Answering questions without derailing

- People usually dread questions … at a presentation. … They fear they may not know the answer … or a question will mock them out of their flow. … I want you to realize that getting … questions is a good thing. … That means someone is interested enough … in the topic and comfortable enough with you to speak up. … The trick is answering effectively to stay on point. … The goal is to provide a short but useful response … to questions so that you don't become derailed. … You answer quickly so that people don't lose track … of your message. … You can get derailed if you're too long-winded … or if you allow yourself to go too far off-topic … into territory not central to your presentation. … So when you receive a question while presenting, … first be sure you understand the question. … If needed, repeat it or ask for clarification. … After they speak, if it's a reasonable question … it's appropriate to follow up with a comment such … as thanks or good question. … If the question is not really related …