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The college experience offers students many opportunities to witness an oral presentation and give an oral presentation. Consequently, they will, at one time or another, have the role of speaker or audience participator. In both roles, there are helpful guidelines that govern the question and answer portion of the presentation. Knowing and adhering to these Q&A guidelines can help make a presentation informative and memorable. This article contains a few helpful principles.
When asking questions, offer questions that are clear and direct. If your question is long, the speaker may not understand it, which will result in you not receiving a factual answer to the question. Less is more; keep your questions short and to the point so that the speaker does not get lost trying to decipher the question.
Sometimes, audience members use the Q&A period as a platform to express their own opinions, rather than asking the speaker a specific question. Do not give into the temptation to present a speech of your own. Stay focused and be sure to ask a question related to the presentation, not give a personal opinion.
Do not use the question and answer period as a time to debate with the speaker. If you do not agree with the presentation, supporting materials, or conclusions, do not use this period to confront the speaker with challenging and adverse opinions. Instead, wait until after the presentation and respectfully request a private time and place to meet with the speaker to discuss your counterpoints.
In your role as a speaker, come prepared for a question and answer period. You can never predict the exact questions people will ask, but you can try to anticipate some of the questions audience members may ask you. In order to maintain your credibility and subject matter authority, rehearse your answers out loud. This is especially essential for questions that may be difficult to conclude on the spot.
If you are unsure what the question is, rephrase the question back to the audience member to clarify. Once understood, be sure to speak loudly and repeat the question so that the entire audience knows the question you are answering. Be direct in your responses, answering questions directly as they are asked and providing succinct but clear answers.
Be graceful when handling difficult audience members. Some people may try to discredit your presentation and usurp your authority by hogging the stage or picking a verbal fight with a speaker. Do not engage in a verbal battle. Keep your cool and politely invite the audience member to speak with you privately after the presentation to discuss his or her issue more fully.
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