People often ask me how they should handle difficult questions. This is probably one of the areas that creates the greatest fear around making presentations. If you know your subject well you can probably make a presentation quite confidently. However, your confidence can be undermind by the fear that someone may ask you something you can't answer and you think that it will make you look stupid or unprofessional. The good news is that there a few things you can do to make the situation easier to handle.
- Take a deep breath.
- Repeat the question to verify you have understood it. This also gives you thinking time.
- If you don't know how to respond say "That's a good question, I haven't hear that one before" or "I hadn't really thought about it until you asked that question" and then respond with an initial reaction. People will realise that you are thinking on your feet and won't expect an 'expert' answer. It is even permissable to ask them what they think the answer might be.
- Explain that your answer may be your opinion rather than fact.
- Be prepared for the fact that you can’t please everybody and that your answer may not be well received.
- Stall – I can’t answer that at this time because…. I don’t have all the facts/It is confidential/The final decision hasn’t been made/It’s subject to legal constraints/I don’t know, I’ll get back to you on that.
- Be careful that you don’t appear weak if you stall, maybe give a time and date when you can answer it or a way you can get the answer to them (such as via email).
- Answer it using positive language.
- If it is difficult or unpalatable then explain why the decision was made or what the different options are and what their implications are.
If you respond with conviction and aplomb you will appear to be professional and people will respect you - even if your answer is "I don't know". They would rather that you were honest with them than feel you are hiding something.
