Here's how you can navigate difficult Q&A sessions as a public speaker using resilience.

Know your audience in advance, read the room when you get there, and read it again when the questions start. Audience + Moment = Opportunity

It is OK to say you don't know the answer. If you are speaking in front of hundreds of people, there will be some who know more than you on a particular point you are making. Whether it's a "gotcha" question or a legit one, you can punt on it. When you do this, it's over and you can move onto the next question. When you try to answer it and fumble, or ramble, it only gets worse for you.

How many times have we seen politicians or CEOs drop the ball because they only had their speaking points ready? Exactly. Once again, ChaGPT or similar tool can be your friend. Prompt with your content area and ask what 10 questions you might get. And then ask for the hardest possible ones you could get. Share in your prompt the thing you are most afraid of being asked - and then, seeing as you already know what that is, get ready for it in advance.

Being well-prepared for a speaking engagement is key, but I find that over-preparation can hinder active engagement with the audience. Have confidence in yourself: you know your subject matter area. Review relevant notes prior to the event and have fun sharing your knowledge with the crowd. The audience is there to see and hear from you, and you can likewise learn from their perspective. Staying relaxed can help when a difficult question comes your way, as it enables you to respond sincerely but at the same time keep yourself on track.

Navigating difficult Q&A sessions as a public speaker using resilience involves thorough preparation beforehand. Anticipate potential questions or challenges your audience may raise and prepare well-researched, thoughtful responses. For example, if delivering a speech on controversial topics like climate change, anticipate skepticism or opposing viewpoints. Prepare evidence-based arguments to address common criticisms and remain composed and confident in your responses. Additionally, practice active listening, considering audience perspectives respectfully. By preparing thoroughly and maintaining resilience, you can effectively navigate challenging Q&A sessions and uphold your credibility as a speaker.

After preparing your speech, forecast possible questions that can arise from your speech and answer them in your head before the speech is delivered.

- Pay close attention to the question and ensure you understand it thoroughly before responding. - Avoid interrupting the questioner and give them your full attention. - Active listening demonstrates respect and can help you tailor your response effectively.

In my experience sometimes the question asked is not even the question the person wants to ask. Making sure you fully understand the question is important as usually the asker will nod and say Thank You, even if you don't answer it. It's human nature not to push back and say, that doesn't answer my question. Look for body language to see if this might be the case.

Don't just listen to the actual words they are saying, but also listen and catch their assumptions when they are making their points. Make sure to address their assumptions and align them to reality. If you didn't understand what they said, it is okay to ask it again for clarity to ensure that you are giving answers to their questions.

Ask the question back to them. "I'm hearing you say..." This will also give you time to craft your answer. As well as allow the person asking another opportunity to clarify if needed. Take a deep breath and think of just a few key points to respond. Reflect on your speech and offer examples or analogies to make your points more salient and clear.

- Maintain a positive and composed demeanour, even when faced with challenging or critical questions. - Remember that complicated questions can provide an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise. - Instead of becoming defensive, approach questions with an open mind and a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue.

True it is very important to stay positive in midst of opposing points of view it needs maturity of mindset to understand different perspectives

- Structure your responses clearly and concisely to effectively address the question. - Use examples, anecdotes, or data to support your points and make your response more compelling. - If you are unsure about a particular question, it's okay to acknowledge that and offer to follow up with more information later.

When addressing difficult questions, I prioritize framing my responses "thoughtfully" {Mantra = Ask yourself "what would be the IMPACT if I use this word/sentence in public" By structuring the answers clearly and concisely, we can convey complex information effectively and alleviate any confusion. I use a lot of examples to not sound egoistic and my audience if they judge me simple/child like ~ both are acceptable "until the message is delivered correctly". #WeLearnFromEachOther

There is nothing more frustrating when speaking live and you look out and see attendees on their phones. The flipside of this is, there is nothing more rewarding when you see attendees on their phones and then they put the away and start listening to you. You must pay attention to your audience and adapt if you are losing them. You may need to walk around, change you speaking pattern or go off script. The attendees will notice this change and give you another chance to keep them.

During my first week as the Chief Policy Advisor for a department in Delaware, I was unexpectedly called to testify in front of a Legislative body while sitting in an audience. A legislator had proposed an unlikely and difficult scenario to follow, then asked hypothetical questions to the scenario. Sitting in front of public body is not comfortable for most people, imagine not knowing the answer to the question thrown your way as well. In that moment, I found that honesty and a touch of humor about my relative inexperience in my role relieved the situation of its tension. My honesty and promise to follow-up was likely met with a better reaction than if I stumbled through a half-baked answer.

I have observed many video content creators taking up Live Q&A using the aspect of "ability to adapt swiftly" to evolving circumstances. Whether it's pivoting in response to unexpected queries or adjusting communication style (Tone/Pitch/voice modulation) based on audience's question, ~adaptability ensures to remain responsive throughout the Q&A session. Another mind blowing skill I have observed is "How they wrap up a conversation and move to Next" ?? ?? ?? ??

Have you heard the reason behind a glass of water or bottle kept on the podium during stage talk , this is to trigger a pause moment and thinking moment for you to answer any difficult question . 20 second break to drink a glass of water , stimulates the right thought and can help you take a deep breath and apply calmer approach to answering those challenging question . next time , use that bottle water and flow with the flow

This is the area where you can shift your focus from "Stage Fear to Stage Owner" status. Let me convey an example of my own: ~ I was addressing around 40 Indian household women who did not know the fullest potential of "Internet" in their smart phones. It was COVID Time and I was given the responsibility to empower these women with "What is there for Them" in their very own smart phones (apart from Social Media). #powerofinternet ?????? ~ Engaging directly with few of the last seaters just vanished my first public speaking Stage Fear. In fact, I started to feel the "Necessity" for "THEM to listen to ME" (it turned opposite??). #CauseHigherThanFear ??♀???

Always take an approach that the topic of discussion is a separate entity from you and the audience. You both share the common interest in partaking in the interest/topic through you speaking/them listening. So when approached with ANY question or feedback, see it through the lens of the separate entity. If someone asks a controversial or difficult question it helps to not take it personally - for it is about the topic in hand, not us as individuals. In the same way, if someone agrees, we do not take it to mean there is something wonderful about us, but merely there is an agreement of perspective. It helps to manage the emotion around it, and leads to more authentic and engaging responses.

One thing I have found useful is having the willingness to learn something new. This will give you a strong base to respond to questions positively and prevent destructive defensive behaviour that can make a conversation unproductive

It's very easy to overcome by answering the questions politely. Listen the question and bear patiently what audience says, and answer should be in well mannered. In this way you will not only conquer the audience but hearts also and become good speaker.

If you don't know the answer, it's okay to admit that you don't know the answer yet. Make sure to get back to them to give the answer to their question. Don't be foolish in giving a made-up answer just to show the people you "know it all".