Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos

Handling Q&A with Confidence

Episode Summary

Ever feel nervous about handling questions after a presentation, either on stage or at a meeting? Or, simply want to improve your credibility and polish when handling Q&A? These tips are for you!

Episode Notes

• Welcome Questions – Treat them as a sign of engagement, not challenge. Smile, thank the person, and show openness.
   
• Pause Before Responding – Take a beat to think. It signals confidence and helps you avoid rambling.
   
• Clarify if Needed – If a question is unclear, repeat or reframe it: “So you’re asking about…”
   
• Be Concise and Focused – Give clear, to-the-point answers—don’t drift into a second presentation.
   
• Bridge Back to Your Key Message – Even if the question is off-track, connect your response to your main theme.
   
• Handle Tough Questions Calmly – If you don’t know, be honest: “That’s a great question—I’ll follow up.”
   
• Engage the Whole Room – Repeat the question (briefly) so everyone hears, then answer to the audience, not just the asker.
   
• Set Boundaries – If time is short, let people know you’ll follow up offline for longer discussions.

End with a Strong Close after Q&A is over so you wrap it all up in a bow instead of it trailing off, plus you want to remind people what you talked about so it ends with YOUR strong point, not the energy from the last question asked.

Some resources for you:

Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: https://karenlaos.com/words-to-avoid/

My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/

Episodes also available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos