Reframing Q&A: Is Q&A Always the Best Way to End Your Session?

We’ve all been there, you get to the end of your talk and ask, ”Any questions?” and ... crickets. It’s awkward for you, but especially for the audience. I invite you to consider whether the traditional approach to Q&A at the end of a presentation is really that helpful, or whether there’s a better way to support audience participation in your session.

You spend a lot of time preparing your presentation. You craft your points, build your slides, and polish your delivery.

The day arrives. It goes well and to finish up you open the floor to questions.

It’s the grand finale, the culmination of all your effort. The audience gets to ask questions, confirming how closely they’ve been listening and giving you even more chances to showcase what you know.

That’s the theory, at least, the fantasy that comes to mind when people decide to end their talk or learning session with a Q&A.

In my experience, the ensuing Q&A isn’t always the showstopper presenters expect. Instead of every hand shooting up excitedly to participate, the audience sits quietly, staring ahead or looking around sheepishly, and eventually pulls out their phones.

What happened? The answer, as I suggest below, is that merely deciding to end with a Q&A isn’t enough to make sure that Q&A goes well. In fact, for lots of audiences, a traditional Q&A is far from the best way to create opportunities for meaningful engagement.

Let's look at what other options you have.

The Q&A Crutch

I’ve been guilty of this, too. Standing at the front of the room, wrapping up a session by asking the same question every speaker asks when they wrap up a session: “Are there any questions?”?

This is such a common way to end that it’s hard to notice the stakes. When you end your talk by asking for audience questions, everything hangs in the balance.

Will there be a good question??

Will someone make a contribution that adds to everyone’s experience of the session?

That’s a lot of pressure for the audience. Put yourself in their position. You’ve just heard a 45-minute talk, for the first time, no preparation, no time to reflect, and now, in an instant, you’re supposed to come up with a brilliant, insightful question?

Seriously?

Have you ever delivered a terrific session, an inspired performance, only to end with a Q&A session that went from awkward silence to a few weak questions, then quickly spiralled into “Well, I guess that’s it. Thanks folks!”

That's not exactly the high energy, BIG FINISH, you hope for, is it?

Why Not Rethink Q&A?

If you’re going to open the floor to questions about your session, it’s helpful to think about what your goal is for the question period.

One goal might be to clarify people’s understanding of your ideas. You may want to make sure everyone is “on the same page.” If this is your goal, notice that the clearer you are throughout your talk, the fewer questions people will ask. (That is, no questions = great talk.)

I think people often have a different goal for Q&A, though. It’s something like “group conversation and reflection on what I’ve just shared.” This is a worthwhile goal, but are you sure that’s what the audience understands you’re looking for when you say, “Are there any questions?”

Also consider whether you (the presenter) are good at facilitating group conversation and reflection. Speaking and facilitating are related, but also very different. At the very least, if you want people to participate in ways that go beyond clarifying their understanding, it’s helpful to be explicit about that.

You can say something like:?

When we get to the end of the session there will be time for any questions you might have. Questions about something that wasn’t clear, or about how some of these ideas might play out in specific situations. You can also share comments or reflections on my ideas, or even just ask about stuff that you were hoping I’d cover, but didn’t.

Closing with a traditional Q&A can also put a lot of pressure on you. When you’re standing in front of a room full of people, with the pressure mounting to answer on the spot, it’s hard to deliver your best, most thoughtful responses. It’s possible someone will ask a question that you can respond to with as much meaning and insight as you’ve shared throughout your talk—but also not.?

Remember, the whole point of preparing for your session, the points, slides, delivery, is so that you can do better than if you just winged it. If you truly want to add value for your audience, consider skipping the “Q&A crutch” and taking a different approach.

Engage in a More Intentional Way

The point isn't to cut out audience participation altogether, just to be more strategic about it; to be more intentional about creating a meaningful experience for you and the audience.

You’ve spent hours (maybe days) carefully curating what you’ll say to the audience, and I think you should be just as thoughtful about how you support what the audience might say to you.

My favourite approach is also the simplest. Finish early and offer one-on-one conversations afterwards.

When you wrap up your presentation with enough time for people to reflect, you give them space to come to you with deeper, more specific questions. In my experience, these smaller, one-on-one conversations are where real connection happens, where genuine insights can emerge.

By making yourself available after the session, you create opportunities for tailored advice and meaningful connections. You get the chance to dig into specific challenges your audience is facing, ask follow up questions, and even learn what resonated with them the most. This kind of engagement not only builds rapport, but it also reinforces your credibility and provides more value than a rushed, impersonal Q&A ever could.

Rethink Your "Closing Moment"

The closing of your presentation is your last chance to make a meaningful impression with the audience. Instead of leaving that impression up to chance—who knows what questions someone might ask—consider closing? with something that aligns with the themes you’ve been developing throughout your talk.

Here are some ideas for a more high impact closing moment:

• End with a call to action: Encourage your audience to take the next step with a clear, compelling idea for action. If your talk has inspired people, give them something to do with all that energy.
• Share a memorable final thought: Leave them with something to reflect on, an idea, a challenge, or even a bit of humour. Recognize that your talk is but a small part of their day, so give them something meaningful they can carry with them as they go back to work.?
• Offer a personal invitation: Let them know you’ll be available after the presentation to answer questions one on one. Something like, “I’ll be here for a few minutes afterwards if anyone wants to chat more.”

This approach allows you to control the narrative and leave your audience with a sense of closure. You’ve just delivered valuable insights, and now they have time to digest it. Why not take the conversation behind the scenes? The personal conversations you’ll have afterwards will only enhance your relationship with the audience and make them feel like they’re getting more from you than just a presentation.

Reframing Audience Engagement

If your talk is truly engaging, the audience will want to interact with you, just not necessarily in a large, formal Q&A session. It’s hard to raise your hand among a sea of strangers. It’s especially challenging when you want to ask about something meaningful. (Ironically, the most meaningful questions are often the hardest to ask in public.)?

Therefore, the next time you’re preparing for a presentation, ask yourself:

1. Does a traditional Q&A session really add value to the audience experience?
2. Would it be better to engage with people more intentionally afterwards?
3. How can I make my closing a more powerful, reflective moment?

Final Thought: If you’re ending your session with a Q&A because “that’s just how sessions end,” this is a sign you’re not setting the audience up for success. You should bring the same level of reflection and intentionality to preparing the Q&A as you do to the rest of your material.

#PublicSpeaking #AudienceEngagement