Q&A Framework

If you are an expert in a particular technology or field, it is easy to handle a Q&A Session, or at least it may feel easy, if you are not, it can feel like a nightmare! Whether you are an expert or not, you should always use a framework for answering questions.

1. LISTEN - Sounds simple, doesn't it? But the fact is, often times speakers will interrupt someone asking a question. This is typically happens due to the speaker either thinking he knows what question the participant is asking or is excited because he thinks he knows and has the perfect answer ready! The key fact here is, when you interrupt someone, it makes them feel as if what they are saying is not important. Additionally, they may have a multipart question. It is critical that you let them finish their question completely.
   

2. CLARIFY - Make sure you understand the question and the reason why they are asking. For example, I once had someone ask me during a demonstration if users of our software could email out reports, I was excited because I knew the answer was yes and I love delivering good news. Unfortunately, the answer yes was not good news. They didn't want users to have that ability. The better way to have answered that question would have been to clarify first, "Is it important for your users to be able to email reports?", at which point they would have said no and that would have given me the ability to answer the question slightly different.
   

3. RESTATE - People often zone out during presentations and often miss the question being asked by someone else, restating the question in your answer, allows others to understand what question is being answer. This can be done directly in your answer. Let's look at the appropriate answer to the question posed in the above scenario (emailing reports). "I understand you are concerned about whether or not people can email reports (restate), we believe that your organization should be able to control whether this capability is allowed based on your security requirements, our solution gives you the ability to either restrict or allow this type of behavior."
   

4. VALIDATE - You're at the finish line, you've listened to the question, you have clarified for understanding, you restated and answered the question, HOME RUN, you move on; not so fast! Make sure that you answered it to the satisfaction of the one who asked the question. Once you have validated, then move on. "Ms. Audience Member, does that answer your question?", "Mr. Audience Member, does that make sense?"

Following this framework will ensure that no matter what question you are faced with, you can calmly and systematically provide a clear answer. There are some common traps that people typically fall into that you should be prepared to handle. All answers that you give will fall into one of two categories, they are 1. You know the answer or 2. You don't know the answer. Here are some guidelines for how to handle both type of answers.

• You Know The Answer - The biggest challenge that 90% of SEs have here is brevity. Keep your answer short and concise. Make sure your answer is a simple Yes or No, or if needed followed up with a very minimal detail. If the audience needs you to go deeper in the answer, let them take you there, they will have that opportunity during your validation of the answer.
  

• You Don't Know The Answer - Do Not, I repeat DO NOT fake that you know the answer. There is a misconception by many in sales that if you don't know the answer, it degrades your credibility but the opposite is actually true. In fact, I don't like to answer ever question that is asked of me. Audience members are use to the presenters to "always have an answer" and the "answer is always yes" because they are being sold. When you don't know the answer or you're not 100% certain of the answer, be honest. For example, let's answer the above email reports question with an I don't know. "I understand you are concerned about whether or not people can email reports (restate), while I am pretty sure that you have the ability to control a users ability to email or not email a report, I want to be 100% sure and not mislead you with a wrong answer. Let me jot this question down and get back to you. In fact, after this meeting I will email the group the list of questions that we may not know the answers to in order to make sure we have captured all of them and then follow up and provide you with the correct answer." By answering you don't have the answer, it actually gives your audience members more confident in you and the answers that you do answer.

Following this framework will make you an expert in Q&A and give you the confidence you need to walk into any situation and answer questions.