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You delivered your presentation to thunderous applause. You smiled in acknowledgement and with that smile still in place, you invite questions. Up shoots a hand followed by a booming voice, which asks: As wind turbines go, er, aah, can you tell me how a stator-rotor turbine cascade design can be used to more effectively extract energy from the flow?

Your smile freezes in place and you ask yourself who is this (you choose the word)? That was the whole crux of my presentation!

Here are some tips to help you handle the questions professionally.

1. In the scenario above, release your smile which by now has turned quite plastic. Resist the urge to be sarcastic (this is usually sooo hard for me!) and remember that someone once said: there’re no stupid questions only stupid answers. Now check out the tips below.

2. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. Rehearse your presentation before colleagues or friends and ask them for questions. This has the added benefit of allowing you to fill any pertinent gaps.

3. Clarify the question before you attempt to answer, repeating it in your own words if necessary. If you don’t know the answer, admit it, promise to find out and get back to the questioner and then find out and get back to the questioner.

4. Don’t be defensive. Have an attitude that communicates that you welcome questions and appreciate the opportunity to answer them. On your way home, in the car, with the windows rolled up and the doors locked…that’s another answer altogether!

5. Disarm loaded questions.They’re out there. Members of audiences whose sole purpose is to try to trip you up with a question based on false premises or baseless assumptions. Politely maintain your position. You may also ask the person to explain the question and share their information.

6. Divert irrelevant questions.These questions come from the sister of the brother at # 5 above. They are questions that are out of place and even if you know the answer, politely ask the person to explain how the question is relevant to the subject at hand.

7. Divide complex questions.These are the questions that may have three or more parts. Divide them up and answer each part individually. This helps you as well as the audience.

8. End the session by summarizing and thanking those who posed question.

So the next time you share some technical information with your audience, complete it by handling the Q & A session expertly. After all, you are the expert. Aren’t you?

What do you know about value?

“… I’m so sorry for your inconvenience. I can upgrade you to a better room.” Those were the words spoken by a front desk person at a 5-star hotel. He was informing a guest of what he could do as the result of the patron experiencing a restless night. The patron’s restlessness was due to his loud neighbors in other rooms on the floor. The patron had begun calling the front desk around 12-midnight to complain. Throughout the night, he called several more times – all to no avail to squelch the noise that prevented him from sleeping. He thought to himself, and this yammering is ceaseless.

When he checked out of the hotel the next morning, he told the desk manager of his experience. The manager extended apologies on behalf of the hotel, stated that the night’s stay would be removed from the guest’s bill and asked if there was anything else that he could do. The patron said no. I appreciate the gestures you’ve made. Then he said, “all I wanted was a good night’s sleep. I have an important meeting today. And I just wanted to be fresh and well-rested.” As he left the hotel, he wondered if he’d ever stay at that location again.

Do you see the difference between how the front desk person and the desk manager addressed the situation? It’s slight. But it’s also powerful. The desk manager extended apologies, and he asked the guest if there was anything else that he could do. He was seeking the guest’s perspective of value. In other words, he wanted to know what was essential to the guest. If you don’t know what someone values, you don’t know what to offer them. That means you’re making blind offers when doing so in a negotiation.

When you negotiate, there are five factors to keep in mind about value.

1. People have a different perspective on what they value and why. Once you know their value perspective, seek to understand it.

1. Don’t assume because someone is like you that they’ll like you. Even when people have similar values, there will be nuances that separate their opinions about value. To assume you share exact ideals as your negotiation counterpart can lead to offers and counteroffers that are not valued. In a worst-case scenario, such offers can be damaging to your negotiation efforts.

1. When you’re unsure of a person’s value, ask what they’d least like to lose. The reply will indicate what is of most importance.

1. To test someone about their value, ask, “if there’s one thing that I could grant you in this negotiation, what would it be?” Once again, that person’s value proposition will reside in their response.

1. This last suggestion may fall into the red herring category. It entails discovering something you possess that’s of great value to the other negotiator. Entice that person to believe that he can acquire it but at a very high cost. The higher he’s willing to pay for the acquisition, the higher the value of possessing it will be. Be cautious when engaging this means of acquiring someone’s value perspective. If you don’t allow them to receive it after getting them to make substantial offers, they could become unwilling to grant you much after that. Then, the negotiation might hit a roadblock.

To become a better negotiator, you must always understand what is of value to your negotiation counterpart. Once you do, making better offers will be more comfortable – because you’ll know which offers possess the highest value… and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at [email protected]

If you’re telling stories in a business setting, add more impact to your presentation by telling some stories in first person (“I”), some stories in second person (“You”), and some stories in third person (“He, She, or They”).

Knowing which voice to use in what setting is the key to being successful with this technique. How do you decide? It all depends on what you’re trying to communicate.

o First-Person Storytelling

Telling “I” stories is a good way to build rapport with your audience. First-person stories, including personal experiences of failures and lessons learned as well as successes, are very powerful ways to communicate your message.

Use a story about yourself to demonstrate that you understand what your audience is feeling, what doubts or fears they may be wrestling with; what disappointments they’ve endured; what hopes they harbor; and what dreams they aspire to.

o Second-Person Storytelling

Use second-person language to communicate empathy, create a sense of urgency, and invite participation. Telling a story that addresses your audience directly is the verbal equivalent of walking with someone hand-in-hand.

“You” is the most powerful word in the English language for a storyteller, because the story immediately becomes the listener’s or reader’s story. And once they’ve claimed the story as their own, they aren’t likely to let go of it.

o Third-Person Storytelling

Third-person stories are great for establishing and building credibility.

Use of the third-person often conveys a sense of authority, which is one reason why good case studies — problem/solution stories — are so compelling.

Another reason to use the third person is to help make difficult or complex ideas easier to understand without diluting their importance. Imbuing an important but otherwise dry or technical explanation with some human interest makes it much more likely your audience will retain what you’ve said.

Clear communication is the only way to guarantee your good ideas are heard. Knowing the best way to present this communication helps ensure your ideas are not only heard but remembered.