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This is the moment most presenters dread – you ask if anyone has any questions and pretty much everyone puts their hands up. On one hand you’re flattered because obviously people are interested but on the other hand you’re scared stiff because you don’t know what people are going to ask, whether you’ll know the answer or if you’ll look incompetent and lose the sale.

Here are some simple tips to follow that can get you through the tough situations:

Handling Questions

• Take control of the process and tell the Customers when they can ask questions – at the end of the presentation or at particular points during the presentation. Decide what will work best for you.

• Prepare in advance – think of the questions that will probably come up and prepare your answers in advance. Having analysed the Customer, you should have some idea now what the typical objections will be so have answers ready to tackle these

• Listen to the full question – do not interrupt half way through and assume you know what they’re going to ask

• ‘Listen’ to the body language – is it defensive, what cues can you pick up from how they are asking the question or the gestures they are making?

• Think about your own body language – whilst you may feel defensive when someone asks a question, keep your gestures open – arms at your side, direct eye contact, smile, lean forward

Answering Questions

• Repeat the question back to ensure you have understood

• If you don’t know the answer….. TELL THEM. Do not try and muddle your way through the answer or make something up, your body language will give you away and someone else may know the actual answer and you will lose all credibility.

• If you don’t know the answer, open it up to the group and see if anyone else knows. This is known as Boomerang – where you boomerang the question back to the group. If you’re not good at ‘thinking on your feet’ this can also give you a chance to think about the answer. Answer it by saying, “Great question! What do the rest of the group think? Would anyone like to share their thoughts?”

• If you don’t know and no one else knows either, have a ‘Parking Lot’ for the questions (could be a flipchart on the wall or just your notepad) and commit to finding out the answer for them.

• When replying to a question, involve the whole audience – begin eye contact with the questioner, then the other audience members and back to the questioner at the end of the answer.

Dealing with Objections

• Keep calm – you can handle this!

• If things do start to become difficult to handle then politely suggest that the conversation be taken offline. Depending on the objection, some of your answers could be:

o “You have made a very valid point and I want to discuss this further. Can I suggest we take this offline and have a more focused conversation after the presentation?”

o “Thank you, that is a great point/question and I’d like to involve my colleague / Manager of that department / my CEO in answering your concern. Let me take that away and I’ll arrange a separate meeting later this week where we can discuss further. What’s your availability?”

• If you feel someone is deliberately trying to challenge you, then you could use humour. BE VERY CAREFUL though as it can come across as sarcasm and you may appear defensive

• Do not deflect the criticism or blame another colleague – it will seem your Company is not working as a team or communicating well. Even if an objection is not based on anything you have done, accept the feedback on behalf of your Company in an appropriate manner.

• Do not agree with or join in any maligning of the Company – your job is to represent the business and you must safeguard its name and reputation – be professional at all times.

• Be conscious of your body language and facial expressions – keep your gestures open and your face neutral. Avoid eye-rolling, frowns and smirking, this will only antagonise the objectioner!

• Be attentive whilst the objection is being made – actively listen with head nods and direct eye contact. If the other audience members become restless, manage them and ask them to be quiet (respectfully, of course!). Do be conscious of the group through and if the objection is taking a lot of time or the person is being argumentative then take control and suggest taking it off-line (see previous examples).

Some other things to consider if you’re put on the spot:

• Nonverbal cues can help restore order and make you appear calm…. Even if you’re not!

o Strong eye contact

o Upright posture

o Unwavering focus

• The more animated your ‘opponent’ becomes, the calmer you should be

• Keep vocal inflection to a minimum, talk neutrally

• Keep focused on the key messages you want to deliver – if you get a difficult question, repeat your main point and do not waffle, keep to the areas you are comfortable talking about.

When setting up a presentation, we all consider the fundamentals: what one needs to say, the information which needs to be used for backing, any visuals that may offer assistance. However shouldn’t we think about the individuals you’re presenting to? The tips will help in developing understanding about the audience to whom one has to present.

The better one comprehends the audience’s objectives and concerns, the more probable you are to attain to your target and your sought results. Furthermore, the better capable you will be to gauge those victories.

How enormous will the gathering be? Who will be truant? How many people are you expecting five, fifteen or fifty? The span of the group of onlookers influences the sort of presentation you’ll give and the assets you’ll require. Stay informed concerning which individuals would not be able to attend.

What are the designations of the people who are attending the presentation? To whom are they responsible? Having an essential comprehension of their obligations will help you connect with them. Consider why your message matters to them and how you can make their lives less demanding. You’ll highlight those things when you prepare your oral presentation.

What does the audience already know? What new do individuals need to know? Try not to express the self-evident, yet give individuals enough foundation data to comprehend what you’re stating and how it influences them.

What are individuals liable to accept? Which of those suppositions are right and which are mistaken? Anticipating your audience’s assumptions helps you make better choices about how to present your content. In the event that there’s a misperception you have to amend, this may be the time to do it tenderly. Case in point, if your viewers accept that the new framework you’re proposing will take a lot of time and push to learn, plainly clarify how you’ll help facilitate the move with preparing sessions and additional specialized backing.

Think about the consequences of goal conflict between the audiences? Anticipating your audience’s assumptions helps you make better choices about how to present your content.

Will you or another person consider them responsible for what happens amid or after the presentation? Counsel with the participants’ about
the criticism or deliverables you’ll be requesting, to verify your objectives adjusted to theirs.

Envisioning the needs and concerns of your group of viewers helps you align your psyche set as you plan and execute your oral presentation. Take the old saying about placing yourself in others’ shoes to the following level: Put yourself inside their heads and behind their eyes. Envision yourself staying there seeing what you need to say.

What happens when you don’t have bona fide negotiation experience and you have a big opportunity to get a large contract, turn something into a ‘big’ deal, or take advantage of a situation that could prove to be very positive? What happens when these opportunities are complicated, because the individual or source possesses greater negotiation skills than you? You may think to yourself, “I don’t know a lot about negotiation strategies, tactics, or how to read and interpret body language. What should I do?” The answer is, you get help from a source(s) that you know to be valid, full of negotiation ideas and someone that has led others to countless successful outcomes when negotiating.

There are so many nuances, thoughts, and questions that occur when people negotiate. Be prepared to answer questions, such as …

· What did that wink of the eye, or other body language gesture/action mean?

· Why is she getting upset with me? Is that a tactic?

· How can I make them understand that I’m on their side? We’re both on the same team, but I really need what I’m asking for?

· What do I have to give in order to get what I want?

· I’m not ‘playing games’ with them, I wonder why they think I am?

When you negotiate with strong opponents, the person astute at using the appropriate tactics to combat certain strategies will possess a stark advantage.

Try these suggestions if you find yourself in situations where you’re negotiating with strong opponents and they insist on the negotiation continuing …

1. If possible, postpone the negotiation for as long as it takes to get additional resources on your side, and/or find a way to neutralize the other side’s advantages. This can be an hour, a day, a month, or whatever you can get away with. If you’re in such a situation, use any excuse to get out of the environment, ASAP. The longer you stay in the environment the more likely that something negative will occur.

Note: (Once I was in a negotiation situation in which our opponents were using their cell phones to receive additional information via text messages during the negotiation. Once I observed this, I requested a break. I suggested to my client, on whose behalf I was negotiating, that we ask to have all cell phones left outside of the negotiation room. The other side initially balked at the request, but after we made it a stern demand, they acquiesced. In essence, we took a source of information, which was an advantage for them, from them, which placed us in a better negotiating position.)

2. If you realize you’re up against a stronger opponent and she expresses an interest in reaching an equitable outcome, succumb to her skills. Acknowledge that she is a far superior negotiator. By acknowledging her superiority you can also solicit a sense of ‘mercy’. Hopefully, she’ll be gentle with you (be aware that some negotiators use the ‘have mercy on me’ tactic as an overall strategy).

3. If you can’t postpone the negotiation and you can’t ‘cop a plea’ for mercy and you have to go through with the negotiation, take your lumps and consider it a life lesson learned. Just make sure you don’t have to repeat the lesson in the future.

With a recession most likely on the horizon in the United States, one that will impact the world, the time to enhance your negotiation skills is now.

Always remember; when we intend to do things, who we are, and what we want, is in our mind. Until we take that intention from our mind and commit it to action, it lies dormant.

If your negotiation skills have not been vetted, prepare for a future opportunity by positioning yourself with knowledge before that opportunity presents itself. As the cliché goes, in times of peace, prepare for war … and everything will be right with the world.

The negotiation lessons are …

• Don’t be like the man that stepped off a 40 story building and as he passed the 10^th floor said, everything is okay so far. When you need help get the assistance you need before you encounter a situation that could be worse. Don’t put off enhancing your negotiation skills.
• Understand, you need valid answers and input when negotiating. Don’t allow your process of thought to alienate you from the goal you seek due to your ineptness at deciphering the correct non-verbal signal or tactic.
• Validated answers will give you input into the direction the negotiation is heading. Once you have a sense of that direction, you will get insight into what needs to be done to keep the negotiation going in that direction.
• Don’t be blind to the value of being able to read body language and acquiring stronger negotiation skills. If you increase your skills, there will be times when you will see windows of opportunities that are hidden from your opponent.