How can you make your Q&A sessions more engaging and memorable? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Interactive technologies:

  Spice up Q&A sessions by incorporating real-time polls or surveys. This tech invites active participation and ensures your audience stays engaged throughout your presentation.

• Collect questions early:

  Asking for questions before the event helps tailor content to audience interests and allows for thoughtful, well-prepared responses. It turns a Q&A session into a valuable, targeted discussion.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Lesego Senne Sibilanga
• Bhuvaneshwari Cheruvu Chief Marketing Officer I PR enthusiast…

• Lesego Senne Sibilanga

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  I would add a few pointers:1.Prepare for potential questions and craft concise responses.2.Use plain language, avoiding technical jargon.3.Utilize visuals for better understanding.4.Incorporate stories to engage and make points memorable.5.Encourage audience participation with polls, surveys, and real-time Q&A.6.Allow anonymous questions for open dialogue.7.Send a post-Q&A email with key takeaways and unanswered questions.8.Seek feedback for continuous improvement.For added fun:•Offer rewards for participation.•Employ a lively moderator.•Rotate speakers for fresh perspectives.

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• Bhuvaneshwari Cheruvu Chief Marketing Officer I PR enthusiast I Public speaker I Startup mentor I ISB ExecEd Alumnus

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  In my experience, I have noticed that Q&A sessions become more value adding in nature, if the questions are collected in advance. One, they make the audience feel that their thoughts and questions for the topic or gathering are valued and two, it helps a presenter be well prepared. It is quite natural that some time does go into formatting ad-hoc questions and some key points might also get missed.

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• Suzanne Lucas Keynote Speaking | Writing | Webinars | ChatGPT for HR | Improv Comedy | If you want to know how to be a better HR leader, you've come to the right place.

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  People are hesitant to ask any question that they think might make them appear stupid--even though many have that question. And some people like to ask questions just so they can appear smarter than the speaker.Both problems can be solved the same way: have people submit the questions via text. There are plenty of tools you can use to do this. This way, you can not only choose the best questions for the limited time, but you eliminate both problems. People will ask the questions they truly have, and the attention grabbers won't ask their questions, because they get no public credit.

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• David Grossman LinkedIn Top Voice. CEO @ The Grossman Group | Internal and leadership communications

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  Make it a true discussion by engaging the audience and inviting them to participate. Regularly turn the tables and ask the audience for their thoughts on how to best address the question asked. For example:- who has a thought about how we might think about solving this?- who has a customer insight that might help us answer this question?Or, just turn the tables and ask a strategic question of the audience. For example, you could say, “Here’s something on my mind …. Who has a perspective on this that would help all of us?”When you don’t limit the questions to just one-way, and create a safe space, there’s the opportunity for true dialogue and trust-building.

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• Rachel C. Regional Communications Lead (Asia Pacific Japan). Ex SG national athlete.

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  In addition to starting a survey to understand your audience, you can allow them to ask questions prior to the Q&A, which will not only enable you to see the trends of questions, but also afford you the luxury of being prepared for the questions.

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• Carlos Miro Creating communications that connect, engage and build community

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  First, set the stage -- create a welcoming and comfortable environment for participants. Next, plan thought-provoking questions that encourage participants to think deeply and share their insights. Finally, incorporate interactive activities (polls, quizzes, or group discussions) to encourage active participation and engagement.

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  Utilize the 1-2-4-All technique for question generation:SOLO: participants take a minute to independently write down questions related to the topic.PAIRS: the group divides into pairs, each pair generating questions from their individual thoughts. This step fosters collaboration and inspires meaningful questions.FOURSOMES: pairs form groups of four, examining similarities and differences in their questions. They remove duplicates and reinforce shared ideas. ALL: the foursomes convene, and the facilitator prompts the entire team to share the main question that emerged from their discussions. This step highlights key questions and solidifies collective understanding.

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  See Also

  Craft a Great Q&A Session With These 13 Tips | HighSparkHow to run a successful Q&A sessionChairing Sessions8 tips for encouraging questions in your presentation - Speaking about Presenting
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  Don't assume that it must be Board level members on a panel. It can be far more impactful to have a diverse representation from all grades and areas. Discussions are likely to be far more authentic when a peer - someone who you know and trust shares their thoughts and will often encourage more open relaxed dialogue than if you expect staff to ask questions to a Board member, who they might not know and who they might only see/hear from relatively infrequently. Staff are your greatest assets and ambassadors, and should be viewed through this lens for all internal engagement opportunities – bring them into the issues, make them part of the solution and demonstrate that their opinions matter and will be listened to and acted on.

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• Ragesh Nair Principal - Marketing Communications at Sabre | Communications, Employer Branding, B2B Marketing, Leader Content Strategy, and Events

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  The event format dictates the mode of conducting event, a live Q&A is most appropriate. For a hybrid event, a combination of live and online Q&A is optimal. For a fully virtual event, an online Q&A is ideal. Informing the audience in advance about the Q&A format will help them prepare accordingly.

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• Bhanu P. FAB | Ex-EY, Amazon, HSBC, AXA | Global Communications Leader | Employee Engagement | Business Comms | Executive Comms | CSR

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  Some of the tools like SLIDO provides users to even vote for questions too along with submitting the Q's on the app. This helps in prioritizing and push the popular Q's to the top. And these Q's are visible on the slide which shows transparency.

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  Do not over prepare your answers. Ever! However much your panel members might want or need this, it is imperative that whilst you give them themes or key messages to share, the dialogue around this is open and free-flowing. Where possible try and bring in multiple contributors to the discussion - mix it up and share different perspectives; for example, the finance view, the operational need and the HR impact can be very powerful when considered in the round. It will also help staff understand that no issue is ever one dimensional. There are many elements that will need to be considered.

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• Ragesh Nair Principal - Marketing Communications at Sabre | Communications, Employer Branding, B2B Marketing, Leader Content Strategy, and Events

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  It's a good practice to brainstorm with all the speakers/leaders before the session to anticipate potential questions that might arise during the Q&A. Gathering diverse perspectives will help with the preparations. For each anticipated question, outline a few bullet points to ensure that the speaker(s) have key points to reference, ensuring alignment with the organisation's strategy. Naturally, the responses should come across as authentic and genuine when delivered.

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  While it is important to prepare for questions that are most likely to be asked, it must be avoided that the Q&A seems scripted. As soon as the impression is awakened that only prepared questions are answered with prepared statements, the authenticity and thus also the motivation for commitment suffer.

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• Giorgia Li Vigni Digital Project Manager and Strategic Communication Specialist | Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Coach | Speaker

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  Anticipate questions and prepare thoughtful, concise answers. Be well-versed in the subject matter and ready to provide valuable insights. Well-prepared responses enhance your credibility and keep the audience engaged.

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• Micah O. Bilingual Talent Expert

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  In my experience, it is important to leverage vulnerability in a Q&A, not least when unsure how to answer a question or not having the answer at all.You may lose the esteem of your audience if you simply make things up or, worse, ramble on while mentally trying to knock a response together. Instead, allow yourself to be vulnerable. One way to do this is to thank the participant for their question and admit that you do not have the answer or are unsure how to address their question!You may add that you would revisit the question before the end of the discussion. In that case, be sure to close the loop by returning to the question to either answer it or openly ask other participants to share their thoughts!

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• Eliza Hetkowska I find #ElegantMarketingSolutions for your business issues | Communications Strategy | Project Management | B2B Marketing | Leading your team to success

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  When faced with a hostile question, remember these two strategies: Empathize and Rephrase. Empathize with the questioner's perspective, acknowledging their concerns, even if you don't agree with them. This can help defuse tension and open the door to a more constructive discussion. Additionally, rephrasing the question can clarify misunderstandings and demonstrate your willingness to engage in a meaningful conversation. By combining these two, you can effectively navigate hostile questions and foster a more productive exchange of ideas.

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• (edited)

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  Avoid vague answers. It sounds obvious, but leaders often fall back on the "we're working on it," response when they're aware of an issue but don't have a timeline to resolve it. Instead, opt for a time-bound answer whenever possible (e.g., "We plan to have a new solution in place by the end of Q3."). If you really don't have a plan, be honest. Try something like, "This is on all of our minds, and I intend to have a plan in place by month's end. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your suggestions."

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• Ragesh Nair Principal - Marketing Communications at Sabre | Communications, Employer Branding, B2B Marketing, Leader Content Strategy, and Events

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  Transparency and honesty are key when responding to employee questions. Providing incomplete or mechanical responses can erode trust. The more genuine the speaker sounds, the more likely the audience is to believe and engage with them.

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• Giorgia Li Vigni Digital Project Manager and Strategic Communication Specialist | Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Coach | Speaker

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  Confidence is key to engaging your audience. Maintain eye contact, speak clearly, and project confidence in your answers. Your demeanour plays a significant role in keeping the audience's attention.

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• Bhanu P. FAB | Ex-EY, Amazon, HSBC, AXA | Global Communications Leader | Employee Engagement | Business Comms | Executive Comms | CSR

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  Agree with @Ragesh Nair's view. Honesty is the best policy. It's OKAY to say that "I don't have the answer". Employees will understand. Assure them that you will get back with a response post the event. Reach out to the other panel members and see if they can answer on your behalf.

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• Bhanu P. FAB | Ex-EY, Amazon, HSBC, AXA | Global Communications Leader | Employee Engagement | Business Comms | Executive Comms | CSR

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  Closing the loop is super important. Along with summary, please share responses of the Q's which were not answered during the show due to time constraint. Even if it's a one word answer, please do. This shows that every Q is important.

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• Natalie Peterson Senior Consultant - Engagement and Communications at GHD - Passionate strategic communicator - Relationship builder - CX focused - Stakeholder Engagement advocate

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  Providing a follow up to your attendees is a great way to close the loop and show your commitment to listening to their questions and insights. Providing a summary of the discussion, answers to any outstanding questions and an avenue to ask additional questions is important. A critical piece that is often overlooked is the timeliness of getting that close out communication out to the audience. Don't let too much time pass before your follow up is issued!

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• Nikola Kirov International HR, Change Management and Talent Acquisition leader with over 15 years of in-depth multi cultural experience of working with professionals from over 60 countries on 6 continents.

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  This is what perhaps is the most important and what discourages QnA sessions overall. Without follow up actions, changes and results or worse, by being followed up with prosecution it is a meaningless chat

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• Giorgia Li Vigni Digital Project Manager and Strategic Communication Specialist | Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Coach | Speaker

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  After the Q&A session, take action on any promises or commitments made during the discussion. This could include providing additional resources, answering unanswered questions, or addressing concerns. Following through reinforces trust and engagement.

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• Courtney A. Paul Internal Communications Leader | Jr. Board Member | Strategic Storyteller

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  With many organizations distributed globally, it's important to have diverse representation across your employee base. If you're streaming the event from a HQ or office location, don't only accept answers from inside the room when the majority of employees are attending virtually. Give everyone, no matter where they're located or listening from, the opportunity to participate and ask questions.

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• Jamie Mittelman Founder 🌎 first media production co. celebrating the stories of elite women athletes. Elevated 200+ women Olympians/Paralympians from 52 countries. We cover the athlete, not the sport. Audio, video, live events.

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  Q&As are very one sided: there’s usually a person asking and a person answering. That said, sometimes more productive and fruitful results come from a dialogue or when the roles are reversed. Depending on the format, after I’m asked a question I like to reverse the question and get the asker’s thoughts as sometimes people ask with an agenda or goal in mind.

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• Vanessa ÅSELL TSURUGA 🇸🇪 COLLECTIVE VISIBILITY Founder. Our Women In Sport Speaker Directory with Stockholm School of Economics diversifies the sports agenda 🏃🏼♀️Featured in exhibit: SPRING FÖRE by Stockholms Kvinnohistoriska 🎬Docs 🏐🎾⚾️Mom

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  Pick a woman to ask the first question, and more women are likely to follow. The reverse may likely happen. The audience will benefit from an engaged moderator who keeps representation top of mind.

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• Michael LeJeune 🏆 WIN More Government Contracts - Add me to your network ✒️ Bestselling Author 🎤 Podcast Host 📢 Strategist

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  No one wants to be the first person to ask a question. I recommend two things. 1. Give an incentive. For example, the first person to ask a question gets a signed copy of my new book. 2. Come prepared with the top five questions people ask you about your topic. That way you can fill the silence with questions already on the audience's mind and give them time to think of the next question.

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• Jyoti Khan , SCMP® Change communication expert | Certified Change management practioner| Leadership communication specialist | Employee engagement specialist | Entrepreneur | Board member | Infinite learner

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  It is very important to be authentic while answering the questions. Even with the prep and scripted notes, we should ensure that the leaders answer authentically. It is also ok to not have all the answers. One last tip is to seek tough questions and not avoid them. That helps open the conversation.

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