Dealing with questions
When someone in an audience asks a question it is a good idea to comment on it before you actually answer it. This actually gives you time to think.
There are four basic types of questions.
Good questions. Thank people for asking them. They help you to get your message across to the audience better.
Difficult questions. These are the ones you can’t or would prefer not to answer. Say you don’t know, offer to find out, address the question to the audience or ask the questioner what they think.
Unnecessary questions. You have already given this information. Point this out, answer briefly again, and move on.
Irrelevant questions. Try not to sound rude, but move on.
Put the following responses into 4 groups.
Describing trends Up: verbs Rise/increase: climb, soar, mount, ascend, grow, escalate, upsurge, advance, boost, multiply, shoot up, skyrocket. The original estimate of $500 million has now climbed to a staggering $1300 million. Profits have soared dramatically in recent months. Production has dropped while prices and unemployment have skyrocketed. The price of petrol shot up by 35% overnight.
Down: verbs Fall/decrease: drop, plunge, plummet, reduce, descend, collapse, decline, sink, dwindle Car sales are expected to plummet in Europe and North America during the next two years The stock market plunged 30 points when the news was announced. House prices in the northeast dropped sharply. Pay increases have sunk to around seven per cent. To show a small change - Slight, small, moderate, modest, marginal To show a regular development - Gradual, steady To show a considerable, striking or unexpected change - Sharp, big, considerable, dramatic, enormous, huge, large, major, marked, significant, substantial, vast, dramatic, sudden, steep, rapid, abrupt To show how much an amount increased/decreased by - Twofold, threefold, etc, 15 per cent
|
