How to answer questions after a speech?

Speakers are very afraid of the questions of the audience. That's for nothing. If you know how to work with them, they can turn from enemies into cool assistants.

Questions may be constructive and mocking.

Constructive questions

The first ones are easier to work with: they are asked by the people, who want sincerely to examine the theme and clarify incomprehensible details.

Use them to continue the dialogue and satisfy the requests – try to build your answer so that it would become the continuation of the performance. In this situation you communicate not with the person, but with the whole audience – just so, as in the main speech.

If you have not precise data at the moment, that's not important. Say frankly about it and offer your versions: you may answer the question later in personal communication or share useful links with all the participants. The main thing is not to think up or manipulate the data – you risk getting in a foolish position and harm your expertise in future.

Toma Kobozeva

Curator of educational projects and product manager of BEsmart

Mocking questions

Mocking questions are more complicated to handle: they are put by the people who want to be in the center of attention. They are not interested in the answer, the target of the troll is to place the speaker in an awkward position and cause his emotions.

Например, вы рассказываете о любимом режиссере. Говорите, что он снимает интеллигентное и глубокое кино. Вдруг в зале звучит вопрос-наезд: «Это что получается: если я не люблю эти фильмы, я — не интеллигент? Тупой и необразованный?»