HANDLE Q+A LIKE A BOSS - There Is No Maximum To Human Potential - HumanPoint

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HANDLE Q+A LIKE A BOSS - There Is No Maximum To Human Potential - HumanPoint
There Is No Maximum To Human Potential

                                           HANDLE Q+A
HumanPoint
                                            LIKE A BOSS
11900 NE 1st Street, Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
425.637.3018 office
info@human-point.com
www.human-point.com
HANDLE Q+A LIKE A BOSS - There Is No Maximum To Human Potential - HumanPoint
Dear Presenter,

        Delivering a great talk requires being prepared for both the formal
        presentation, as well as questions and answers. Many people fear
        Q & A because they feel they are giving control over to the audience.
        The reality is, the audience is already in control because they choose
        individually when to engage or ignore the speaker. I wrote this guide
        so next time you have a speech to prepare, you can review this and
        remember the proper steps for preparing and facilitating Q & A.
        Whether you are speaking alone or in a panel of speakers, this guide
        is relevant, so I hope you find the information helpful. If you do,
        please pass along to others who may benefit.

        All the best,
        Amy Hedin

human-point.com
HANDLE Q+A LIKE A BOSS - There Is No Maximum To Human Potential - HumanPoint
TABLE OF CONTENTS

            • Introduction                         2

            • Q+A Logistics                        4

            • Q+A Transition                       5

            • Q+A FAQ                              6

            • About HumanPoint                     8

Amy Hedin               Handling Q+A Like A Boss       human-point.com | 1
BE AUTHENTIC. DON’T BE AN IMITATION.
    Q+A is a chance for the speaker to virtually or literally hand the audience the microphone, and allow
    them to direct the speech. It is also a chance for the speaker to show the audience who they really
    are. This requires being authentic, transparent and vulnerable. Sometimes during the formal
    presentation, we go into presentation mode because we are trying to remember the next thing we
    are going to say. Q+A is not scripted, so we are required to think on our feet, and answer the ques-
    tion to the best of our ability. If you are funny, show the audience your sense of humor. If you are
    not funny, don’t try to be. In other words, be yourself.

                            Answers are real. No fillers.
              When you answer a question, try to eliminate filler
            statements. Here are some common filler statements…

                                               “I think…”
                                             “I believe…”
                                                “I feel…”
    The truth is, your audience does not care what you think, believe or feel, so just give them the
    answer. If you think no, say, “no.” If you think yes, say “yes.” Then go on to explain your reasoning.
    By doing so, you will sound more powerful, credible and confident.

    Next, be succinct with your answers. Some people are better at thinking on their feet then
    others. If you can’t do this well, you will need to prepare a list of possible questions in advance,
    and rehearse your answers. When I am preparing individuals or teams for critical presentations, a
    big part of our practice is to rehearse Q+A. I will draft a long list of possible questions, and I will
    drill them while videotaping their answers. This is a highly effective way to work out clear, concise
    and succinct answers.

    You should always think and pause before responding. This advice seems simple and obvious, yet
    so many times we are in a hurry to respond so we begin to formulate our response as the
    audience member is still asking the question. So many speakers try to fill in the dead air during this
    time by either speaking too soon, or by saying things like, “That is a great question.” This is just a
    filler statement that does not add value, so using pauses is a more effective method.

2 | human-point.com                              Handling Q+A Like A Boss                              Amy Hedin
LISTEN FIRST. SUMMARIZE SECOND.
                       THEN RESPOND.
                 For extra credit, hit on a key message.
  How many times have you sat through Q+A and have only
  heard answers, but never heard the question? Please remember
  to restate the question before answering so the rest of your           WHAT IS A
  audience can hear the question. It also gives your brain time to       KEY MESSAGE?
  create an intelligent response. When you restate the question,
  don’t’ restate it word for word, especially if it is a three part      A key message is
  question that took the audience member two minutes to ask.             an important theme
  Instead, restate just enough to provide context to your audience.      that exists in your
  It is also an opportunity for you to enhance the question so it        formal presentation,
  ties back to a key message.                                            that the purpose is to
                                                                         get the audience to
  Speakers believe their job in Q+A is to answer the questions to
                                                                         take action, believe
  the best of their ability. This is partially true. The best speakers
                                                                         or feel a certain way,
  use Q & A to really drill into their key messages from their
                                                                         or become informed
  formal presentation, by adding in statements in the form of
                                                                         about a topic. Key
  answers to questions. The best way to explain this is to use a
                                                                         messages also help
  real life example.
                                                                         create flow and
  Here is a simple example…
                                                                         consistency in the
  “Mr. Gates, when did you decide to tackle Polio eradication?”
                                                                         formal presentation.
  “Why is this such an important cause for you, and for the
  Foundation?” “And finally, when do you expect our world to be
  free from this horrible disease?”

  Restating provides an opportunity for you to refine the question
  and to hit on your key messages from your formal presentation.
  Mr. Gates possible restatement:

  “The question is regarding the Foundation’s commitment to
  eradicating polio by 2020, and why this is a top priority for us.”

       To read more about Polio eradication strategy and the
     great work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visit
              www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/
               Global-Development/Polio#OurStrategy

Amy Hedin                              Handling Q+A Like A Boss                   human-point.com | 3
Q+A LOGISTICS
    BEFORE Q+A
      Remember to factor in Q+A time into your overall presentation time.

        To begin Q+A tell your audience how much time they have, or how
        many questions you can answer.
                EXAMPLE:
                “We have time for 2 questions.”
                EXAMPLE:
                “We have 2 minutes for questions.”
                Estimate 60 seconds per a question.
    DURING Q+A
      Keep track of time carefully and when you are getting close to the end
      time, ask your audience for one final question and thank them for their
      interaction and ideas.

                EXAMPLE:
                “Thank you for your interaction today, we have time for one final
                question.”
    AFTER Q+A
      At the end of Q+A provide your audience with one final action
      statement, a second close, that ties back to your key message.

        Remember to thank the meeting sponsor or organization you are
        speaking for.

4 | human-point.com                   Handling Q+A Like A Boss              Amy Hedin
3 STEPS TO
                  TRANSITION TO Q+A

            1.   Wrap up statement to
                 transition to Q+A

            2.   Pause for applause

            3. 	Tell your audience how long
                 you have for Q+A
            		 “I have 4 minutes for questions“

Amy Hedin             Handling Q+A Like A Boss   human-point.com | 5
EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
                Answer Questions Like a PRO
    5 SIMPLE STEPS TO MANAGE Q+A LIKE A BOSS
    1. Listen to question

    2. Restate questions so your audience is able to hear-summarize not
       word for word

    3. Pause + think before you speak

    4. Look audience member in the eye when you answer

    5. Confirm with audience member that you answered their question
        • If they nod their head or say ok, move on

6 | human-point.com                Handling Q+A Like A Boss               Amy Hedin
Q+A THEMES

            Theme of Question
            • Reveal audiences concerns
            •	Shows where you may need to add
               additional opinions or beliefs
            • Confirms overall opinions or beliefs

            Use audience’s questions to draft a close
            for your presentation
            •	Step One: Listen to theme of questions
            • Step Two: Respond in your close

Amy Hedin                Handling Q+A Like A Boss    human-point.com | 7
Q+A FAQ
   What should I do if nobody asks a question?
   First of all, you must wait for at least 30 seconds before doing anything.
   During this time, be patient, smile and stare at the audience. Most of the
   time someone will speak up to end the uncomfortable silence. If they
   don’t, you have two options.

        Option 1: End your talk by giving your final
        statement or final close. Remember to thank the
        audience and host.

        Option 2: Prepare a question in advance, and ask
        this question as follows,
            “Many people wonder…(Insert your
            question here).”
        Then, provide the answer for this pre-scripted
        question. When you do this, many times it breaks
        the ice with your audience and they will begin to
        ask questions. If they don’t, simply go to your final
        close.

   One way to avoid this with larger audiences is to gather questions from
   the audience during the speech, then have a few selected for you to
   answer. This requires support staff or technology to assist you.

8 | human-point.com                Handling Q+A Like A Boss              Amy Hedin
Q+A FAQ
   What if you don’t know the answer to their question?

   With proper preparation, the likelihood of this is greatly reduced. I prepare
   speakers for Q+A by developing a list of questions we can anticipate the
   audience asking, then rehearsing the answers until they are clear and
   concise.

   If someone asks a question you really have no clue about, and would be
   completely guessing by answering, it is best to just say, “I don’t know.”
   When this has happened to me in the past, I have had audience members
   assist me in answering the question.

   When I am more sure, but not 100% sure about my answer, I will take a
   slightly different approach. I will state my answer as follows, “I think the
   answer is X, and I will need to verify by...”

   When you know the answer, state the answer. Remember, no fluff.

   It is never wise to make up answers when you are not sure, because
   speakers lose credibility with their audiences quickly when this happens. I
   have observed people deliver amazing speeches, and then mess up in Q+A
   by not having the confidence to be honest with the audience and admit
   they don’t know the answer.

            Remember, the best way is to prepare
            and practice potential questions and
            answers in advance.

Amy Hedin                   Handling Q+A Like A Boss               human-point.com | 9
There Is No Maximum To Human Potential

HumanPoint empowers individuals and companies to reach their highest potential through customized
executive coaching programs, strategic planning, organizational and talent assessment, and presentation
and facilitation guidance. HumanPoint focuses on working with intelligent leaders to drive meaningful
transformation on the human side of the business.

Through genuine and deep collaboration with clients across quantitative fields such as aerospace,
biotechnology, software, telecommunications, construction, and engineering, HumanPoint delivers results.
Our relationships are built on trust and making good on our promises, and we strive to guide our clients to
reach their desired outcomes by individually tailoring our solutions to provide fast and lasting change.

Founded in 2007, HumanPoint is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington with clients located throughout the
United States and world.

Amy Hedin, HumanPoint’s CEO & Founder, is a top level executive
coach, a business consultant, facilitator, and dynamic speaker, but is
best described as a catalyst for her clients’ success.

Whether she is working with an individual executive, a team,
department, or an entire company, she brings intelligence, creativity,
and clarity to helping her clients achieve their goals. Amy has an
uncanny ability to see the elephant in the room and to create unique
customized programs to address underlying issues and to uncover
hidden potential in people and systems.

Clients describe Amy as intelligent, insightful, engaging, genuine and
dynamic.

Working with Amy is like having an extra brain, an extra smart brain.

Specialties include: preparing technical leaders for key presentations,
executive coaching and leadership development, organizational and
employee assessments. Amy is an excellent public speaker and
delivers customized talks at conferences, industry events, and onsite
at companies on relevant business topics.

10 | human-point.com                             Handling Q+A Like A Boss                         Amy Hedin
11900 NE 1st Street, Suite 300
    Bellevue, WA 98005
     425.637.3018 office
   amy@human-point.com
   www.human-point.com
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