Thank the person for their input, then move to the next question by saying, “Great point. Let’s take another question to ensure everyone gets a chance.” Another strategy is to politely interrupt by summarizing the question. For example, “If I understand correctly, you’re asking about…,” then provide your answer. This shows you're attentive but keeps the conversation focused.

To get long-winded questions back on track during a public speaking event, start by giving a shout-out to the questioner—thanks for sharing! Then, quickly summarize what they said to show you’re listening, and gently steer the conversation back with something like, "Great point, but let’s refocus on..." Setting a time limit for questions at the beginning helps everyone keep it concise. A bit of humor can lighten the mood too; try saying something like, "Let’s keep our questions short and sweet, just like a good tweet!" If their question needs more detail, offer to chat afterward. This way, you keep the event moving while making sure everyone feels heard.

Guiding long-winded questions back on track requires tact and focus. I always listen carefully, then steer the conversation toward the key point with clear phrases. These are some quick phrases that I have used, when moderating conversations that have been effective: “That’s interesting! Can we focus on the main issue for now?” “I appreciate that. Let’s circle back to the key question.” “Great point! How does this relate to the main topic?” “Let’s get back to what we were discussing earlier.” "I understand. What’s your specific question about today's topic?" These phrases allow you to keep the conversation productive without dismissing the speaker's input.

The good thing about a long-winded question is that it usually means that your audience is engaged enough to even want to ask it in the first place, and engagement is always the key! Now, the key to getting things back on track is to remind the audience what our topic of focus is, while maintaining that level of engagement at the same time. Some methods I use are: "That's a great question. Let's put that into perspective to the subject at hand." "This is a great example of a question we can take off-line to discuss later." "Let's add this question to our 'parking lot', and if we can get to it before the break, we will." Your job as the facilitator is to ensure you don't lose your momentum or offend the person who asked the question.