This deck is built for entrepreneurs who want help with their presentation Q&A; skills.
Text of Bad Ass Q&A; - stop undermining your presentation
BAD-ASS Q&A STOP UNDERMINING YOUR GREAT PRESENTATION
your presentation material and delivery are obviously important
but it is in Q&A where the rubber really hits the road
where I really decide if I trust you
so, if you handle Q&A poorly
all your effort on the deck will have been for naught
because you'll have lost the room
most entrepreneurs should spend just as much time on Q&A prep as they do on presentation prep
but they don't
so to make sure you're not one of the unprepared bozos
here are 14 practical things you should do for Q&A
ONE stay on message
Q&A is not something separate from the presentation
you are answering questions for the same reason you presented
to influence your audience
to make them think something
to make them feel something
to make them do something
so the objectives of Q&A are the same as they were for the slide deck
youve got marketing messages to push
so push them
even if that means taking a question
giving a complete answer
and
pivoting from there to one of your messages
most importantly
dont allow a single, aggressive member of the audience to take you down a line of questioning that drives you off message
pivot
pivot politely
but pivot all the same
TWO predict the questions
good presenters
are good
because they prepare and practice
the same is true with Q&A
the best way to predict what questions will come out during Q&A
is to do Q&A 4-5 times in advance
with friends, family, and strangers
and prepare answers to the 10 most common question themes that come up
in addition
remember we just talked about the importance of messaging
so, in addition to preparing answers to the top 10 questions
prepare pivots
from the most common topics back to your marketing messages
so you have scripted, memorized transitions
THREE paraphrase before answering
while, you dont want to be monotonous
good audience handlers paraphrase questions before answering
this makes the questioner feel listened to
it also ensures that you really do understand the question
and it gives you time to think about your answer
FOUR engage everyone
make eye contact with the person who asked the question
this makes them feel heard
but maintain eye contact for only the first 15% of the answer
for the next 70% of the answer
move your gaze to other audience members
and in the last 15%, try landing eye contact on someone who youd like to ask the next question
this helps keep everyone engaged
even if the topic is not one that everyone cares about personally
discourages side conversations
or quick email checks
and keeps you from getting sucked into a single persons line of questioning that can take you off message or eat up valuable time
FIVE be nice
don't criticize, belittle, or fight with anyone in the room
and never be sarcastic
be firm and confident, but friendly, respectful, & inviting
if you need to, agree to take confrontational issues offline
acknowledging the importance of the disagreement
but also the need to cover all questions by all participants, given limited time
ultimately, if things go well, the audience are likely to be your implementation partners
so you cant burn any bridges
SIX dont bullshit
just acknowledge if you don't know
and commit to a time by which you will get back with the answer
oh
and actually do get back with the answer
SEVEN pass the mic
don't let one person hog the microphone
you want to show the audience that you have a strong, informed, confident team
that can work together
that has no weak link
consider assigning specific individuals ownership of topics
so that everyone on your team is crystal clear who leads for any given answer
and then let them lead
even if they dont have the 100% perfect answer
the statement of teamwork will have greater impact than a clarification in the moment
that means you, confident and excited CEO
shut up
and let your team shine
at the same time
do your best to ensure that no audience member hijacks the discussion
politely, but firmly, encourage everyone to have their chance
EIGHT dont end with an answer
keep track of time
when you have reached the final question
save 30 seconds
to re-summarize the key presentation points
your marketing messages need to be the last thing your audience hears
NINE know your audience
this is not always possible
But, wherever it is possible
know everything you can about the audience
know who they are
know their role in the decision-making process
know the relationships between them
know their personal communication styles and quirks
know what pre-existing knowledge they bring
know whats in it for each of them (WIIFM)
but if you cant do recon before the session
make sure to study them before and during the presentation
so that you can make reasoned guesses during Q&A
TEN grok the subtleties
98% of the time
the questions you are asked, are actually not the questions troubling the audience
sometimes, people are not sure yet what they dont understand
so they ask a question to help themselves understand what their real question is
other times, the questioner has an agenda
there is actually a question behind the question
and the first question is actually leading you into trap
whatever the case, you need to ask yourself
why
why are they asking this
where are they going
and how can I short circuit the process and go straight to the real issue
this is hard to do on your feet
in the moment
but if you can learn how to do this, youll be powerful
ELEVEN be brief
answer the question
pivot to a marketing message
and then stop
and let the audience decide if they want to dig deeper
TWELVE dont forget youre still on stage
Q&A is still part of the presentation
so you must still use all the tricks of a good presenter
body language matters
where you stand relative to the audience matters
gesticulation and eye contact matter
fidgeting matters
Smile and humor matter
rhythm, pace, and volume matter
THIRTEEN dont fumble with the slides
unless you can flip right to a slide in less than 2 seconds, don't use slides
FOURTEEN record the questions
the questions are incredibly valuable to you
you should record every single one asked
so you can ask yourself later why the questions were asked and what that means for next time
and if you write them on a notepad during Q&A
the audience will feel appreciated
FIFTEEN get your mojo on
honestly, 2 months later, all they will remember is their impression of you
were you confident
did they trust you
did you impress
so showing up ready to rock is often more important than showing up with great content
Stop changing your material 24 hours before you go on stage
eat some comfort food
get a good nights sleep
any last-minute changes to the Q&A script (or presentation slides) will make minimal difference
but showing up calm and collected will
SUMMARY
1. Stay on Message 2. Predict the Questions 3. Paraphrase Before Answering 4. Engage Everyone 5. Be Nice 6. Dont Bullshit 7. Pass the Mic 8. Dont End on an Answer 9. Know Your Audience 10. Grok the Subtleties 11. Be Brief 12. Dont Forget youre still on Stage 13. Dont Fumble with Slides 14. Record the Questions 15. Get your mojo on
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