attention to them. And if there is some story that unites you, you can include it. When you have authority on your side, the troll will also think twice about hitting you.
This was foreign intelligence.
Now let's talk about the internal one. Believe me, you can think through about 80% of awkward questions yourself and prepare several versions of answers to them in advance. With experience, you will notice that they are repeated in different audiences.
What could it be? As I said earlier - your weaknesses. Further, if there are any dubious or controversial points in the report, it is better to chop them down. Unless you are going to play them yourself.
Always keep a record of awkward questions you've ever been asked somewhere. Add new questions to this list and constantly think about how you would answer them differently if you were faced with them again.
Another important point - make certain speech preparations for responding to harsh and bold words in the style “selfish”, “playing God”, “you are wrong”, “complex”, “this has not been true for a long time”, “you are disingenuous” etc.
I won’t say that you will encounter this often, but you will. I have not yet come up with a better way than a funny allusion with a professor ending, when you do not react to the provocation, but make it a joke, and then “turn on” the professor. Remember, your task is to work for the rest of the listeners, not the provocateur. If you are asked a sharp question with these phrases, it will also seem sharp to your listeners and at that moment they will be completely on your side.
Once I had an interesting case. I don’t remember the question 100% verbatim, but I convey the essence exactly:
- Denis, don’t you think that such frequent PR of your books on networks and posts for every mention of them is still too much? Maybe this is some kind of complex?
- Yes, I have a complex. Anti-aircraft missile. And always with you. Do you want me to show you? But in essence: you can take a calculator and calculate the percentage of such publications in the total amount of information that I share. You will see that there are no more than 10% of them. Acceptable indicator. I share useful articles more often, you can also count them, and at the next meeting we will compare the results.
If it were not for the preparation for the word “complex”, the answer would not be so interesting. As you can see, this helps. Plus, I have encountered the issue of PR for my books, which irritates some comrades, before (I am sure that I will continue to encounter it), so the second part of my answer was already prepared in advance.
And there was another indicative case. One word answer and the question is over:
- Denis, you are talking about a commercial proposal that led to the conclusion of a deal worth 4.5 million euros. Why should we believe? It seems to me that you are deceiving here in order to impress the audience.
- Arguments?
There were no arguments, and from where, if the indicated indicator is true. That's why I wrote above - tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
And in general, read Zhvanetsky, books on negotiation techniques, the book “Conversational Hypnosis” by Anvar Bakirov and Erle Stanley Gardner (series about lawyer Perry Mason), the book “Encodes” is also useful for general development - the brain will work in the right direction, and you will improve your rhetoric .
12 techniques for dealing with awkward questions
Well, now let's talk about different techniques for working with uncomfortable questions.
Clarify the question
If the question really took you by surprise, you can gain some time by asking him to repeat it. This will give you a few seconds to think and slightly anger the provocateur (to your advantage).
Just say this: “Sorry, I didn’t quite hear your question, can you repeat it?”
Ask again
The goal is the same - to gain some time to think. Just say: “Did I hear your question correctly...?”
Request a transcript
The phrase might look like this: “You know, it’s a rather general question, but I’m used to answering specifically. Could you tell me what exactly you mean?
Good move. Literate. You easily put the troll in his place, and now he should take the rap. The more the troll talks, the more chances you have to “catch on” to something in response.
Request a specific example
One of my favorite techniques. In the vast majority of cases, the provocateur begins to reverse.
“Thank you, I understand your question. The catch is that I prefer to discuss a concrete example rather than probabilities. Please give me an example, and I’ll break everything down for you.”
As a rule, there is no specific example or some kind of response mooing begins. Then, for the overall effect, save the troll, take the initiative into your own hands. The public will appreciate it.
Improvise, introduce new terms
A good way to gracefully avoid a direct answer, and you can also cleverly ridicule the troll. It’s better to use it when you have a really awkward question.
Come up with a term and immediately explain it and at least slightly relate it to the question. Perhaps you’ll come up with a really good term, as one of our readers came up with the word “Copywriting”.
“You know... Although, most likely, you don’t know, in our field there is such a thing as “__________”. Did you hear? So, it means the following... We have a similar situation...”
Remember a situation from the past
Use this if this is not the first time you have been asked this question.
“The last time I was asked such a question, it was in ..., I answered like this: ... Now I can add the following ....”
Move to the sidelines
I haven't used this technique often, but I've seen others do it deftly. The goal is to prevent the troll from talking and turning one question into five.
Your task: start answering the question, give a few valuable remarks (no more than 30% of the entire answer), and then delicately move everything to the sidelines:
“This is just a little of what can be said. Let's do it in a way that doesn't take up a lot of time, come to me after the speech and I'll explain my position to you. Agreed?".
And they are unlikely to tell you “No, I want here and now”. “I” is, of course, good, but you are on the stage. Your scene - your rules.
“God, what a great question.”
Become a sweetheart. It's always nice. Only here you need to take into account the fact that “darling” is good when communicating with the opposite sex.
“God, what a great question! Thank you very much. I don’t have an exact answer yet, but there are several versions... Let's choose the most optimal one together. So, version one..."
Draw an analogy with some other area
One of the most effective techniques that I use very often. It comes down to the fact that you are taking the discussion away from a specific situation, and projecting a completely new one, from another sphere of activity or life.
But you draw an analogy, do not arrange a confrontation, but complete your answer very correctly and in a gentlemanly manner, this is the secret. Moreover, the chosen field of activity should be understandable to everyone around. Let me just give an example from my practice:
- Denis, you defend the technique of so-called “hot spots”. As an experiment, we recently changed our text and described the “hot spots” service. The efficiency has even gotten a little worse. Do you show off with clever words and theories? For what?
- Good question, thank you for asking it. Look, let's take a recipe for pilaf with mussels. And let’s take five different housewives who will cook this pilaf for the first time. The recipe is the same, the products were bought in the same store. Even if it is prepared in the same kitchen, we will end up with 5 different versions of pilaf with mussels. One will be bland, the other, on the contrary, will be over-salted, in the third the rice has turned into porridge, and so on. The question is - is the recipe so bad? Let's do this: I have a tablet with 3G- the Internet. After the speech, come to me, we’ll open a website with your new text and see how to make it cooler, okay?
I keep conflict to a minimum. I leave no choice, because any other questions from this person will already be interpreted by the public as too much. After all, I, like a gentleman, offered to solve an allegedly problematic issue.
"It is the matter of time"
A purely negotiation technique that works great when answering provocative questions.
Read this dialogue:
- You say that today content and corporate blogging is a marketing trend. For me personally, all this still looks very risky and doubtful. It is much easier to use already proven promotion techniques. You simply provide content development services, which is why it is beneficial for you to lobby for its supposed super-power.
- You see, the question is not whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, but when you yourself come to it. And the main thing here is that at this moment you are not among the last, because you will have to catch up with the rest. I personally am not selling you my services, but on the contrary, I am saying that you can create content yourself. When I was promoting plastic cards and the “salary project” service in the banking industry at the time of their appearance, I also encountered a similar reaction when people doubted the benefits of this new payment instrument for them. Now open your wallets and see how many payment cards are in them. It's a matter of time, and only you can decide whether to be among the first or the last.
Connect the aphorism
I don’t particularly like this technique because of its intellectual banality, but I have often seen how other speakers used it to lower the heat of the discussion.
When answering an awkward question, you include some smart and relevant thought from a famous person. From the outside, this allows you to gain an advantage because you are secretly attracting someone with a strong reputation to your side. And it turns out that in the discussion your score is no longer 1-1, but 2-1 in your favor, because your opponent, it turns out, is arguing not only with you, but also with serious authority.
- You say that the font size should be 12-14 point. We use 10-point font, and then the first screen in front of the reader has more text and we are able to give him more information without scrolling. And if a person is interested in information, he will read it, no matter what font it is conveyed in.
-You know, Robert Cialdini said well on this matter. His phrase looked like this: “Your arguments will be considered much more persuasive if they are printed in an easy-to-read font.” Note that the issue is not only the size, but also the theme of the font. Ten point fontTimesNewRomandiffers in height from the same tenth pin in thatTahomaAndVerdana. I gave an example of a specific font theme and its optimal size, because I think it is the specified range that is most convenient for reading and good perception.
The speaker should have his own “quotation book”, in which he saves very apt statements for his speeches. And before each new report, it would be absolutely useful to scan this list again. And listeners love apt quotes.
Use humor
Accurate and good humor always defuses the situation and softens tension. Arm your arsenal with good and funny jokes that can be used in various situations.
One of my favorites is to play on relativity, because by and large, any situation, any position, and even any rule is relative.
Here's the joke itself: “You know, in fact, everything is relative. For example, three hairs on your head is not enough. But three hairs in the soup is already too much. So it is in our situation...”
Finally, a postscript...
How useful are these skills? I won’t say anything, everyone decides for themselves. But even on the street, any fight begins with a conversation, namely with an incorrect answer to some question.
Al Capone spoke “I will give three dozen of my thugs for one person who knows how to solve problems by talking.”.
Rhetoric skills will allow you to avoid provocations and adequately respond to your opponent without becoming rude or personal. Moreover, whether you like it or not, every professional speaker should be able to adequately answer awkward questions.
When it's time for questions, switch the presentation to a previously prepared slide like this:
In any case, everyone decides for themselves how to react to uncomfortable questions. I just shared my vision and point of view with you.
I hope this information was useful to you. And thank you for reading this long article of 20,000 characters to the very end.