Handling Difficult Questions: Strengthening Your Public Speaking Resilience

Hello Friends,

In this final installment of our Public Speaking series, we’re tackling what might be the most intimidating aspect: handling difficult questions and feedback live! Have you ever been on a panel where your segment ran over time so much that the moderator said, “Unfortunately, we have no more time for questions”? Did you let out a huge sigh of relief? Or was that just me? If you’re anything like me, facing questions live after a presentation can often feel daunting. In my perfectionist mind, giving anything less than a perfect answer feels like I’ve tarnished the entire presentation, and I just want to make it through without “messing up.” 

But what if it doesn’t have to be that way? If you—or someone you know—relates to this feeling, let’s jump into three tips to help you build your public speaking resilience and handle difficult questions like a pro! And if you’re new to Konseye’s articles, welcome! Konseye is a community dedicated to empowering individuals in their personal and professional growth through mentorship, support, and coaching. One way we achieve this is by sharing experiences and insights on a variety of topics in our Wisdom Library. We believe in our slogan: With The Right Network Anything is Possible™, and we strive to ensure that no one has to navigate their career journey alone. Let’s get started!

Tip 1: Reframe Questions as Opportunities

First and foremost, it’s completely normal for people to disagree with your message, thesis, or beliefs. Your perspective won’t resonate with everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. Disagreement doesn’t diminish the validity of your point or reflect on your value. A lot of the discomfort I’ve personally experienced has come from taking objections to my views personally. When you internalize criticism or questions, it’s easy to become defensive and miss out on the chance to clarify your message. Reframing these questions as opportunities rather than challenges can transform the way you respond. 

• Do This: Use the opportunity to clarify your message and eliminate misunderstandings. Give additional examples if possible.

• Don’t Do This: Assume ill-intent. It is possible the person asked the challenging question because they misunderstood your initial point.

• Do This: Engage your audience by addressing their concerns. Engage with them in a constructive way. Acknowledge the validity of their concern, even if you don’t agree with the question, and use the opportunity to dive deeper into the topic. Engaging in respectful dialogue shows that you value your audience’s input and are confident in your ability to discuss differing perspectives.

• Don’t Do This: Dismiss questions or criticisms. Brushing off questions can make you appear defensive or uninterested in feedback. 

  
  

When someone poses a challenging question, take a deep breath and view it as an opportunity to strengthen your connection with the audience. Remember that the questioner is likely seeking to understand your point better, rather than intending to trip you up.

Tip 2: It’s Okay Not to Know The Answer

In a society that often expects "experts" to have all the answers, admitting you don’t know something can sometimes be seen as a weakness. However, it’s actually a sign of strength. Acknowledging gaps in your knowledge not only makes you more relatable and authentic, it also gives you a chance to showcase other powerful characteristics: confidence, humility, and a willingness to engage in honest dialogue. It allows you to pivot the conversation, steer toward collaboration, and display your problem-solving and listening skills in real-time, all of which are essential for building trust with your audience.

• Do This: Ask Clarifying Questions: this gives you more time to formulate a clear response and ensures that you’re addressing the actual concern. Plus, it shows the audience that you value accuracy and want to provide a meaningful answer. Questions such as “Could you elaborate on what you mean by that?” or “Can you clarify your perspective on this issue?” demonstrates that you’re invested in addressing their concerns. 

• Don’t Do This: Assume you know what the questioner means and respond without verifying or try to wing it when the answer is outside your domain. Guessing can lead to misunderstanding the actual question and giving an off-target answer, leaving the audience dissatisfied and potentially undermining your credibility (the very thing you were worried about!)

  
  

The most important thing to do is to remain calm and resist the urge to bluff your way through. If you really don’t know the answer, graceful responses include: 

“That’s an excellent question, and I don’t have the full answer right now, but I’d be happy to research it and get back to you.”

“I’m not sure about that, but let’s connect afterward so we can discuss it further.”

You are human - allow yourself to be human. 

Tip 3: Redirect When Necessary

As a public speaker, it's common to encounter questions that stray off-topic or touch on areas you may not feel comfortable addressing such as personal or potentially disruptive questions. Knowing how to redirect gracefully is a coveted skill. Redirecting allows you to keep the conversation on track while maintaining your professionalism and the audience's respect. Here are a couple of scenarios you might encounter: 

Scenario 1: The Off-Topic Question

Imagine you’re giving a presentation on leadership strategies, and someone asks a detailed question about your organization’s hiring practices. While relevant to your business, it doesn’t align with the theme of your talk.

How to handle it: You might respond by acknowledging the question’s importance but steer it back to the subject at hand. You could say, "That’s an insightful question about hiring, and I’d love to discuss that further with you after the session. For now, let’s focus on the leadership strategies that we’re exploring today." This response shows respect for the question while gently moving the discussion back to the presentation’s main focus.

Scenario 2: The Personal or Controversial Question

Sometimes, an audience member may ask a question that feels too personal or touches on a controversial topic. For example, while speaking about a subject in your field, someone might ask about your political views or your views on a controversial or polarizing topic.  

How to handle it: If you are not prepared to share your views on the question, you could smile, acknowledge the question and, without being dismissive, say, "That’s a complex topic that deserves a more in-depth answer, but it's beyond the scope of our current discussion. I’ll be glad to discuss this with you after the session." This approach allows you to respectfully decline to be put on the spot while reaffirming the main purpose of your presentation.

Scenario 3: The Technical Question

Finally, you may receive a question that is too technical and giving a detailed response may alienate the majority of the audience or take too much time. For instance, if you’re giving a general talk on marketing strategies and someone asks a very specific technical question about SEO algorithms, getting into the weeds of this question could derail the flow for the rest of the audience.

How to handle it: You can acknowledge the depth of the question and offer to discuss it later, saying something like, "That’s a great technical question. I’d be happy to chat about it afterward, but for now [proceed to give a more general overview that would not alienate your audience]. Let’s discuss it more in depth afterwards and you can share the specific issues you are dealing with then.” This response shows you value the question and the person posing the question, while ensuring you don’t lose the rest of your audience in overly complex details.

So there you have it - some tips to help you build your resilience as a public speaker when faced with challenging questions. Remember, the Q&A segment is a valuable opportunity to connect with your audience, clarify your points, and showcase your skills in listening and analysis, among others. So, embrace the Q&A!

Do you have any tips that have worked for you? Share them in the comments—you might just inspire someone else! And don’t forget to stay connected with the Konseye community! We offer fantastic group mentoring sessions, webinars, and interactive experiences designed to support you as you advance in your career.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, and remember — With The Right Network Anything is Possible!™

Adejoké Babington-Ashaye

Team Konseye

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