Chances are you will never be in quite the same position as James Comey, Former FBI Director who testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee this week with millions of people watching him on television. However, it can still feel pretty heated when hard questions come at you from your listeners. When that happens, how do you maintain composure, provide meaningful responses, and then gracefully exit to the next question or to the next point in your presentation?
Try these strategies…
Take Your Time
It’s often difficult—and dangerous–to respond immediately to hostile or complex questions. You must not yourself become hostile or emotional in response! Give yourself time to think and, if necessary, to neutralize any “hot” language by paraphrasing, repeating, or acknowledging the question. Examples:
- Q: “How do you explain the fiasco your firm was involved in at XYZ Company?”
- A: (Paraphrase) “With regard to the incident at XYZ…” (then answer).
- Q: “Why are you recommending the X over Y?”
- A: (Repeat) “Why X over Y? Because…”
- Q: “How will we pay for the extra costs of this installation?”
- A: (Acknowledge) “We were particularly sensitive to the costs involved in this process. Basically, we’ve arranged for…..”
This technique shows you have heard the questioner and gives you a few extra seconds to think about your answer.
Get Underneath Emotional Questions
Acknowledge the feeling and probe for clarity before you answer when a questioner is angry, scared, or skeptical.
- “Clearly you feel strongly about this. May I ask why?”
- “I can hear the deep concern you have. What leads you to think this won’t work?”
Listeners cannot hear your answer if they are filled with emotion. Let them talk it out, so that you more fully understand their concern and they can more readily hear your response.
Then, though it may sound counter intuitive, after they have explained their concern, say, “Thank you.” It is not the expected response. While there may be disagreement or confusion on the business issue, that little “Thank you” strengthens the personal connection and further smooths the way for the listener to pay attention to what you have to say.
Answer with Strength
With the response template below, you will stay on track with your answer, sound very authoritative, and be able to move gracefully to the next question or back to your presentation. Even if you forget the first Point in the template and you just jump into your Explanation, conclude your Explanation with a final Point, Your voice will automatically end down and you will be free to move on.
- Point: Make your key point VERY BRIEFLY.
- Explain: Very briefly explain with at least one example or piece of information
- Point: Re-prise your original key point
Example: “How does this approach align with recent and anticipated market activity?”
P “It aligns very closely.”
E Explain….
P “So,we will be in sync with any market changes.”
Some Additional PEP Notes
- Other words that will getyou to P, the conclusion of your response are, “Again,” “So therefore,” “So, bottom-line.”
- In a small group or one-on-one, check back, “Does that address your concern?”
- In a large group, you may not want to check back and risk getting bogged down with one questioner. In that case, simply conclude your answer looking at the questioner and then move your eyes naturally to the next questioner.
Be Cool When Things Get Hot
You can be sure that Comey anticipated the questions he would receive and that he practiced his answers long and hard before yesterday. You are wise to do the same before your key meetings. Use the suggestions above to maintain personal composure and control of the presentation throughout the Q&A process. Finally, even if the questions are challenging, welcome them. They are an opportunity to reassure people that you, your ideas, and your services are the right fit for them.
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
Random Recommendation
In the spirit of just something wonderful and creative to watch that will put a smile on your face, check out this Ted Talk by Michal Bierut, Designer and Professor at Yale School of Art http://bit.ly/2rGqc7S
Make Sure Your Presentations and Demos Stay “Cool!”
Call today for individual coaching or team workshops and learn how to turn information that tells into a story that sells. 212-876-1875 amiller@annemiller.com 
“Anne and I recently worked together on a speech I gave at a large conference. She helped me turn a series of somewhat interesting points into anexpertly crafted,compelling and actionable story. Together, we built a storyline with attention-grabbing headlines. We worked and re-worked the language, making sure every word was important. Finally, Anne coached me on the delivery. The result was so exciting – I’ve never been so well received in a speech before. Thank you, Anne!” Kate Griffin, Vice President, CFED.org