In our last and final lesson, let's spend a moment talking about the question and answer session. This is particularly troublesome for presenters because it's uncontrolled members of the audience may ask you questions that you're not prepared to answer. A poor inadequate response can undermine your entire credibility. So let's talk about a few ideas to help you prepare both presentations and with the q&a session. This is a natural place to put it. But the downside is that your wonderfully packaged presentation, which we had just earlier, finished wrapping up in a perfect bow is not the last thing that the audience walks away with.

This is problematic. questions asked tend to get into the details of your ideas. Your audience may question some of your ideas and put Reasonable Doubt into the minds of others. You may not have the answers to some questions, there any number of reasons that would encourage us from not having the q&a session. As the very last part of our presentation, so this may be difficult to do sometimes. But if you can separate the QA from the closing of your presentation, you might use a short break between your presentation and the time you take questions.

You might close your presentations and then stay behind afterwards to take questions one on one with members of the audience. You may also ask audience members to submit questions ahead of time or during the presentation and then respond to them afterwards. So if you can see if you can structure your presentation, such that you have control of the last idea shared. However, many of you will not have such a luxury, in which case you need to prepare for the q&a session to avoid any damage. Let's talk about an approach. If you are presenting to decision makers recognize that they are wired to ask questions and challenge your ideas.

Therefore anticipate their objections and their questions, you should endeavor to develop a brief Book of questions you might expect to be asked. Your answers should be short, keep them to a minute or less, only answer the question that was asked if you don't know the answer, say so and then tell them that you'll get back to them as soon as possible. Because we were focused on keeping our presentation short and concise 80 minutes or so, it's likely that we had to cut some of our supporting facts. Here's where dependencies behind our presentation. For all these surplus slides might be helpful. If you've done your prep and you know the slide number pertaining to the question asked, then on your keyboard, type in the slide number with PowerPoint in presentation mode, hit enter and your PowerPoint will automatically jump to that slide.

We've all seen presenters who flip slides madly on the screen trying to find the slide to which the question pertains. If anyone in your audience has vertigo, it makes their head spin. So in this lesson, there are three points to keep in mind for your next QA. First of all, if you can Don't put it as the last thing in your presentation. Secondly, prepare for it by building a briefing book of the possible questions and answers. And finally, keep your answers short and use appendices as applicable to supplement your response.

Believe it or not, we have reached the end of this course on presentation skills for executives. I've been presenting for more than two decades and in researching this topic further, I learned a few things myself, I hope you did as well. More importantly, the next time you have to present I want you to carefully consider how you go about preparing. Let's recap our approach. First, plan your presentation using an outline and tools such as a mind map or message map. Second, open up by grabbing their attention and telling them your best idea.

Third, convey your message through a series of three key messages that uses interesting stories and supporting visuals to make the message sticky and fourth nail the landing Summarizing your key messages and proposing a call to action. Good presenters are made not born. I like this quote by George Jessel, the human brain starts working the moment you're born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public. It's my hope that I've shared enough ideas with you in this course to approach your next presentation with confidence, anticipation and enthusiasm. Until next time, I'm Blair cook saying don't stop till you get to the top when you get to the top. Don't stop