Handling Difficult Questions

Preparing for questions should be an integral part of preparing the content of your communication preparation. It follows on from the question “What’s on the audience’s minds?”.

In preparing answers for the more difficult questions that you may be asked start from a point of sincerity. In an era of informed audiences only open and honest communication will be successful.

Despite that, some the strategy you choose depends on the situation, the style of questions (friendly, neutral, hostile) and the image you want to convey. You should know all of these techniques so that you can vary your answering style .

1. UNDERSTANDING

Show you understand ( friendly and neutral situations)

1. ALTERNATIVE VIEW

Introduce an alternative way of looking at things (friendly, neutral & hostile situations)

1. LET THE AUDIENCE DECIDE

In meetings, feed back the question to the audience and let them decide amongst themselves.

1. ESCALATE

Agree and say that the question will be passed on to the right people.

1. TAKE OFFLINE

Say that you will check or get an answer from the right person and do that.