I did some research around public speaking on ChatGPT. It’s such a great tool. This time it was reinforcing a lot of speaker-related information we both already know. It got me thinking though, about how speakers can be really confident about some parts of public speaking, but not others.
For example, you might be a wiz at creating presentations, but you sweat bullets when it comes to delivering it. You might be great on stage, but you’re terrified the whole time you’re up there that your technology’s going to fail.
What’s interesting is that these aren’t exactly the kinds of fears that stop people from pursuing public speaking. These are smaller pesky behind-the-scene fears getting in the way of us feeling comfortable when we’re on stage… such as the behind-the-scene fear many speakers have around answering questions.
The advantage of having a great signature talk is that when we’re on stage, we aren’t exactly the center of attention. The content we’re sharing is, which is good because then our audience is focused on what we’re talking about, rather than on how we look, talk, smile, frown, what we’re wearing, etc. But as soon as someone asks us a question, their attention shifts to fully focusing on us. That’s when one or both of these smaller pesky behind-the-scene fears might interfere with our ability to confidently answer their question.
#1 Performing under pressure…. I don’t care how confident anyone says they are, everyone feels something when they’re about to stand in the spotlight. Being able to confidently step into the Q&A spotlight boils down to how confident you are about your ability to answer people’s questions. The absolute best way to prepare yourself is to make sure your signature talk only includes content you’re confident answering questions about.
From there, come up with a list of as many questions as you can think of that you might get asked. Ask ChatGPT for a list too. Come up with an answer for each one, and practice answering them one by one, out loud.
#2 Fear of the unknown…. This fear wouldn’t come up if we knew all the questions people were going to ask us ahead of time. But even if we did, people will still come up with questions we hadn’t considered. Addressing this fear boils down to having an overall strategy for answering questions. In general there are three strategies:
- Ask Me Anytime: Let your audience know you’re open to having an interactive discussion and are happy to answer their questions at any time. This is my preferred strategy. I like the engagement and let my audiences know that right from the start.
- Take Advantage of Natural Breaks in Your Talk: This works well with signature talks long enough to include pauses between sections, points, steps, exercises, etc. Simply let your audience know you’ll be stopping at the end of each section to answer their questions.
- Please Hold Your Questions Til the End: This strategy works well when your talk is structured in a way that naturally answers their most logical questions just before they’re about to ask.
What do you do if someone asks you a question you don’t have an answer to? Admit it, and say you’re happy to do some research to find it. Depending on when the question’s asked, you could share the answer after a break, after the stage, or via an email. Here’s what ChatGPT has to say about situations like this:
“Remember, encountering questions you don’t know the answer to is a natural part of presenting, and it doesn’t diminish your expertise or credibility. How you handle these situations can actually enhance your reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy speaker.”
The great thing about questions is that they open up discussions, which are great ways to start building relationships. In fact, why not consider coming up with questions you can ask your audience and get the conversation started!