You give a great speech and you are now answering about three questions from your group before you conclude.

Our last two blogs, How to Avoid a Q/A Mutiny and How To Handle Q/A Sessions, teach you how to stay in control of the room, be engaged & engaging, and how to conclude with power.

But, what about those questions you don’t want to answer?

Here’s your playbook on how to answer (or not answer) difficult/awkward questions:

• List questions within your area of expertise that you have found difficult to answer. Write bullet points on potential answers.
• List general issues most critical to your organization that you might be called to comment on. Get a consensus from your team on best answers to these issues.
• List questions on matters that are confidential or which you would prefer not to discuss. Know, ahead of time, what you will discuss and what you will NOT discuss.

Before I conclude this blog series about Q/A, do you have any questions? Comment below.

All in all, your presentation, whether it’s to your Board of Directors, your international delegates, or your direct reports, is a combination of what you say and how you’ve answered questions from your audience. Stay present, stay in control, and end with a power close.

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Karen Cortell Reisman, MS, Executive Communication Author & Speaker