In the first part of a series of articles on the topic “How to answer questions correctly: examples answers"I provide examples of 20 questions, including the most common questions you are likely to be asked in an interview. Knowing how to answer an employer's questions is essential to your success. Your self-confidence depends on knowing that you can answer questions correctly and effectively.
Employers know that anxiety can cause candidates to talk endlessly. Show your confidence and interest with short, effective answers. Too often, candidates, when answering a question, take long pauses, begin to get nervous and talk about something extraneous, something that has nothing to do with the job. Monosyllabic answers are also ineffective. Strive for brevity, but also for detail. Ideally, there should be short, concise responses that allow for conversation and information sharing.
To help you understand what the 60-second sale is and the five-point program I use to answer questions, read my article:
Examples of answers to questions
1. “Why did you leave your last job?”
I guarantee you will be asked this question, so be sure to have a correct and acceptable answer ready. Good reasons for leaving include: seeking additional opportunities for growth, relocating, downsizing or reorganizing. The answers may be as follows:
- “There was a layoff in the company, so I’m looking for a job.”
- “The company I work for now is small in scale and I have achieved everything I could. I am looking for new functionality (challenges) to use my skills and strengths and continue to grow and contribute.”
- "We just moved to this city to be near our family, that's why I'm looking for a job."
2. “What are your weaknesses?”
At a recent seminar where I spoke, one of the participants shouted from the audience: “This is a very stupid question.” Regardless, many employers learn a lot by asking this question. I always tell executives and HR managers who attend my seminars to ask this question because candidates provide them with evidence of why they can't do the job. Recently, a CFO told me this story: “I was interviewing for an accountant position. When I asked the candidate to tell me about his weaknesses, he said: “Well, I somehow mixed up 3 and 8, but in the end that typo didn’t affect anything.” 3 and 8 - we are in the field of finance! - he exclaimed, emphasizing his irritation at the candidate’s recognition. I bring this story up every time because this question causes many people to make the grave mistake of pointing out their shortcomings or starting to “confess” like the accountant did.
If you think about it in advance and come up with an answer, then this question will not seem so difficult. I recommend that you choose a weakness that does not interfere with your performance of your duties. The answer I always used was: “Chocolate—I have a weakness for chocolate!” Ha, ha, ha, joke, joke, joke. It can't hurt to add a little humor to your interview. And often we move on to the next question. But if the interviewer went back to his question and said, “No, actually, what is your biggest weakness?” I could answer: “You know, when I work on a project, I get so absorbed in it that I completely forget about time. Before I know that the work day is over and it's time to leave, I still continue to work. This is probably my weak point. I think I should understand that I need to leave work at 7:00 p.m. sharp. But when I'm working on a project, I'm being creative, and I just can't stop working halfway through." Here the weakness has turned into a positive, attractive feature.
Try to choose something that won't hurt your chances of getting the job. The best answer for our accountant might have been to say, “I have excellent computer skills. I know how Excel works, but I have very little knowledge of actual programming and will need more training if I need to write code for your programs.” No one asks him to create advanced software, and his answer actually enhances his computer skills.
Another approach to answering this question is to discuss a skill that you are not yet proficient in, and then add that you took special classes and really worked on mastering that skill, and now the skill has become much better.
If you think ahead, you can choose something like this that won't have a negative impact on the hiring decision. Other acceptable responses include admitting that you are a risk-phobe, or that you are critical of your own performances and sometimes too hard on yourself if you make a mistake.
3. “What are your strengths?”
4. “Tell me about your greatest achievements in your current job or last.”
Write down three major work-related accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to fulfill your employer's responsibilities. Do not mention personal achievements, such as “I lost 10 kg” or “I won 300,000 rubles in the lottery.” It is best to illustrate your achievements by referring to specific examples, such as: “I believe that my main achievement is that, based on financial results, our division in 2016 was recognized as the best foreign division in the XXX group of companies.”
5. “You have a lot of work experience. Why do you need such a job at a lower level?”
The employer is afraid that you will be bored and want to quickly leave the company if he hires you. Or he may suspect that you burned out at your last job and are now looking for an easier job and won't be productive. You must anticipate this question. Don't oversell your skills. Don't show that you are desperate and ready to take on any job. Explain why this job is right for you. Talk about life changes. You may say that you want to spend more time with your family and therefore are looking for a job that does not require travel.
Be careful not to say that you want an easy, stress-free job, as the employer will doubt that you will perform all job duties responsibly. Another mistake to avoid is not to say, “I’m ready to start in any position.” Yes, you think so now, but the employer will be afraid that you will start looking for a new job tomorrow or at least expect a salary increase soon as soon as you “prove yourself”.
Employers are reluctant to hire someone who is overqualified because they believe such an employee will be dissatisfied with the job, will not be interested in performing the duties, and will not stay with the company for long. They don’t want someone who is “burned out” and perceives work as getting a paycheck. Often, your skills and knowledge can threaten the career of your future manager, especially if you are better suited for his position.
Explain why you want this position. “I need a job” is not an answer that will please the interviewer. You must have a logical, plausible reason why the demotion is okay with you. Try something like this: “I am currently in a dispatch position and work 10 nights a month. It became very difficult for my family. I decided to find an accounting position where I would focus on taxes and audits, which would allow me to go home every evening. The dispatcher position requires a lot of out-of-town travel, which I no longer want to do. I believe that my extensive financial skills, which I would bring to yours, would have a positive impact on your organization. I see this as a win-win situation for both of us.” Create a reasonable explanation. Showing desperation or willingness to take on any job disqualifies yourself. This position is important to the company, and you must show not only that you can handle these responsibilities, but also that you want to do it.
6. “Why do you want to leave your current company?”
Expect this question as all employers ask it. They want to hear that you are looking for more challenges, promotions, more financial rewards. You can also say that you are leaving to cut down on travel time, travel, or because your company is unstable.
Try answering:
- “I learned a lot at this company, but there are no career opportunities there. I enjoy challenges and learning new skills as well as improving my old ones. So now I’m looking for a new position.”
- “I learned that your company has an open position. I like my current position, but the opportunity to work for a large, stable company like yours and commute to the office in 15 minutes appeals to me. At the moment it takes me about an hour to two hours to travel.”
- “I have gained a lot of experience in my other positions. But now I want to take on more responsibility so I can have more influence on the bottom line. Your company will truly allow me to see the fruits of my labor, and that is important to me.”
7. “What motivates you at work?”
“The opportunity to apply your strengths and skills to your work to be a productive employee. I take pride in my work and enjoy using my skills.” List your top skills.
8. “Describe your ideal place to work.”
Explain that an ideal job is one in which you can fully utilize your talents and be your most productive employee. Most job seekers start talking about salary, benefits, and not about responsibilities. Wait to discuss salary and benefits until you receive an offer. You still need to convince him that you are the ideal candidate for the job. This is a great opportunity to highlight that you enjoy learning new things, are adaptable, and are willing to take on new tasks when needed. Repeat that you have the characteristics of an ideal employee. This will only be a plus.
9. “How do you work on yourself?”
Employers value employees who are lifelong learners. It's best to say that you take courses, take private lessons, attend conferences or trainings, read professional literature to improve your skills. You might say, “I'm enrolled in a project management certificate program and I'm working hard on it,” or “I'm currently going to university to get my MBA as a part-time student.” Another option: “I like to do research on the Internet and spend my free time reading business articles, ideas from which can be useful in my work.”
10. “What was the last book you read?”
This question is often asked to find out what you read for work. A common mistake that many job seekers make is that they choose the current hot business book that is on everyone's lips and name it to look smart. Most often, the next question you will be asked will concern the principles and theories presented in this book, as well as their discussion and exchange of opinions. So don't try to fake it to impress the interviewer - point out a book you know well enough to talk about the plot or content. This is not a critical question, so don't worry if the book you read recently was a novel and not a business book. One word of caution: don't say that the pace of your life is so fast or you're so busy raising children that you don't have time to read. Instead, say, “I like reading magazines. I love Esquire and Cosmopolitan (or Forbes or Elle), list a couple of magazines you read regularly.
11. “Tell us about a personal goal you want to achieve.”
Share a goal that will increase your value as an employee. Mastering a new skill, completing training, learning a new program (application) is something that will increase your value to an employer. Certificates, diplomas or training courses you want to complete may also be a good answer.
12. “Do you consider yourself successful?”
Of course you do. So answer: “Yes, I do, and I set myself up for success every day when I go to work. I focus on being productive and adding value to my organization.” Or say, “I always give 110% to my work. At the last assessment I received the highest marks.”
13. “What are you doing to develop in your professional field?”
One Fortune 500 company asks every candidate this question. For what? They want to hire people who are multi-step ahead thinkers and good problem solvers, and they know that by hiring people like these who are constantly learning, they are making a good investment in the future of the company. Explain that you read trade magazines, stay up to date with news in your industry, read books, or take courses to develop your skills.
14. “I’m not sure you’re the right person for this job.”.
Don't be discouraged when you hear something like this in an interview. Almost all employers have doubts about the candidate, although many of them never express their concerns out loud. Look at this as a good opportunity to sell yourself. Use a 60-second sale and a 5-point program to answer.
15. “Describe the worst manager you have ever had.”
As much as you might want to criticize your past boss and talk about his mistakes, I suggest you reconsider this approach. Instead, try this: “One manager didn’t give feedback often. Months could go by without any feedback from him or you couldn't figure out what was on his mind. I don't like having someone above me, but I do like feeling like I'm part of a team, contributing, sharing ideas, and knowing that my work is aligned with my boss's and the company's goals. In my opinion, there was a lack of open communication. I think the one-on-one between the subordinate and the manager is really important.” This response demonstrates a positive reaction to the importance of teamwork in achieving company goals.
Some positions require a lot of autonomy. This is a growing trend. In this case, you can phrase your answer this way: “I'm good at my job, and for two years I had a boss who gave me a lot of autonomy. I succeeded, achieving all my goals and exceeding them from time to time. My manager was promoted, but the new one prefers to control everyone. It was difficult for me and many of my colleagues to get used to this. I find that I am most productive when I am given clear goals and given freedom to act.”
16. “What responsibilities did you enjoy at your previous job?”
When you talk about what you enjoy, relate it to the work you'll be doing for a new potential employer. Be specific about what you'll do in this position, such as conducting staff training, creating Excel spreadsheets, managing a budget, or leading a project from start to finish. Don't talk about benefits, such as "I liked that my previous company ordered pizza for employees on Fridays at their own expense."
17. “What didn’t you like about your last job?”
It's a difficult question. Do not communicate anything that could affect your ability to perform work for this company. When you give an example, use information you know about the new job, such as the fact that the company outsources all of its publications. At your previous job, everything was done in-house by full-time employees. So you might answer, “One of the things I really didn't like was the time it took to complete printing projects. We did it ourselves, without resorting to outsourcing. It took us seven weeks to complete a project that we could have completed in five days by hiring a company that specializes in this. I felt like the process wasn't very efficient."
The best way to answer this question is to choose something neutral or something that will be beneficial for you. For example: “At my last job, we had very slow computers and an old version of MS Office programs. Because of this, my work took a lot of time, and the older versions provided little functionality than the new programs. This worried me, but the company did not have the funds to update its equipment."
18. “Describe your ideal leader.”
What the interviewer is really asking with this question is, “Can you work with me?” Respond accordingly. Identify the management style that will allow you to be most productive at work. Give an example of something the boss did, such as “she gave me autonomy and I had the authority to make decisions on a number of issues myself,” or “we all felt like we were an important part of the team and our ideas and suggestions were listened to.”
19. “Why did you change jobs so often?”
20. “Why did you leave your last job?”
Considering the times we live in, downsizing and corporate layoffs are happening everywhere. To answer this question, you could say, “My company, like many others in the market, was hit by the recession and my position was eliminated during a reorganization,” or “My company decided to close its regional office and my entire department was dissolved.” Add at the end: “That’s why I’m looking for a job now.” Be careful when responding, making sure your voice and tone do not convey anger or frustration. It is important that you don't just want to do a job, but look for the right opportunity. You need to make the employer believe that you really want the job and are not willing to accept any job.
Everything you need to know to successfully pass any type of interview can be read in the book.
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Coach for job search and career building. The only trainer-interviewer in Russia who prepares for all types of interviews. Resume writing expert. Author of the books: “I'm Afraid of Interviews!”, “Destroying #Resume,” “Destroying #CoverLetter.”
Working with questions from the audience is an extremely important stage of your speech. Good answers and correct reactions can even save a not very high-quality performance, just as a failed block of work with questions can easily ruin a brilliant performance. Based on everything said above, it becomes completely obvious that after you have prepared for the speech, you need to move on to preparing a block of questions and answers, and also remember the principles listed below to correctly respond to the interest of the audience.
1. Provoke questions
The first thing you need to realize is that you need questions from the audience!
You can ask questions about any speech, but the audience will not always do this, so the speaker may deliberately omit important and interesting target information in order to subsequently receive a question addressed to him.
The simplest example: we talk about a place where some kind of service is provided with high quality, we describe everything in colors, emotionally and interestingly, the main thing is that we understand that the audience needs this information. We deliberately forget to mention where this very place is located. When they ask at the end of the speech, then we’ll tell you where to be and how much it costs. As a result, they received the question and made the sale indirect.
2. Encourage and do not punish
I have repeatedly noticed how young and insecure speakers are afraid of questions and, consciously or not, form a negative attitude towards them. And this entails inadequate reactions, such as:
Obviously dissatisfied and malevolent mimicry at the moment the question is asked;
Phrases like: “Your data is outdated” or "irrelevant information";
Insults like: "nonsense!", "rave!" or worse;
Criticism of the questioner’s wording - we remember that the person asking the question does not have to be an outstanding speaker and negotiator; maybe the person has problems with communication - there is no need to “poke” him into this.
All the reactions mentioned above are nothing more than punishment for the question - if we want questions to continue to come, and a good opinion about you as a speaker and a person, we don’t do that.
To encourage the question, you can do the following:
- Non-verbal act - at least we nod politely as a sign of gratitude, if artistry allows - we make a surprised expression on our face, or we nod approvingly - we do this both when the question is received and after;
- We thank the person who asked and appreciate his question. A question can be rated as unusual, original, relevant, bold, brilliant and powerful, as well as provocative, unexpected and clever. If you use your imagination and look into the eyes of the questioner, you will definitely come up with an assessment that will be pleasant to him or her;
- We compliment the person asking, his competence, erudition, wit, sense of tact, and so on;
There is no need to apply all three points to every question, but encouraging questions in general is necessary.
3. Reply to everyone!
Remember that the audience is one organism. Yes, it consists of different people, opinions and thoughts, but while they are listening to the speaker, they are united by the context of the speech and the feelings associated with it, which means that the questions come not from the person, but from the audience. Something that one person voiced may be of interest, if not to everyone, then to a good half of the room. Therefore, after thanking the person who asked, we respond to the entire audience.
4. Question pre-filters
Just like before the performance, we establish regulations - some agreements with the audience on interaction, and after the performance, but before the block of questions we can establish additional agreements.
For example, in the main part of your speech you talked about a certain issues And statistics. Suppose in statistics you are not sure, or simply have not prepared for questions regarding numbers, maybe there is some other reason not to discuss it. Nothing prevents you from installing the following filter:
“Gentlemen, we don’t have much time left for questions, so let’s not discuss statistics now and talk about the most important aspects...”
We excluded questions related to statistics from all possible questions. Moreover, if someone asks a question in this vector, we will have the right to make a remark, simply because we have previously established the appropriate agreement.
5. Control the performance
We remember that during a public speech, the main person in the room is the speaker - which means that he sets the rules (albeit more like agreements).
The main agreement is announced before the speech, namely, how to ask questions: during the speech or after, raise your hand, approach a special microphone or write a note.
If an agreement has been established, then all that remains is to monitor its compliance, alternately giving the floor with a hand gesture or a nod, for example, to those who raised their hand. We always let someone who hasn’t asked anything yet speak out, then priority is given to older people, then women.
If there are attempts in the audience to ask a question not in accordance with the regulations, it is necessary to remind about the established agreements and, as a matter of principle, give the floor only in accordance with the established rules.
It is extremely important not to get into arguments or discussions. If the subject of the question is such that too many people in the room are interested in the discussion, move the discussion to a time after the end of the speech.
Don't let people ask you strings of questions. By answering 2-3 or more questions from one person in turn, you are depriving others of this opportunity, and time is ticking.
Remember that you are not obligated to answer the question. This means that if it is too private or incorrect, you have the right to comment on it or promise to answer it after the speech to the person who asked personally.
And most importantly, it is you who speak when the block of answers to questions is completed. That is, you can stop answering at any time.
6. Don't be a know-it-all
Usually when I talk about this at trainings, there are always several people who are perplexed. And indeed, there was an opinion that the speaker should know everything. But this is not so.
You don't have to know everything or even everything about the topic of your speech. You can honestly tell the audience about this - as directly: “You know, I never set out to find an answer to this question” or “An interesting question, I’ll definitely think about it, but I’m not ready to answer right now.”. And indirectly: “I have data on this, but I’m not sure about it...”
As a rule, when we don’t know something, but try to answer, events unfold like this. After a very streamlined and unclear answer, someone from the audience still tries to understand the meaning of your words and asks an even more detailed and detailed question - an attempt to answer it will be even less successful than the previous one. Such questions will continue to come until the speaker is completely overwhelmed, and the audience is convinced of his incompetence. Moreover, if the speaker himself points out his incompetence in the matter, everything will be fine. The audience ALWAYS treats such manifestations with understanding.
7. Brevity is worth its weight in gold.
Often, having received a good question, an inexperienced speaker begins not only to answer it, but also to express his opinion, attitude or argue his opinion. There is no need to do this, at least until you receive a target question like: “Why do you think so?” or "Can you make an argument". We always answer only the question. No more no less.
8. Give hints
Here, I think, everything is simple. If the format of the event allows, invite one or more friends with questions prepared in advance, and therefore answers. Ask them to raise their hand each time and give the floor as needed. In the advanced version, you can provide yourself with another wave of emotions. For example, the first decoy question will be very painful and problematic, and your answer to it will make the audience sad, think, and empathize. This will be followed by a question, the answer to which will be life-affirming and positive, which in turn will create in the audience a contrasting emotional background to the previous one. The more such emotional leaps in your performance, the better. Why not provide a few, thanks to questions.
9. Guess and record questions
Firstly, when speaking on a particular topic regularly, always record the questions you receive. Have someone record them, or write them out yourself if the speech was audio or video recorded. The questions are likely to be repeated the next time you speak, which means you have the opportunity to be even better prepared to answer them.
Secondly, just anticipate the possible questions while preparing. I once worked at the Inter TV channel and know firsthand that the press services of various public figures predict up to 70% of all incoming questions. This is despite the fact that journalists, as a rule, prepare extremely tricky questions in order to stand out from the rest and get exclusive material. When you see how, in response to a question, the speaker, thoughtfully, quotes someone, gives an excursion into history mentioning dates and events and brilliantly answers the question - you can be sure that the question was predicted, and the answer to it was prepared.
10. Algorithm for preparing for the question and answer block
We remember the need to establish an agreement in the regulations on when and how to ask questions.
We remember the need to announce a block of questions and answers after the speech, for example: “I’m finished, if you have any questions, I’m ready to answer them with joy!”
In the process of preparing for a performance, we take our final recording on a voice recorder or camera and, after listening to it, ask ourselves questions. Let's write them down.
We show or let our recordings be heard by friends, colleagues or relatives. We ask them to ask as many questions as possible. Let's write them down.
If there is an opportunity to speak in front of friends, colleagues or relatives, preferably not those who saw or listened to the recording, we speak. Please ask questions. Let's write them down.
In the resulting list of questions we find repetitions. For example, you asked yourself a question, and someone from your environment asked a similar question - we prepare answers to these first. Then we prepare answers to all the others. We prepare the answer not in writing, but in abstracts, like the entire speech as a whole.
We remember that the block of answers to questions is as important as the presentation itself. The success of a good introduction is in good preparation, this also applies to questions.
How to learn to answer uncomfortable questions when speaking publicly?
How often have you, while speaking publicly, found yourself in a situation where a question comes from the audience that you are not ready to answer, or, simply, do not know how to answer? I am sure that there are a dozen such situations for everyone who has to give reports, give lectures, etc.
At the same time, a wave of indignation at the one who asked the question immediately rises in you, a desire to defend yourself and fight back, which is replaced by complete confusion. However, if you want to become a good speaker, you should never allow yourself to do this. In any situation you need to remain calm and control yourself. And to make this easier to achieve, there are several universal ways to get out of an unpleasant situation.
1. You don’t have to know everything in the world and answer all the questions asked by the audience!
The reason for avoiding an answer may be either the inappropriateness of answering the question asked or, to be honest, your incompetence on this issue. However, an honest admission of this fact will always look more advantageous than an attempt to show your competence in an unfamiliar matter.
Of course, you cannot directly state that you do not intend to answer the question... But you can always say something like “I would not like to give out unverified information now...” or “I currently do not have information on this issue...” However, if the questioner insists , or you have already resorted to this technique more than once, use another technique. Write down the question and promise to contact the person who asked the question within 24 hours as soon as you clarify the answer. At the same time, you will not only show respect, show the importance of the questions being asked to you, but also avoid an awkward question.
2. In case of issuing unverified, incorrect or incorrect information, never make excuses or argue!
In such a situation, you just need to admit your mistake, you can compliment the attentiveness and competence of the person who discovered it, and move on without focusing on it!
3. If a listener from the audience expresses an opinion opposite to your point of view, or asks a provocative question, do not engage in polemics under any circumstances!
You need to listen to your opponent very carefully, showing with all your appearance how important it is for you, and only after that, without interrupting him, proceed to the answer. Moreover, in no case should you resort to insults and personalities, since there is a possibility that this is exactly what they want from you.
Don't show your embarrassment or confusion. And, starting with the phrase “The problem you raised really exists,” or “Thank you for the pressing question,” gain some time to think about the answer and calm down. And then do what students often do... Start giving out information that you know and are confident in, for example, “In order to understand this issue, you need to start with this...”.
In fact, questions may not be asked at all with the aim of revealing the topic, especially when these are “inconvenient” questions for the speaker... There is a high probability that it was asked in order to attract attention to the person asking the question. This is a kind of “intellectual terrorism”. Indeed, in most cases, terrorists who have seized a building and taken hostages do not always see ransom and satisfaction of their conditions as their ultimate goal. In most cases, they primarily require a TV in order to enjoy attention to themselves. Although they may not realize it.
The same is the case with your report. Unconsciously, a person who raised his hand to ask a question may simply want attention to himself, to show his erudition, sense of humor, and courage. Therefore, the more you argue with him, the more he will begin to get excited and get what he wants. To prevent this, it is necessary to make him an ally, not an adversary, paying attention to the breadth and depth of knowledge of the person asking the question. Or simply admiring the fact that a person is so interested and heartily rooted for this cause.
Of course, a simpler way may be to simply ignore the uncomfortable question, but at the same time you will not look as impressive as if you used the technique described above. And the image of a speaker, no matter how you look at it, is a very important matter.
4. You can prevent unwanted tricky questions by saying that you are waiting for them!
As we know from the physics course, the action force is equal to the reaction force. Thus, after the speech, saying not just a phrase that you are ready to answer questions, but something like “I will be glad to answer your questions, especially tricky ones” or “Now, please ask questions, and please be sharper.” " In this case, everyone who prepared a couple of awkward questions during your speech will turn out to be an ally, not an adversary, and he will lose all desire to harm, since the expected effect will not be achieved.
5. If you did not hear or misunderstood the question, you can ask the person asking to repeat it, or do it yourself, voicing how you understood it.
Agree, it’s better to play it safe than to start answering inappropriately. In addition, by repeating the question yourself, you not only give the opportunity to understand the essence of those who may not have heard the question, but also make sure that you yourself understood it correctly.
It is also important to remember that under no circumstances should you interrupt the questioner in the middle of a question, even if you understood at the very beginning what he wanted to ask. The answer should be short and clear, ideally one phrase.
6. If you do not want to get into a situation where you are asked several questions at the same time, take care of this in advance by warning everyone that due to limited time, you can ask no more than one question and in turn.
In this way, you will not only be able to interrupt a persistent opponent by saying that you need to follow the rules, but also maintain order in the room.
7. In the case when, instead of a question, a person’s point of view is expressed, and the format of the event does not involve discussion or exchange of opinions, the best way out of the situation would be the phrase “So, your question!”
In my opinion, this is the most correct way, without offending the questioner, but nevertheless interrupting his monologue, which can last for a long time. Moreover, you should also try to follow the eighth rule.
8. The rules must always be strictly followed, and if it has been announced that a question can be asked after raising a hand, it is necessary to interrupt questions shouted from the seat without permission.
In addition, it is necessary to comply with the time limit; if 10 minutes are allotted for questions, then exactly that much time should be spent on questions, not a minute more, and only you can influence this by stopping the flow of questions.
9. Before starting your speech, try to predict the questions that may be asked to you and prepare for them!
At the same time, you can take care of preparing answers that would identify you as a highly erudite, well-read person, who also knows, for example, information from history, philosophy, psychology, etc.
10. You cannot give a negative or positive assessment of the question; you just need to be grateful for it, since in any case it is a manifestation of interest in your speech.
However, this does not mean that you cannot start with the phrase “What an unusual question!”, “A brave question,” “Oh, what an unexpected question!” It's all about your assessment of what is happening and tact.
In addition, it is always advisable to make sure that your answer satisfied the person asking the question.
And in conclusion, I would like to say that not only awkward questions, but also their complete absence can confuse the speaker. To prevent this from happening, you can always agree with several people you know about the questions they should ask. In this case, you will always clearly know the answer in advance. Or, if this is not possible, start with the phrase “They usually ask...”. And after the first question, others will follow in a line.
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“Nikita, hello!<…>As for public speaking and presentations, I feel quite confident in this. But as soon as it comes to questions from the audience, I often cannot cope.<…>Either I’m afraid of questions, or I don’t understand how to work with them correctly. But I always find this part of the presentation unsure. Could you tell me how to effectively work with questions from the audience?<…>
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely, Maxim Zhdanov."
Answer:
If after your speech you receive questions from the audience, that’s great! Congratulations, you have aroused the audience's interest in your topic. This means that viewers have additional questions and want even more information and clarification. Now comes an important part of the speaker’s interactive work - interaction with the audience. And it is precisely this part of the answers to questions that can either improve the audience’s impression of your speech or, exactly the opposite, ruin the whole situation. It is a pity when successful presentations by speakers fail due to the inability to technically and competently answer questions from the audience. After all, questions are most often asked at the end of the speech, and the conclusion of the speech most strongly shapes the overall impression of the audience. I suggest you 15 main rules, which will help you always be on top when dealing with questions from the audience.
1. In advance anticipate questions and while preparing for your speech, think through answers to possible questions. For example, speechwriters, in addition to the speech itself, prepare for politicians a list of predicted questions and successful answers to them. And it turns out that in approximately 80-90% of cases, politicians have ready-made and most effective answers to even the most tricky and thorny questions. It’s not difficult to predict questions - just put yourself in the place of the audience and think about what they might be additionally interested in, where doubts or misunderstandings might arise, whether there are any hot and relevant topics that are related to the topic of your speech.
2. Don't ignore questions. Even if you didn’t have such activity in your plans, ignoring questions can ruin the whole impression of the performance. Firstly, this causes dissatisfaction among the audience, and secondly, your speech becomes a monologue, and the audience, as you understand, craves dialogue. Remember that by raising your hand, the viewer will already be completely focused on the thought of when this devil will answer my question, and not on the essence of your speech. Well, when there are several raised hands in the hall, and the speaker, as if nothing had happened, continues his speech, then the entire audience will be occupied with the thought: “How will this end? Is he blind? Will he answer in the end or not?.
3. It is advisable to announce in advance regulations– when and how you are ready to answer any questions that arise. If you're giving a short speech, there's no point in interrupting an intense, information-packed five-minute speech with questions. Invite the audience to write down the questions that arise and answer them at the end of the speech. If the speech is long, then with the help of questions at the end of each semantic block of your speech, you can dilute the speech with activities of different forms. It’s a good idea to determine in advance the form of asking questions - by raising your hand or using notes (the Regina Dubovitskaya method), which you will then read out.
4. Remember that questions from the audience can be expressed not only with a raised hand, but also with visual contact, when the viewer's gaze is filled with surprise / disagreement / desire for clarification and clarification / misunderstanding. Tactfully address the listener: “Do you have a question?”, “Can I clarify something?” and so on.
5. First complete the thought, only then answer the question. Sometimes a hand from the audience goes up right in the middle of a sentence. Inexperienced speakers immediately interrupt their thoughts mid-sentence and invite the listener to voice a question. As you understand, this is wrong. Both you and the audience lose the thread of your reasoning. Show the listener that you saw a raised hand (for example, continuing your thought, look at the person asking the question and shake your head or indicate with a gesture that you saw him and will answer at the first opportunity). And only after bringing your thought to its logical conclusion, invite the listener to voice his question. Most often, after receiving such a signal, listeners give up and continue to listen to you carefully. Only then do not forget to fulfill your promise and give the opportunity to ask a question.
6. Always thank you for the question. After all, a question from the audience is a manifestation of the audience’s interest and attention to you and the topic of your speech. It is often appropriate to compliment a question: “Thank you very much for your question! It’s really very sharp and relevant” or “Thank you! You touched on a very important aspect!”.
7. You 100% should be the point is clear the question asked. There's nothing worse than a vague, off-topic answer. Therefore, firstly, listen to the question to the end, and secondly, if necessary, be sure to ask clarifying questions. After you have clarified the essence of the question, repeat it loudly in a reformulated form: “Do I understand correctly that you are asking about...” and already begin your answer.
8. If you can’t immediately get your bearings and quickly answer a question, don’t be afraid take a time out: “The question is really interesting. Thank you! But to give a detailed answer to it, I need some time. Let me come back to your question and answer it during the next break.".
9. The answer to the question must be clear, concise and concise. There are situations when the speaker gets too carried away with the answer, loses the essence of his main speech or does not have time to answer other questions, or, even worse, does not have time to complete his speech due to limited time limits.
10. If the question is asked quietly by the listener, then be sure to repeat it loudly to the audience so that everyone can hear. Imagine the reaction of the audience: there is some kind of pause, somewhere in the front rows there is some kind of fuss, and then you start talking on a completely different topic. For example, the speaker talks about the technology of growing cucumbers in bags. A question from the front row, which, naturally, no one hears. And then the speaker answers the question: “Yes, thanks for the question. You know, Ivan Izralevich had appendicitis, so he didn’t have time to do it!” Stop! What appendicitis? Who the hell is Ivan Izralevich? What is this for? What is this speaker talking about, since he was talking about cucumbers? What should the speaker do? That’s right, repeat the question loudly so that the entire audience is aware and understands the logical thread: “Thanks for the question! I was just asked a question about whether the famous botanist Ivan Izralevich studied the cultivation of cucumbers in bags? He started this topic, but later he was diagnosed with appendicitis and did not have time to publish a monograph on this topic!” Phew, now everything has fallen into place.
11. There is nothing worse than answers from a speaker like “I already spoke about this at the beginning of my speech” or “You listened, I mentioned this fact”. If the audience demands clarification or repetition, do it.
12. Beginning speakers think that the question needs to be answered by the one who asked it. As a result, the audience remains unattended, becomes bored and loses interest in what is happening. Therefore, having received a question from one listener, be sure to respond to the entire audience.
13. If the same listener, after the first question, begins to bombard you with a series of other questions, do not be alarmed. If the questions are relevant and can really inform your presentation, they are worth answering. Only as briefly and concisely as possible. Otherwise, it is better to explain to the listener that time is limited, you need to answer questions from other listeners from the audience, and invite him to communicate after the performance(optionally, online).
14. If you feel that the listener can hardly formulate the essence of the question and just wants to give his comment, do not get lost and specify what the viewer wants: “Excuse me, what is the question?”, “Please formulate the question?”. Very often, under the guise of a question, viewers want to enter into a debate with the speaker or give their invaluable comment. If the regulations and format of the speech do not provide for this, do not hesitate to interrupt and clarify.
15. The situation looks ridiculous when the speaker’s question “What questions do you have?” In response, there is dead silence in the hall. This is very demotivating and frustrating for many speakers. There are several options here. Firstly, you can pause longer and support the audience: “Please don’t be shy, I’ll be happy to answer any questions.”. You can jokingly add to this: “...well, except for my personal life, of course” to stir up the audience a little and create the atmosphere more informal(although the question arises: what were you doing during the entire performance?). Another option: think ahead in your speech. a couple of aspects which are sure to raise questions. Third option: As you close your speech, say: “Thank you very much for your attention. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer and talk to everyone.” and leave the stage. Even if no questions are asked, there will no longer be an embarrassing situation in front of the entire audience. Fourth option: warm up the audience and encourage her to ask questions: “Before the performance, I was asked a question...”, “I often get asked questions about...”, “If you don’t have any questions yet, then let me ask you a question...” and so on.
I'm waiting for questions from blog readers...