Once you have become a recognised expert in your field, people inevitably want their 'unfair share' of your expertise, knowledge and advice. No matter how complete, compelling and engaging your address, there will always be doubts, issues, points of clarification that audience members want to raise with you. The event organiser commonly offers a Q&A session for this purpose - this Business Booster is about getting the most out of that session.

The background problem
I am sure that like me, you've been in this position: you give a wonderful presentation, finish with a flourish, receive genuine, warm applause from a grateful audience, feel really good about yourself, just about to exit the stage 'job well done', when...

...on rushes the moderator, chairman, organiser, whoever, thanking you profusely, and with a magnanimous gesture opens up the floor to questions.

One of two things then happens: there's an embarrassing silence, as nobody has the courage to ask the first question, or there's quite a few questions, which you deal with professionally and politely. Either way, Q&A sessions tend to be characterised by:

• A rather weak ending - they tend to fizzle out, unless really well managed by the question master
• A loss of control by you - you're at the mercy of the audience, as opposed to being in control of the stage
• A slightly confused and embarrassed audience, who aren't quite clear as to whether they really ought to applaud a second time (and if they do, they probably won't be as enthusiastic as the first)

There are two basic issues to be addressed: whereabouts the Q&A ought to be within the overall structure of your presentation and what you can do to make a Q&A session really swing.

Structure - where the Q&A ought to be
Let me make my position clear: I like interacting with an audience. I like having that slight risk of 'loss of control' that comes from inviting unscripted, unrehearsed interaction. That said, I don't like it at the end of my performance. At that point, I'm the one in charge, and I want everyone to know it. I believe this is vital, because this is your last opportunity to ram home the compelling call to action - the one, single thing you want the audience to do that might change their lives forever. Having done that, all I want to do is get off stage and let them get on with it.

Given the above, the issue becomes; what do to with the Q&A? You have a choice:

Don't have one - if you know the issues and concerns people commonly have with your topic you can raise and answer questions rhetorically throughout your performance. You can also invite questions on an ad-hoc basis and deal with them as they occur.

Frame it specifically within the structure - have a particular point, towards the end of the presentation, where you deal specifically with questions. Lead from here straight into your compelling call to action (the end of your presentation). Here's the specific language that goes with this model:

"I do have a few concluding comments, but now would be a good time to deal with questions, if there are any."
<Q&A>
"So, in conclusion ladies and gentlemen, blah blah."
<END>

There are two considerations that go with the above models. Firstly, you need to make it very clear to the organiser that you will not be doing a Q&A after your presentation. Secondly, you need to be really attentive to your timing to make sure that the integration of an unscripted Q&A session into your performance doesn't push you over time.

Planting - the answer to a flowing Q&A
So now for the content of the actual Q&A session itself. Many audience members are reluctant to ask the first question and therefore I have no hesitation at all in planting questions. There are two main ways of doing this. The first method is to set them up in advance, by getting trusted audience members, (people you already know) to ask you "Question X" or "Question Y". The second is to ask yourself, out loud, on stage - in which case, the script would typically be something like this:

"I do have a few concluding comments, but now would be a good time to deal with questions, if there are any. While you're gathering your thoughts, let me address a couple of concerns people commonly raise with me. Blah, blah." [By which time you hope one of two audience members will be feeling brave enough to join in. If not, close the Q&A and move to the ending phase].

Well that's it for this week folks - my views on 'questions and answers' in 817 words. I hope this Business Booster has been useful to you - please don't hesitate to send me your comments.

Chris Davidson
Editor, Professional Speakers Journal
editor@professionalspeakersjournal.com