It’s a challenge to stand in the middle of a crowd during a presentation, especially if you have no idea what to say during the question and answer part of the conversation. You prepared well for the presentation, but you will only know the questions during the event. Therefore, you need to have the best responses. If you have no idea what to say, these tips will help you.
Pretend that you know the answer
Try to stay calm and avoid freaking out even if you have no idea how to respond. You can’t show that you’re shaking inside; otherwise, no one will believe in your response at all. People will think that you’re making stuff up because you’re getting nervous. Smile and stay composed.
Use your slides to respond
If you can’t remember the answer to the question and you feel that you already gave the information during your presentation, you can use your slides. The response you’re looking for might be there. It also helps if you have an AV display stand so you can quickly show the attendees your response.
Be honest about it
If you’re not certain of what to say or you don’t know the correct response, you have to be honest about it. It’s better that you get real regarding your response than provide an incorrect answer. You don’t want to mislead the people in the room by giving them a false reply. It might even come back later to haunt you once everyone discovers the right answer.
Refer to someone else in the room
If you’re presenting on behalf of the team, you might include topics you’re not confident about. Someone else in your group might know the answer, though. As such, it would help if you try to refer to another person who could provide a more in-depth response. Don’t worry that someone else will take credit for the answer since you’re in a team.
Just acknowledge the question
Apart from explicitly saying that you don’t know the response, you can recognise the question and find a way to respond to it after the event. You should give the correct answer as soon as possible. Tell the person who asked that you might send the answer via email or by other means.
Say thank you for the question
If the question you received demands an answer you never considered before, it helps if you start by acknowledging the question. Express your appreciation for receiving it because it brought a new issue to your consciousness.
There’s no need to answer all the questions if you have no idea how to respond. As long as you’re confident in delivering your response and you don’t seem to hide anything, it will work. Avoid giving incorrect answers because you’re too proud to admit you don’t know. Your honesty could also be of massive help during the situation.
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