Speak with Impact

by Allison Shapira

  Preparing for Questions

  There’s a lot you can do to prepare for answering questions. The more you prepare, the more confident you will feel.

  Research your audience. Find out as much information as you can about who will be in the audience. Ask the person who invited you, and speak to a colleague or friend who knows the industry or company. Ask yourself how people will feel about your subject; will they be excited about your message, or will they push back?

  Research your field. Look at the latest developments in your field. Has a particular issue been in the news lately? Is there a controversy people are likely to ask about? Talk to your colleagues to hear what kinds of issues have come up in their own speaking engagements. See if your company has any guidance or talking points about how to handle certain issues. If you’re the boss, recognize that your answers may become the talking points that others use going forward.

  Research the context. Are you participating in a debate where someone else will refute your main points? Do you need to be prepared for pushback, either onstage or in the audience? Are you one of five companies presenting pitches to the same audience?

  Identify your main messages. Remind yourself of the key messages in your speech or presentation so you can reinforce them later on in the Q&A session, especially if you have to bridge back to them.

  Anticipate questions. You can anticipate at least 50 percent of the questions you’ll receive in any setting. If you know the subject, the audience, and the reason they’ve invited you to speak, you’ll know what types of questions they will ask. Practice answering those questions while referring back to your main points. Don’t just focus on the easy questions; ask yourself which questions you hope you don’t get, and practice answering them.

  Role-play with a colleague. Have a colleague ask you questions and then provide feedback on how you answered. Talk through the answers to difficult questions to make sure you’re conveying the right message. There have been times when I’ve practiced answering a question, only to say to myself: Nope, I don’t ever want to say that.

  Address potential questions in your speech or presentation. If you’re speaking to an audience that may push back on your subject, address some of their arguments in the speech itself. It won’t eliminate all their questions, but at least you’ll demonstrate a balanced view in your speech.

  Techniques When Taking Questions

  Every time you speak in front of an audience, you have an opportunity to build trust with them. How you answer their questions plays a crucial role in the trust-building process. Do you look defensive, or do you look open to engaging with others? For my clients who give pitches, I recommend that they ask or take questions before their pitch, so that the pitch addresses the actual needs of their prospects. Dialogue builds more trust than a one-way presentation.

  If you give a speech right before taking questions from a large audience, conclude your speech and then confidently ask for questions. Practice a phrase that feels natural to you, like:

  And now, I’d love to take your questions.

  I’m sure you have questions for me. What’s on your mind?

  Let me stop here. What questions do you have?

  With a large audience, ask the questioner to stand up and identify him- or herself. When someone stands up, it’s easier for everyone in the room to hear the question; and when you know which organization that person is from, it’s easier for you to understand his or her agenda.

  Listen to the entire question, taking notes if necessary. You might be tempted to nod while listening to the question. If you agree with the questioner, that’s fine. But if you don’t agree, you should recognize that—in an American context—you’re still signaling agreement by nodding your head.

  Pause briefly before answering. Don’t feel the need to rush into your answer. Use a transition phrase like the ones we discussed earlier in this chapter while you think of your answer.

  Repeat the question out loud, rephrasing if necessary. Many times, the audience can’t hear the question. This gives you time to think, and if it’s a complicated or hostile question, you can rephrase it in a simpler and more neutral way.

  Finally, answer the question concisely and confidently.

  Handling a Hostile Question

  The hostile questions are the ones that keep us up worrying the night before a speech or interview. Questions like:

  Why didn’t you take action sooner?

  Didn’t you know what the consequences would be of this decision?

  What am I supposed to tell my family?

  It’s important to remain calm in these situations, even if the person asking the question is irate. You want to strike a balance of professionalism and empathy. I know, easier said than done, but it is crucial.

  Try to rephrase the question in a neutral way that shows both sides of the issue. Let’s say you work for a large university and are speaking at a community town hall to promote plans for a new building. You face serious pushback from community members who feel like you are taking over the neighborhood. You could rephrase a hostile question about expansion by explaining: The question is about how we accommodate a growing number of students while respecting our neighbors who have lived here for generations.

  When you answer, address your answer to everyone in the room, not just the questioner. In that way, you continue to build a relationship with the entire audience, and you avoid creating a back-and-forth debate. When you’ve finished answering the question, call on someone else on the other side of the room. Do not go back to the hostile questioner and ask, “Did I answer your question?” You’ll simply invite more debate.

  How to Bridge

  Those who speak to the media know the concept of bridging, when instead of answering a particular question, you bridge to another topic. You might have received a question you cannot answer or one that’s irrelevant to your topic. Bridging is a useful tool, but be careful. If every speech is an opportunity to build trust with an audience, excessive bridging can damage the audience’s trust in you. Here are some helpful phrases to be used sparingly:

  That’s not the issue; what we’re really here to discuss is . . .

  I think we’re losing sight of the big picture, which is . . .

  What I can say is this . . .

  Once you use a bridging phrase, bring the conversation back to one of your main points. Have these phrases at the ready (and practice them in advance) so you feel confident when taking questions.

  What If You Don’t Know the Answer to a Question?

  One concern people have is being asked a question they can’t or won’t answer. How you handle this question depends heavily on the context—are you in a meeting, or a media interview? As a general rule, if you don’t know the answer to something, don’t make it up. It ruins your credibility and can be dangerous to your organization.

  In a presentation or meeting, it’s absolutely legitimate to say: That’s a great question and I don’t have that information right now. I’ll get back to you tomorrow with an update. Practice that sentence so you can say it with confidence and matter-of-factness, and it will be an important tool when answering questions. Many of my middle-management clients are afraid to say they don’t know something, but their leaders will confide in me that they themselves say it all the time. Alternately, you could call on a colleague in the meeting who you think does have the right information.

  During an interview, you could say, I’m not in a position to answer that, but what I can say is this . . .

  If you have to push back on a question, you can use language such as:

  I’m going to offer a counter to that argument.

  Let me offer a different perspective.

  Surprisingly, my experience has shown just the opposite.

  If you need to calm an obstinate questioner, you can say, I’d be happy to talk more with you about this one-on-one. Please come see me afterward and we can connect. Your matter-of-factness when using these phrases keeps the
conversation cool and calm instead of escalating into conflict.

  What to Do After Taking Questions

  Never end your Q&A session with the last question. If you do, your audience will leave with that random, unrelated question in their head and will have forgotten the main message of your speech. Rather, end with a strong restatement of your main message, something like, I appreciate all your questions. Before you go, let me leave you with one final thought.

  In a meeting, you can end with a clear call to action.

  After a Q&A session, you may be tempted to rush off, hide, and lick your wounds. Don’t: you still have work to do. Stick around for those who would like to talk to you. It makes you look approachable and helps those in the audience who have questions but don’t want to ask in front of a larger group. If, during your Q&A, you offered to follow up with someone, give them your business card and be available to them. You continue to build a relationship after the speech. Finally, remember to complete the post-speech debrief we discussed in Chapter 8.

  Handling questions from an audience of any size is challenging. It requires more preparation and carries more risk than the speech itself, but it’s critical for your reputation and credibility.

  Q&A Prep. Before your speech, do your research and come up with a list of possible questions. Find a buddy to role-play the Q&A session and request feedback on how you respond. Don’t forget to anticipate the tough questions and practicing bridging in your response or defusing the question. Practice responding within a one-minute time limit.

  CHAPTER 11

  Speak in Different Situations

  On Calls, On Panels, or Across Borders

  HANDLING CONFERENCE CALLS, WEB CONFERENCING, AND VIDEOCONFERENCING

  The skills you’ve learned throughout this book apply to virtual speaking situations as well. As both technology and people’s corresponding behavior evolve, visit www.speakwithimpactbook.com for updates and commentary and send us your experiences. In each of the situations below, we’ll cover tips for both content and delivery.

  My colleague and fellow speaker Roger Courville, author of The Virtual Presenter’s Playbook and chief content officer at webinar services firm EventBuilder, likes to remind people that a webinar doesn’t replace an in-person conversation; it is simply an additional option for when you don’t need to be there in person.1 He says: “With any change of medium comes both loss and gain. The tradeoff between in-person and virtual is intimacy and impact versus reach. Don’t think ‘better or worse,’ think ‘it’s just different.’”

  Conference Calls (audio only)

  Despite technological advances, voice-only calls aren’t going away anytime soon. This section will cover conference calls but could just as easily cover a one-on-one phone call with your boss, your client, or an important influencer.

  Content: A conference call is not usually the place for an inspirational “you can do it” type of speech, though any presentation is an opportunity to influence others. This is usually a medium for presenting information and checking for comprehension. As a result, clearly outline your content and include signposts that keep people focused. If the presentation is longer than ten minutes, stop periodically and give people time for questions. Be specific: I’ll stop here to see if you have questions . . . let’s wait thirty more seconds in case someone has a question . . . if there are no questions, let’s move on. Speaking on a conference call can lead to awkward silences; but if you guide people through them, then you can make them more intentional.

  When presenting on a conference call, I recommend having your notes in front of you. They can even be written word-for-word, as long as you wrote them in authentic, conversational language. Write in a reminder to take questions and to slow down. The more organized you are, the more logical your presentation will sound and the more effective you will be.

  Delivery: Many people are relieved that no one can see their face on a call, but this makes them lazy when presenting. Actually, you have to be even more focused when speaking on a call. When no one can see your face, all they can hear is your voice. Our focus on voice and breathing in this book is critical here. Your energy and enunciation is key to demonstrating confidence and competency.

  There are three things to keep in mind each time you speak on the phone, whether to one person or many:

  1.Stand up. I’m serious. Stand up and wear headphones so you can use your hands. Standing and moving increases your energy and makes it easier to use breathing techniques that make your voice stronger.

  2.Smile. I’m still serious. Smiling changes the way your voice resonates and makes it sound warmer and more confident. To your listener, it simply sounds like you are knowledgeable and confident.

  3.Slow down. Because most of us are uncomfortable speaking to an audience we can’t see, we rush to get through it as quickly as possible. This makes it hard for our audience to follow and, as a result, makes the presentation less effective.

  If a local colleague or friend will also be joining the call, sit in the same room and, when it’s your turn, present directly to them. Speaking to a smiling, nodding head can help your speaking feel more natural. Note: This only works if the listener is supportive, not if it’s someone who brings the office energy down.

  Web Conferencing (audio and video)

  Webinars are another way to present information to a dispersed audience and record it for future use. Though some web conferencing is voice-only, oftentimes your audience can see you, even though you can’t see them. This makes it even harder, because you have to look as conversational as if you were speaking to a live audience, but without the positive in-person feedback.

  Content: My advice here is similar to what I recommend for conference calls: organize your presentation in advance and make sure it is easy to follow, paying attention to transitions and signposts. You might create a slide presentation that accompanies your video, but make sure you’re not reading word-forword what’s on the slide. This is still an opportunity to create a relationship with your audience, so use language that’s authentic to you and engages your audience.

  Delivery: When you’re on video, your audience can both see and hear you. Plan for that in advance by finding a well-lit place to sit, with a background that doesn’t distract the audience. If you are in a noisy open office, find a quiet room. If you are at home, pay attention to the wall behind your computer to make sure it’s professional. If you will be seated, dress professionally from the waist up (yes, you can actually wear pajama bottoms). Sit tall in your chair so you can use the breathing techniques you learned in Chapter 7.

  Where should you look? Directly at the camera on your recording device, whether it’s a computer, tablet, or other device. One unnatural factor in webinars is that you have to look “natural” while speaking to a piece of equipment. This isn’t natural! That’s why I practice my webinars in advance so I can become more comfortable speaking to the camera. Some people I know will hang up cute pictures of their families or pets next to the camera to help them relax.

  And remember, as long as the webinar is running, act as if you were in front of an audience. You cannot get up and move around, adjust your clothing, or blow your nose without your audience seeing you.

  Videoconferencing (two-way audio and video)

  Enterprise-level solutions like Cisco’s TelePresence let you have a life-like, interactive meeting with remote individuals. Many companies will use two-way videoconferencing for some of their most important internal conversations, from holding performance reviews to discussing new high-level strategies. While running a leadership communication program for the employees of one financial institution, I conducted ninety virtual coaching sessions in four months using TelePresence and learned quite a lot about the process.

  Content: You might simply be attending a TelePresence meeting or preparing to present at one, but prior preparation is critical. Prepare exactly as you would when speaking in a meeting at the office: ask the Three Questions, structure your
presentation, and dress as you would for an in-person meeting.

  Delivery: In these videoconferences, you can see others and they can see you. Usually, you’ll see a series of different screens showing you the other attendees, and when someone speaks, the software will increase their screen size so you can see them better. This software usually responds to sound, so be careful! If you sneeze, you’ll be caught blowing your nose on the large screen. The same thing goes for your side conversations with others in your room. Use the mute button when you need to make noise discreetly. Remember to sit tall, breathe with purpose, and speak with a strong voice. All the elements of good delivery apply. And remember that as long as the videoconference is happening, you are “on” and people can see you. Act as if you were in the meeting room itself.

  When we address a particular person while on videoconference, our instinct is to look at their image, wherever we see them on our screen (bottom left, top right, etc.). However, if we want them to see us looking directly at them, then we have to look into the camera. This can seem unnatural, and it is! But with practice you can become comfortable looking into the camera and trust that it will appear natural to your audience.

  You can use videoconferencing for presentations as well as meetings. I once led a workshop at a firm in New York with twenty people in person and four groups of employees at four other locations in two countries joining remotely by video. During breakout sessions, the employees at each location did their own exercises. In this situation, my challenge was to both speak to the people in the room and still connect (and make eye contact) with the remote audience. If you bring handouts for the people in the room, send them in advance to the remote individuals. Solicit questions from those remote individuals as well, to create a shared experience with the group.