RespondQuestion Forecast
Write down the ten questions you'd dread, and prepare a short answer to each.
Most Q&A disasters are questions the speaker could have predicted on the train in. Listing the hard ones in advance turns a stomach-drop into a prepared answer. It also often shows a gap in the talk itself, which is cheaper to fix now than on stage.
How to use it
- Write the ten questions you would least like to get: the awkward number, the obvious objection, the "why not the other option?", the one about cost, risk or timing.
- Ask a colleague who disagrees with you to add three more.
- For each, write a two- or three-sentence answer: the direct answer first, then one reason or fact.
- Practise saying the answers out loud. Written answers come out longer when spoken.
- Move any question you'll certainly get into the talk itself, or into a backup slide after your close.
Example
A team lead presenting a reorganisation expects "Is anyone losing their job?" and prepares a straight, honest answer instead of hoping nobody asks. An engineer at a meet-up prepares for "Why not use the more popular tool?"
Watch out
- Preparing only the friendly questions. The list should make you wince.
- Memorised answers that sound defensive. Prepare the content, not the exact words.
When you still meet one you can't answer, use I'll Find Out; when one comes in angry, Park It Kindly. Either way, Repeat, Then Answer buys you a breath.