Tag: FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions in a Business Presentation

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q&A

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Sep 28, 2016

Your Q&A with the audience is the best way for you to get feedback.

Being offered feedback makes your presentation more engaging and helps your prospects get clarification from points you’ve made.

Receiving feedback from your audience gives you insights on how you can make better presentations in the future.

You won’t be able to cover every detail during your business presentation, so it’s important to always anticipate questions beforehand.

Question #1

What do you do?

The beginning of your slide should be an introduction that contains your contact details and a brief primer to your company.

But this kind of information isn’t enough for the audience to know what your business is all about.

Your deck should cover every possible aspect of the purpose, service, and benefit that you provide while avoiding delays caused by an overly detailed discussion.

If you have to re-explain your introduction towards the end of your business presentation, don’t assume that the audience just didn’t pay enough attention.

This type of question could either mean that you didn’t spend enough time to explain your purpose, or that your audience simply wants to know more details.

Question #2

What’s your product?

This question could be phrased in several ways: how this product benefits your prospects, how useful it is, and if it’s worth the investment. In other words, why should we choose you?

You should be able to say yes to all the questions and provide concrete reasons to support your claims.

Going over this type of question is good since this means that your audience is curious about your product.

This is a way for you to slowly build up their trust. Knowing your product well adds to your credibility.

Seal the deal by convincing your prospects that the product is worth their time and resources.

Question #3

How long does it take?

This asks for specificity. It shows that the audience is thinking, How soon will I start seeing results?

Provide a financial projection that gives a realistic assessment of your project.

Tell them when they can expect to see results and only promise what you can deliver on time on a realistic budget.

Scott Gerber, entrepreneur and angel investor, learned the hard way from being rejected by investors for his company.

One of the most important lessons he learned was that VC’s that have seen it all can gauge the feasibility of your plans, so be realistic and avoid aiming for a multimillion investment without the experience to back it up.

You’ll know how eager your audience is when you hear them ask about your project timetable.

Being asked this at the end of your presentation usually means you’ve generated enough interest that’ll soon translate to sales.

Final Thoughts

Keep your answers short and concise since you’re towards the end of your presentation.

Shorter answers are easier to remember and will help end your presentation on time.

The responses you receive will help you gauge your own persuasiveness as a speaker.

So don’t be content with a silent response, get the ball going by answering some of these questions by reiterating your main points.

The success of your pitch depends on how well you respond to these FAQ’s.

Don’t let the simplicity of these questions fool you, prepare how to answer them beforehand.

References

Gerber, Scott. “6 Steps to the Perfect Pitch.” Entrepreneur. May 21, 2009. Accessed January 5, 2016. www.entrepreneur.com/article/201826
Pivovarov, Artur. “Presentation Skills. Unit 8: Dealing with Questions.” SlideShare. May 1, 2012. Accessed November 4, 2015. www.slideshare.net/ArturPivovarov/unit-8-12763217

Featured Image: “WSIS Forum 2015 Final Brief” by ITU Pictures on flickr.com

Face the FAQ: 3 Frequently Asked Questions in Presentations

FAQ

presentation guide

public speaking

Rick Enrico Blog

SlideGenius

Dec 29, 2015

Most presentations include a Q&A portion at the end. Some speakers dread it because they never know what to expect. Questions can be particular to the subject at hand, but broad ones can pop up anytime, anywhere. Knowing the most common ones will help you stay on your toes and be prepared for anything.

Here are three frequently asked questions in presentations:

1. “Can you expound on a specific point you mentioned?”

Being thrown something like this doesn’t automatically mean your delivery was bad. After all, the fact that you’re being asked questions indicates that you’ve gotten your audience’s attention.

It might be because a part of your presentation wasn’t clear enough for your listeners. On the other hand, it could also be an expression of interest in your topic. In both cases, take it as a chance to elaborate and back up your ideas. If you missed some things during your actual speech, you can pick them back up here.

But your answers should still be based on the objectives you set out with during your presentation. Straying too far from the topic will confuse you and the audience. Trust what you know about your topic and stick with it.

2. “What is the relevance of your presentation?”

This is a question you need to address before you even start drafting your pitch. It may not be asked outright, but always consider the possibility of having to answer it during your speech.

Your presentation should always be relevant to the audience. People who are invested in something will dedicate their time and attention on it. Make sure to look up your listeners to get some valuable information about who they are and what they want to get out of your expectation. This way, you can align your vision with their expectations.

Adjust your content accordingly to accommodate their preferences. This will make your presentation’s relevance easier to spot. However, if you’re still faced with this question despite already giving an answer, just emphasize your main points in relation to your audience’s concerns.

Be clear about the connection between your message and the people’s interests. Your listeners will appreciate your presentation more.

3. “According to another source, there’s a different perspective or method available. How will you respond to this?”

Depending on how it’s asked, this question may be the most challenging to answer. Process the query first and see if it really does refute your message. If it doesn’t, point out the specific part of your presentation that’s similar to the point raised.

Just remember to remain polite and composed when admitting fault. Don’t turn the listener off by disregarding their question. If the concern is valid, acknowledge it first before enumerating your topic’s advantage over the other point.

While you want to frame your own presentation in the best light possible, you should also be a good sport when it comes to tough questions. According to speech communication professor, Stephen Boyd, this especially comes in handy when the inquiries come in the form of a loaded question or a rude comment. Respond to both by rephrasing the question into something easier to answer.

Always be the bigger person in such situations. It only shows that you’re a professional and credible speaker.

Conclusion

The Q&A is an important part of any presentation. It’s one of the simplest forms of audience engagement. You can see how much an audience was affected by your speech by observing what type of questions they ask. Instead of seeing it as a threat, consider it an opportunity to bring up things you forgot. Remain grounded in your objectives and keep your cool in the face of difficult questions.

There’s no one way to a good answer. It’s your ability to provide a logical and clear response that counts. A good speaker needs a good PowerPoint to boot – a clear delivery thanks to a clever mix of text and visuals can surely enhance the quality of the questions you’ll get.

Reference

Boyd, Stephen. “Question and Answer Session after the Presentation.” Succeed in Public Speaking by Ron Kurtus: School for Champions. Accessed October 15, 2015. www.school-for-champions.com/speaking/boyd_q_a_after_pres.htm

 

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