About this episode

This episode provides practical strategies for handling Q&A sessions during talks with confidence and enjoyment.

Question time can feel like the most unpredictable - and nerve-wracking - part of giving a talk. You’ve prepared your slides, rehearsed your key points… but what about the questions you can’t anticipate? In this episode, Jen and Michael share practical strategies to help you approach Q&A with more confidence (and maybe even enjoyment). They discuss why it’s okay not to have all the answers, how to respond to challenging or “prickly” questions, and how a little preparation can go a long way. From planning for the questions you’re most worried about to strategically inviting the ones you want , this episode reframes question time as an opportunity rather than a threat. Ultimately, Q&A isn’t a test, it’s a chance to engage, get feedback, and continue the conversation. You can find more great advice here: https://www.animateyour.science/post/how-to-answer-questions-after-a-research-presentation https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3059906/ https://patthomson.net/2011/09/03/answering-audience-questions-at-conferences/ Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/ms72

People in this episode

Hosts: Jen, Michael

Topics covered

• Q&A preparation
• public speaking
• confidence in presentations
• audience engagement
• responding to questions

Keywords

• question time
• presentation skills
• audience questions
• public speaking tips
• engagement strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Unimelb SciComm

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