You've done it! You've prepped for, sweated out and racked your nerves getting ready for your big presentation. You had all your notes written out, you've re-configured your slide presentation a million times. You've made all your points, you've hit all the highlights. Now, you're finally done!
Whew! Glad that's over with....uh...wait a minute. Did the words "Does anyone have any questions?" really just come out of your mouth? Oh no! Please, don't let anyone raise their hand....too late. "Could you please clarify your point on blah, blah, blah?" You've stopped listening...you're frozen in fear...I'm not prepared. I don't know that answer! What do you do now?!
Few things in life are more feared than Public Speaking. Jerry Seinfeld's great joke sums it up. "According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."
Public Speaking is stressful enough, but then comes the dreaded Q & A afterwards. This is when the pressure is really on. No more slides to rely on...no more charts or graphs...it's just you. It's time to think on your feet...to be fast and quick...and time to minimize the "ums & ahs".
Of all the tips on how to handle the Q & A, preparation is the key. Experts suggest compiling a list of foreseeable questions and rehearsing the answers to those questions, just like you've rehearsed the presentation. But what about the questions you don't see coming? What about those impromptu situations, like when you're called on at a meeting, or someone asks for your opinion at a conference? What do you do then? Can we train our brains to think faster and more agile? Can you become "quick on your feet"?
Improvisation is one of the best ways you can train yourself to "think fast on your feet". Author Gail Blanke says one of the best tools of improv is the "Yes and" technique.
How it works: Say two actors are given the words "blueberry pie" with which to create a scene. It might go:
Actor 1: "I made a blueberry pie."
Actor 2: "Yes, you made a blueberry pie. And you remember the last time we had blueberry pie?"
Actor 1: "Yes, I remember. We took a picnic into the woods, and that's when you said you wanted to join a nudist colony."
You see what's happening? Suddenly there's a story; suddenly there's a direction and a purpose. Using the simple words "yes...and" moves the scene into new territory, and that's where new possibilities occur.
You can practice this technique at home and with friends. Not only it is useful to work situations, but it is also a lot of fun. Using this technique during Q & A sessions allows for three things to happen: 1. You are giving yourself a little pause, which allows your brain time to think. 2. You can clarify the question. And 3, you keep the conversation moving forward into new territory!