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If you
give enough presentations, it’s going to happen. Someone’s
going to ask a question during a presentation and you’re not
going to know the answer.
Maybe you just need a moment to
think about it. Or maybe you just have no clue what to
say.
So what
do you?
Here’s
what not to do. Don't fake it! Your credibility with the
audience can be lost in an instant if you are caught
bluffing. Instead, you can do one of two things.
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Palm the question off on the
audience. Say,
"You know I've never thought about that before, does
anyone here have an opinion about that?" Then open up the
floor for audience participation. Instead of admitting
that you don't know the answer, open the question up for
the rest of the group and ask for input. But if you do
this, don't turn around and restate one of the audience
member's answer as your own. Your credibility is at
stake.
-
Admit you don't know (gasp!) and
commit to finding an answer.
During a
workshop, someone once asked whether it was O.K. to make
eye contact when speaking to Asian listeners. The
questioner heard that Asians don’t like eye contact. Our
coach said she didn’t know and committed to find out. It
turns out that some Asian cultures place less emphasis on
eye contact than in America. But that didn't mean that
Asian listeners dislike eye contact.
At Speechworks we help our clients learn how to give
presentations that connect with the audience. If you’re
interested in becoming a great communicator give us a call
at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
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