the way you handle a Q&A after
presentations can really shape the way
everybody looks at what you just said so
it's important to get right and in this
video we're going to look at how to
handle direct questions with direct
answers hello I'm Alex Lian and this is
communication coach the channel that's
here to help you increase your impact so
you can lead your team's to higher
levels of excellence today we're going
to unpack how to answer direct questions
directly everything that I'm talking
about in this video comes from a
wonderful book by Alan whiner I will put
the link in the description below
it's called so smart but and it's a
fantastic communication and leadership
book I also know Alan he was my mentor
starting about 20 years ago and it
really helped me get my start in the
area of communication consulting so
Thank You Alan
when he talks about how to handle Q&A he
really describes it very simply in a way
that I have found very helpful he talks
about how there are really only four
types of questions and he uses a testing
metaphor it is to crystallize this he
says there are true/false which is
really a yes or no multiple choice fill
in the blank and essay we're not going
to go into how to answer essay questions
those are require a little more
sophisticated style of answering however
the first three questions are the most
common and they are all direct questions
and the tip is this direct questions
require direct answers you want to be
concise concise sounds confident concise
means about one sentence sounds a little
bit like the headline from a news
article so if you're asked a direct
question you give a direct answer to
true/false fill in the blank or a
multiple-choice and there's an old scene
from Hunt for Red October great movie
and Alec Baldwin is playing Jack Ryan in
this film and he's getting some advice
from James Earl Jones Jack Ryan is about
to give a briefing to some really
high-level people and James Earl Jones
says you're liable to be asked some
direct questions give them direct
answers he's liable to ask some direct
questions given direct answers
so when your asset yes now fill in the
blank or multiple-choice the first thing
you have to do is listen and make sure
you're hearing a direct question and if
you are give one sentence give a
yes-or-no or fill in the blank and then
about one sentence worth of detail and
then put a period at the end of it in
your mind and then zip your mouth and
that gives room for the next question so
let's give a little quiz here I'm gonna
give you three questions varieties of
the same question really and you tell me
is its true/false fill in the blank or a
multiple-choice okay here we go when can
you have that project done one questions
I usually fill in the blank
you might say for example Wednesday
looks like the best day for that project
you give an answer a little bit of
detail period can you have that done by
Monday and you have to listen is it yes
or no multiple choice or fill in the
blank can you have it done by money
that's a yes or no so you would say no
however I can't have it done by Tuesday
see if you say you don't always have to
say yes yes I can have it done by Monday
fine answer period no however if you
need to qualify I can have it done by
Tuesday okay last one you probably
already know which one it is
does Monday work better for you or
Wednesday for that project deadline
that's obviously a multiple choice style
question so when you hear a direct
question give the answer and then about
one sentence worth of detail and by the
way a lot of times people think oh my
gosh can I really just say yes or no I
mean that's so committed well remember
you have room to qualify you don't have
to say yes 100% yes absolutely yes you
can say yes however or no however yes
because you can give some qualifications
and a little bit of detail but make sure
you still stick to about one sentence
worth of length there and put a period
at the end and then zip it that's really
the key now sometimes people over
correct and you do not want to over
correct and just give one-word answers
there are a number of very well-known
sports coaches that you can tell they do
not like talking to the media
turnovers what about on the defensive
end they have their most productive
quarter what you see their turnovers and
that's it and that sounds like you're
blowing people off you don't want to
talk to them but in my experience if you
give about a sentence and put a period
of there
people love it because you're answering
their question and that's really why
they're asking it they want an answer
and it really opens up a key aspect to
the Q&A portion after a presentation
when you need your presentation that's
an opportunity for you to monologue you
get your chance to talk directly at them
for quite a while once it goes to Q&A
people want a dialog and so concise
answers allow for lots of back-and-forth
lots of turn taking and that's very
satisfying for listeners for members of
an audience and so if you can do that
you will really come across as a master
at Q&A so again I highly recommend Alan
Winer's book again the link is in the
description below you can probably get
used copies for almost nothing plus
shipping so go ahead and order that and
so thanks god bless and until next time
I hope you get to use the tips in this
video after your very next presentation