Virtual events are a part of every business nowadays up to the point when people plan and host them on a regular basis. It doesn’t really matter if it is planned for a massive audience or for coworkers’ meeting, it is usually not as easy as it seems to host an online Q&A session. So, with that in mind here are some of the top tips that you can get up your sleeves to make these sessions easier to handle and to make these interactive videos, such as the ones offered through BlueJeans, a breeze to plan. Roll up your sleeves and try to remember these awesome tips that can lead your Q&A session to become a successful one among a bunch of failed and not properly planned ones.
Rehearsal Plays a Key Role
Always rehearse your Q&A session beforehand. Get someone to do the questioning part for you and make them ask as many questions as possible. You can never know what kinds of questions you may get during these videos. Not having an answer is never a to-go idea, so, rehearse answering all sorts of questions and try to remember the name of the person who asked it so that you will be the professional who remembers everything.
Imagine Possible Questions Asked
As mentioned before, you can never know what types of questions you may get, so try to spend some time dwelling on the questions you may hear during the Q&A session. Write down the questions that pop into your mind and think of a suitable answer. Although, you can never be 100% ready and know all the questions, try to get as prepared as possible, that is what Inc.com suggests as well.
Learn How to Deal with Difficult Questions
Face the fact that you might get some difficult questions here and there. Get preset answers to those questions avoiding confrontation or full impact answer. Try avoiding them professionally without disclosing anything you don’t want to in public. These tactics are often used by big corporations and are extremely effective.
Prepare Your Audience
Get your audience ready for a Q&A session by planting the idea of it at the beginning of the video itself. That will give them the time to think of what they want to ask, so the session will not come as a surprise and/or it will not face failure.
Take Advantage of Pre-Submitted Questions
Spend some time thinking of some questions for yourself. That way, when your audience needs some time to think of a question, you may step in and save the day by asking a question yourself. That will make your audience loosen up a bit and it will motivate them to think of more questions faster. You can also use some questions that have been submitted previously, or simply start the session with them as a commonly asked questions part.
Avoid Debates
Nobody wants to hear a debate going on during these sessions, so, feel free to offer speaking to someone after the session. You will do everyone present a favor and it will keep the session going. Feel free to do the same if someone doesn’t understand your answer as well. It will make everyone’s questions valuable and equally important to answer.
Consider Getting Help
You can always consider getting someone to help you organize the questions you get. That way you will be sure to answer most of the questions if not all directed your way. That someone can make sure you get all the previously submitted questions in order. He or she can step in and get a question from the preset “bucket” when there is no one that wants to ask you something. It will make the whole session a whole lot easier and flowing without having any blanks to fill.
Timing Is Essential
Always keep a record of the time the session lasts, as they tend to run overtime and seem like a never-ending story. Use a stopwatch or a regular clock to have a clear picture of the time you spent and the time you have left. A stopwatch can help you avoid lengthy debates as well as keep the Q&A rounds short and sweet. You can also use timing panels as guidance tools, depending on how you want to run your session.
The Bottom Line
There will always be people who believe that they do better unprepared for these sessions and that goes wrong often. These situations usually end up a disaster or they turn into a chaos where no one knows who is asking and who is answering the questions and they turn into bad events where the presenters end up being amateurs and not up to the task at hand. Don’t allow to get yourself in these situations and always prepare so that you can always be on top of the task and handle it professionally. Professionals practice and practice makes perfect. Have that in mind and you’ll get your Q&A Session ready in no time at all.