Anyone that presents will benefit from improving their ability to encourage and respond to questions.
As a Clinician Speaker you also have additional challenges:
- You are limited in how you can respond to questions while still adhering to company-approved messaging
- Your information is often complex and highly-scientific—so the audience might have difficulty understanding your answer
are any questions. See this blog for more information about how to encourage questions.
Once you have questions flowing in, here are 5 Pointers for Handling Questions:
- Prepare ahead. Just as you plan and practice your presentation, planning how you will handle questions ensures that you retain control of your message.
- Think like your audience. If you were in the audience, what would you want to know about your topic? How can you provide this information clearly in a way that your audience will understand? Practice your answers to these FAQ’s!
- Prepare for the worst. Anticipate the worst questions you might get; the ones you don’t want. Practice your specific response to these questions and how you will bring the focus back to your main messages.
- Read the audience. People ask questions to get information, hear themselves talk, and sometimes to challenge you, the speaker. Before responding, try to figure out the questioner’s motive, and respond accordingly.
- Pause. Don’t be afraid to take a moment to process the question and your best response to it. You’ll come across as clear and confident when you respond with a well-prepared answer.
As a Clinician Speaker, it is even more important to plan ahead so that you are prepared with company-compliant messages that your audience can understand.
Does your team need to improve their ability to elicit and answer questions? Check out BRODY’s Facilitative Presenting program to enhance these skills.