How To Handle Questions - Business English Presentations

Summary

In this Business English presentation lesson, Derek offers practical tips for handling questions during presentations. He advises preparing by categorizing potential questions, repeating questions to clarify and buy time, responding positively to good questions, tactfully addressing unnecessary or unrelated questions, and honestly admitting when you don't know the answer to a difficult question. Derek also emphasizes the importance of checking if the audience is satisfied with your responses to ensure a professional presentation.

Takeaways

• 🗓️ Always be prepared for questions by knowing your topic well.
• 📢 Announce when questions can be asked during your presentation.
• 🤔 Categorize potential questions into those you expect, those that are difficult, and those you'd rather not be asked.
• 🔁 Repeating questions helps you understand them better and gives you time to think about your answer.
• 👂 Repeating questions also ensures the audience hears them, especially if they missed it the first time.
• 🙏 Appreciate good questions as they can enhance your presentation.
• 🔄 If a question has already been answered, gently remind the audience without making the questioner feel uncomfortable.
• 🚫 For off-topic questions, politely steer the conversation back to the presentation's subject.
• 🙅‍♂️ Be honest if you don't know the answer to a question, and offer to find out later.
• 📝 Check with the questioner to ensure they are satisfied with your response.

Q & A

What is the importance of knowing when questions will be asked during a presentation?

Knowing when questions will be asked helps the presenter to manage time effectively and decide whether to accept interruptions or not, ensuring a smooth presentation flow.

How can a presenter prepare for questions during a presentation?

A presenter can prepare by anticipating questions, categorizing them into those expected and easily answerable, those expected but difficult, and those unwelcome or challenging. Strategies should be developed for the latter two categories.

Why is it beneficial to repeat a question after it has been asked?

Repeating a question helps the presenter to ensure they understand it correctly, shows the audience that they were attentive, allows others who may not have heard the question to understand it, and provides additional time to formulate a response.

What should a presenter do when they receive a good question during a presentation?

A presenter should acknowledge the question as good, possibly thank the questioner for their input, and use it as an opportunity to provide more details or cover points they may have forgotten.

How should a presenter handle an unnecessary question that has already been answered?

Instead of directly stating the question has been answered, the presenter can gently remind the audience by referring back to the part of the presentation where it was discussed, ensuring not to make the questioner feel uncomfortable.

What is the appropriate response when a presenter receives a question unrelated to the presentation topic?

The presenter can express that they don't see the connection or follow the question, suggesting that it raises a different issue, and possibly offering to discuss it after the presentation.

What should a presenter do when faced with a difficult question they don't know the answer to?

It's best for the presenter to be honest about not knowing the answer, but assure the questioner that they will find out and get back to them, or delegate the question to a colleague if they are present and more knowledgeable.

How can a presenter check if the audience is satisfied with their answer to a question?

The presenter can ask if the answer was satisfactory by using phrases like 'Does that answer your question?' or 'I hope that answers your question,' which also gives the questioner an opportunity to request further elaboration if needed.

Why is it important for a presenter to be well-prepared and knowledgeable about their topic?

Being well-prepared and knowledgeable allows a presenter to handle audience questions confidently, enhancing their credibility and ensuring a successful presentation.

What are some strategies a presenter can use to deal with questions they find difficult to answer?

Strategies include preparing responses for anticipated difficult questions, being honest about not knowing the answer but promising to find out, or delegating the question to a more knowledgeable colleague.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Handling Questions in Presentations

This paragraph introduces a lesson on business English presentations, focusing on how to handle questions effectively. The presenter, Derek, emphasizes the importance of preparation, suggesting that one should anticipate and categorize potential questions into those expected and easy to answer, those expected but difficult, and those unexpected and hard to answer. Derek advises repeating questions to ensure understanding, give the audience a chance to hear it again, and buy time to formulate a response. He also suggests ways to respond to good questions, such as expressing gratitude for the reminder or providing additional details.

05:01

🤔 Navigating Tricky Questions

The second paragraph delves into strategies for dealing with different types of questions during presentations. It advises on how to handle questions that have already been answered by redirecting gently, and how to manage off-topic questions without being dismissive. For difficult or unknown questions, honesty is recommended, with suggestions to admit lack of knowledge and offer to find out later. The paragraph also highlights the importance of checking with the questioner to ensure they are satisfied with the answer, providing examples of how to do so. The lesson concludes with an invitation for feedback and a reminder to subscribe for more lessons and resources.

Keywords

💡Presentation

A presentation is a formal discourse or show in which the speaker communicates information to an audience. In the context of the video, presentations are a key tool for business professionals to convey ideas, updates, or pitches. The script mentions preparing for questions during a presentation, indicating that effective communication is not just about delivering a speech but also about engaging with the audience.

💡Questions

Questions are inquiries posed to the presenter during or after a presentation to seek clarification or further information. The video script emphasizes the importance of being prepared to answer questions, suggesting that questions are an integral part of the presentation process, allowing for audience interaction and demonstrating the presenter's knowledge.

💡Category

In the script, categories refer to the different types of questions a presenter might receive, such as expected questions, difficult questions, and unwanted questions. This categorization helps the presenter to strategize their responses, showing that preparation involves organizing potential questions into manageable groups for effective handling.

💡Repeating Questions

Repeating a question back to the audience is a technique mentioned in the script to ensure understanding and to give the presenter time to formulate a response. It also shows the audience that the presenter is attentive and values the question, thus building rapport and facilitating communication.

💡Good Question

A 'good question' in the script refers to inquiries that are relevant, insightful, and possibly enhance the presentation by prompting the presenter to provide more details. It is used to illustrate the positive impact a question can have, encouraging audience participation and showing appreciation for the questioner's input.

💡Unnecessary Question

An unnecessary question is one that has already been answered during the presentation. The script advises against directly stating that the question has been answered before, to avoid making the questioner feel overlooked. Instead, it suggests gentle reminders or clarifications, which shows respect for the audience and maintains a positive presentation atmosphere.

💡Difficult Question

A difficult question is one that the presenter may not know the answer to or finds challenging to address. The script advises honesty in admitting when one does not know the answer, while also offering to find out later. This approach shows integrity and a commitment to providing accurate information, even if it means admitting limitations.

💡Check for Satisfaction

Checking for satisfaction refers to the act of confirming with the questioner if their query has been adequately answered. The script highlights this as a professional practice that ensures the audience's needs are met. It demonstrates a customer-service mindset in a presentation setting, aiming for a high level of audience engagement and satisfaction.

💡Subscribe

In the context of the video script, 'subscribe' is an action the presenter encourages viewers to take to follow the channel for more lessons. It is a call-to-action that reflects the educational nature of the video series, aiming to build a community of learners interested in improving their business English.

💡Business English

Business English refers to the English language as used in a professional or business setting. The script is part of a series designed to help professionals improve their English skills specifically for business contexts. It shows the application of language skills in a practical, professional domain, which is crucial for effective communication in global business environments.

Highlights

Presenter's answer 'I don't know' is not a good impression.

Introduction to English for Professionals by Derek.

Lesson focuses on handling questions in business English presentations.

Subscribe and click the bell for new lesson notifications.

Four key aspects will be covered in the lesson.

First aspect is being prepared for questions.

Accept questions anytime or at the end based on presentation style.

Prepare by anticipating questions and categorizing them.

Repeating questions helps in understanding and gives time to think.

Examples of how to repeat questions effectively.

Acknowledge good questions to engage the audience.

Responding to unnecessary questions without making the asker uncomfortable.

Handling off-topic questions gracefully.

Being honest about not knowing the answer to a difficult question.

Ways to defer answering a question to a later time or to another person.

Checking for satisfaction to ensure the question was answered well.

Examples of checking if the questioner is satisfied with the answer.

Invitation for viewers to share their own tips in the comments.

Encouragement to like, share, and subscribe for more lessons.

Mention of a free vocabulary email list for additional learning.

Transcripts

mr callum during your presentation

you mentioned that you'd had some

problems recently

and that the project was behind schedule

how long do you think it will take to

get

back on schedule

i don't know

what impression would you get if a

presenter

answered your question like this

probably not a very good one

hi everybody and welcome back to english

for professionals

i'm derek and i'm here with another

short lesson for you

busy people in this business english

presentations lesson

i'm going to give you lots of useful

tips for handling questions

[Music]

before we get started if you're new to

the channel

and you're interested in short lessons

to help you with your business english

then hit the subscribe button and don't

forget to click on the little bell

that way you'll be notified every time i

upload a new lesson

and now let's get started

we're going to look at four different

things in this lesson

first how to be prepared for questions

second repeating questions

then handling different types of

questions

and finally checking for satisfaction

first of all it's good to know when

questions will

be asked if you have a more open

flexible style of presentation

you may choose to accept questions at

any time

however if you have a strict time limit

and you prefer

not to be interrupted then you'll

probably prefer to accept

questions at the end of your

presentation when you make your

introduction

make sure to let your audience know when

they can ask questions

and always be well prepared and know

your topic

it doesn't matter whether you accept

questions at any time

or only at the end the better your

preparation and knowledge of your topic

the better you will be able to handle

your audience's questions

if you want to be really well prepared

think about the questions your audience

could

ask and put them into the following

categories

category 1 questions you expect

and can definitely answer category 2

questions you would expect but would

find difficult to answer

and the final category category 3

questions you wouldn't want someone to

ask

and would find very difficult to answer

and when you're finished categorizing

these questions

try to come up with strategies for

dealing with the

questions in category 2 and 3.

when somebody asks a question it's a

good idea to repeat the question

for a couple of reasons for example if

somebody asks

are you expecting this product to be a

big success

you can repeat the question like this

you're asking me whether we're expecting

this product to be a big success

so why is this a good idea well first of

all when you repeat the question

it can help you to understand the

question better

and the person who asked will feel that

you were really paying attention

when they asked the question it can also

help

other people in the audience who maybe

didn't hear the question

by repeating the question you give them

the chance to hear the question again

and finally and this one is important it

also gives you an

extra little bit of time to think about

your answer

here are some other ways to repeat the

question

is this something we can afford to do at

the moment

you want to know if this is something we

can afford to do at the moment

well are you planning to expand into new

markets with this product

if i understand the question correctly

you would like to know

if we are planning to expand into new

markets with this product

what i can tell you is

how will this new technology help to

reduce costs

you're wondering how this new technology

will help to reduce costs

well

a good question gives you the

opportunity to give more details

about your topic it could make your

presentation better

it could also be about something you

wanted to mention

but forgot so why not thank the

questioner

for reminding you here are some

different ways to respond to good

questions

that's a really good question

i'm glad you've asked that question

an interesting question ah yes

thank you for reminding me

an unnecessary question is normally a

question that you've

already answered during the presentation

don't say i already answered that

question

that's too direct and it may make the

questioner

feel uncomfortable maybe they just

missed that part of your presentation

instead say this

when i spoke about earlier

i mentioned that

as i mentioned earlier

perhaps i didn't make that clear

sometimes people ask questions that are

not connected to the topic of your

presentation

here are some different ways to handle

these kinds of questions

i'm sorry but i don't see the connection

here

i'm sorry but i don't quite follow you

to be honest i think that raises a

different

issue maybe we could discuss it

afterwards

a difficult question is one that you

don't know the answer to

or that's difficult to answer if you

don't know the answer

it's better to be honest and say you

don't know

however let the questioner know that you

will try to answer the question at a

later point

but be careful if you have to do this

too often

it will give the impression that you

don't know your topic

and that you're not well prepared here

are some ways to handle difficult

questions

i'm afraid i don't know but i will find

out and get back to you

to be quite honest i don't really know

can i get back to you about that

i'm afraid i'm not in a position to

comment on that

or i'm afraid that's not my area of

expertise

it would be better to ask my colleague

frank winters

frank could you answer that question for

us please

and if your colleague is not present

i'll ask him to contact you

to clarify that would that be okay

and one more example i'm afraid i don't

have that

information to hand but i'd be happy to

forward it to you if

you give me your contact details when we

say we don't have something to hand

it means it's not available to us in

that moment

and finally i believe that an important

part of being a good

and professional presenter and making a

good impression

is to check with the questioner that

they are

satisfied with the answer you gave to

their question

now you don't have to do this for every

single question

with a lot of the questions you'll be

very confident

that you've answered the question well

but sometimes it is a good idea to do

this

and here are some examples of how you

can do it

does that answer your question

i hope that answers your question

would you like me to elaborate further

to elaborate

further means to give more details

i hope i've managed to clarify that for

you

is that what you wanted to know

so that brings us to the end of another

presentation skills lesson

i hope you found it helpful and if you

have any other tips for handling

questions

in a presentation please do let us know

in the comments

if you liked the lesson hit the like

button and share with your friends and

colleagues

subscribe to my channel if you haven't

done that already

and join my email list every two weeks i

send out my free vocabulary email

with additional business english words

from the news

and everyday english for you to learn

the link is in the description below

thanks a lot for watching and see you

soon