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Let’s say that you’re at a nice restaurant with some
friends. When one of your friends gives her order, the
waiter says, “Very nice choice.” In fact, the waiter
says, “very nice” or “good choice” to everyone at the
table . . . except you.
When you ordered the fish, the waiter just nodded and
walked away.
How would you feel? It’s possible that the rest of the
meal you would wonder if you’d ordered poorly.
Similarly, it’s not a good idea to say “That’s a great
question” when someone asks a question during a
presentation. Once you say “great question”, you’re put
into the position of having to say “great question” to
everyone who asks a question.
After all, everyone thinks they’ve asked a “great
question.” Failing to say so to everyone, once you’ve
said it to one person, will seem like a snub. Also, so
many presenters say “That’s a great question” that it
often seems patronizing and insincere.
Of course, we understand why people say “great
question.” They want to connect with their audience and
prod more questions. One of the most uncomfortable
parts of presenting is when you open the floor for
questions and no one speaks up. So the thought is that
by giving the questioner positive reinforcement, other
questioners will volunteer.
Rewarding questioners is a good idea. But you don’t need
to do it patronizingly with “That’s a great question.”
Instead, reward the questioner by treating the question
as if it were a great question. Smile at the
questioner, nod your head seriously, and give a strong
answer. Most importantly, don’t do anything to indicate
that you think the question is stupid. Don’t snicker or
roll your eyes.
If you’re giving interesting and lively answers, the
questioners will want to ask more. And you won’t have
to tell everyone that they’ve asked a great question.
At Speechworks we help our clients learn how to
communicate in a way that connects and persuades. 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. |
