Comment gérez-vous les questions inattendues ou les interruptions pendant un discours ?
Lorsque vous vous tenez devant un public, que vous prononcez un discours, il ne s’agit pas seulement de parcourir votre matériel préparé. Le vrai test survient souvent lorsque vous êtes confronté à des questions inattendues ou à des interruptions. La façon dont vous gérez ces moments peut vraiment vous distinguer en tant qu’orateur. Il ne s’agit pas seulement de ce que vous dites, mais de la façon dont vous gérez la situation : garder votre sang-froid, interagir avec votre public et maintenir le flux de votre présentation.
Face à une question ou à une interruption inattendue, votre première tâche est de rester calme. Votre public s’inspirera de votre réaction ; Si vous semblez troublé ou agacé, cela peut avoir un impact négatif sur la façon dont ils perçoivent le reste de votre discours. Respirez profondément et reconnaissez l’interruption avec grâce. S’il s’agit d’une question, écoutez attentivement avant de répondre. Cette pause vous donne non seulement un moment pour formuler une réponse, mais démontre également que vous respectez l’apport de la personne.
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Siddhartha Biswas
Associate Professor at University of Calcutta
Sometimes interruptions can be very efficiently used, if the interruption is not just attention seeking. Valid questions or comments in the middle of a speech can contribute to the whole issue and present a scope for clarification. Patient hearing and polite response is vital, as any negative response may antagonize the whole audience. A skilled speaker can always manoeuvre back to the line of reasoning and integrate the interruption within the frame. The difficulty lies in calmly tackling deliberate and discordant disruptions aimed at throwing off the speaker or to insult the speaker. Using humour is a good way to deal with such. The speaker must not, at any provocation, lose control.
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Nausheen I. Chen
J'aide les entreprises à se dynamiser à travers la communication 🖇️ Passionnée par les changements 🖇️ Oratrice (TEDx) 🖇️ Mobilisatrice communautaire 🖇️ ex-P&G 🖇️ Fulbright Scholar
As the speaker, you're always in control. You can control how you respond to a difficult question. Remember there are always 2 questions: 1. The one you hear 2. The one you choose to respond to The two aren't always the same. If there's a question you don't want to get into, use a redirect strategy to navigate towards the question you want to address.
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Bob Carver, CISM, CISSP, MS ✭
Principal Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence and Analytics @ Verizon | CISSP, CISM
Many times a speaker has a time limit where they need to complete their presentation. If that is the case, you can politely state that you'll be happy to answer after the presentation time permitting after the speech or on a side conversation. If the duration is flexible and the question is pertinent to your topic, go ahead and answer it weaving it into your speech.
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Blake Watts
Consulting, Broker & Channel Partnerships Leader @ Ochsner Health | Driving Digital Medicine Solutions
When giving presentations, I set the ground rules early and encourage interruption. I want questions because of the iceberg principle: if one person has the courage to ask it, 9 others are probably wondering the same thing. The purpose of a presentations isn’t to give my talk, it’s to impart knowledge. What better way to do that than answer the question right away.
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CHRISTELLE RIOU
Direction & Executive consultant
Rester calme c’est la base. Regarder franchement la personne qui vous a interrompu et ne pas l’ignorer. L’ignorer lui donnerait l’occasion de vous interrompre pour attirer une nouvelle fois votre attention et celle de votre public. On reste donc maître de soi et de ses émotions. Je vous invite aussi à la regarder avec bienveillance et lui sourire. Vous lui indiquez par cette communication non verbale qu’elle a votre attention et que vous lui accordez de l’importance. Vous avez la possibilité de répondre de suite ou lui dire que vous répondrez plus tard. C’est vous qui avez le pouvoir.
L’écoute active est cruciale lorsque vous êtes interrompu pendant un discours. Accordez toute votre attention à la personne qui pose la question ou fait le commentaire. Cela montre du respect et peut également vous fournir des informations précieuses sur ce que votre public pense ou ressent. En comprenant les préoccupations ou la confusion sous-jacentes, vous pouvez y répondre efficacement dans votre réponse, renforçant ainsi votre lien avec le public.
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Brian Francis, MBA
Listening is respect in action. As a speaker you can add to the experience of the audience by responding to the heart of questions by considerately listening. The first step is to rearrange the letters in listen to read silent. By being silent. You cede space and assume the place of student, if ever so briefly.
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Manas Ram
Author | Public Speaker | High Performance Systems | Expert in Mental Wellbeing & Professional Development.
"Only good listeners can be great speakers" - Manas! I just made it up. But it is true. Only when you listen to the comment or to the question, you will exactly know how to respond. You don't just listen to words you. Listen to body language. You listen to temperament, you listen to the aura and the presence in the room. A great public speaker is not just aware of what is being spoken, but also the unspoken.
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Archana Raghavan Sathyan
Assistant Professor, KAU; DAAD Research Ambassador; External Member at JLU Giessen, Germany
I listen carefully and try to answer the question if it could be answered based on my expertise Or else confirm the audience to provide answer after consultation with an expert.Never attempt for 'beating around the bush'
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Mor Becker
EMiLUX - Executive Master in Luxury Management, SDA Bocconi - MILAN | Ex-Apple
A very smart person once taught me the concept of “seek first to understand”. Since then, this sentence accompany me while public speaking, managing people or just, you know- going through life. The power of truly listen and understanding what people are saying first goes a long way- for them and for you.
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Christine Mullaney
Public Speaking & Presentation Skills Coach | Podcast Host 🍀 | Teaching professionals and entrepreneurs how to pitch, present and parley from the solar plexus.
Interruptions can be ammunition to excel. Hear behind the behaviour. Does the person need status, certainty, to feel included or something else? Maybe it's a language challenge or brain difference. Give them what they need. If the question relates to what's coming, compliment the asker. E.g "What a sharp question. That part is coming up in a moment. Do you mind if I hold your question until then?" If it's a challenge to something from before, take it humbly and answer. If pressed further you can say something like, "It seems I may not have explained that sufficiently. Would you like me to go back over it before moving on?" If the majority, and key stakeholders, want you to move on, offer to speak privately at the break to the asker.
Après l’écoute, évaluez rapidement si l’interruption est pertinente pour votre discours. Si c’est le cas, incorporez la question ou le commentaire dans votre présentation comme une extension naturelle de votre exposé. Cela peut rendre votre discours plus dynamique et interactif. Si l’interruption est hors sujet, ramenez poliment la conversation sur le sujet en question. Vous pouvez dire quelque chose comme : « C’est un point intéressant, mais concentrons-nous sur... pour garder le contrôle de la discussion.
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Brittany Albright MD, MPH
Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Sweetgrass Psychiatry | Harvard Trained Interventional and Addiction Psychiatrist | Medical Staff at MUSC | National Healthcare Consultant and Speaker
Lean in to interruptions and embrace them - engagement breeds more interest in your talk. By leaning in to questions in a kind manner, you make your audience feel safe and comfortable.
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Jon Cobb
I coach leaders to become unstoppable🔥 4x Top Voice for Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Mentoring
Whether the question is relevant or not, it’s your job to make it relevant. Explain that you’re going to rephrase the question to share something that will add more value to more of the audience, and then answer the question you wish they had asked. One more thing: Don’t ask if you answered their question or not. You don’t want to get stuck in a back and forth argument. Move on quickly to another question or continue your talk.
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Camilla Long, Business Speaker
Inspiring leaders to grow high-performing teams
An interruption is always relevant! If it's on-topic, it's likely a question that others in your audience have. If it's off-topic, could even be an audience member showboating, then it's an opportunity for you to demonstrate professionalism and earn the respect of your audience. I witnessed an interruption turned into comedy gold by a speaker only this week. A loud screech from somehere outside the room cut across a key point she was making The speaker could have paused, ignored it and repeated her point. Instead, she paused and made an observation, 'I hope everything is OK. Was that a seagull? A small child? A delegate in distress?' When the laughter died down, she continued her speech. With the audience in the palm of her hand. 😀
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Joseph McGuire - Face Facts
Facial Analysis Expert| Human Lie Detector IExecutive Interview Skills Mentoring| Communication Skills Sales Training | Keynote Speaker I Author
If it's a question, assess it quickly for direct relevance - I've had questions which required answers longer than the presentation - and either answer directly or remind the audience you'll have time for Q and A towards the end. Either way give thanks for the question. If the interruption is not relevant it can be used to inject humour - but not at the expense of the person who interrupted, as this can alienate your audience - or tell them you're happy to speak with them afterwards. No matter what, remember to breathe, smile, and radiate calm.
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Ana Larrea-Albert
Leadership & Neuroscience 🔸 Passionate about human potential, leadership development, and organizations that flourish 🔸 Educator 🔸 Consultant 🔸 Executive-level Advisor 🔸 Author: “Beyond Enough”🔸 #BeTheBee 🐝
As the main keynote speaker, I once had another speaker slated for a small breakout session later stand up and start responding to an audience member’s question after I had answered it already 🤦♀️. So odd. And she was saying the same things I had said… Out of respect, I let her address the crowd for a bit as she was reinforcing my points, but when she showed no signs of stopping I said “Thank you for helping me drive my point home,” (the funniest thing is that the question was about protagonism and narcissism 😂) “and you could continue the conversation with the audience member at the break if he would like to hear more.” Didn’t want to put her down or publicly embarrass her as she was new to speaking. She apologized afterwards.
Si la question ou l’interruption découle d’un malentendu ou d’un désir d’explication plus approfondie, profitez-en pour apporter des éclaircissements. Cela aide non seulement la personne qui a soulevé le point, mais peut également profiter à d’autres membres de l’auditoire qui ont pu avoir des questions similaires. Offrir une réponse claire et concise démontre votre expertise et contribue à renforcer le message de votre discours.
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María Luisa Domínguez González
President at EIM European Rail Infrastructure Managers | Former President & CEO at ADIF | Women to Watch 2024 | EJE&CON | Women4Cyber | Profesora ad honorem UPM Candidata a Vocal de la Junta de Gobierno Colegio ICCP
If the question or interruption arises from a misunderstanding, you have a problem: you are the speaker because you are supposed to be the main expert in the subject. If you do not manage to explain the topic with clarity, may be you are not so good… or may be you are, but if the audience does not understand, what is your real value? If that happens: listen carefully, keep calmed, asume with elegance that may be you were not being as clear as supposed, and try it again firmly but with humility. Change the rhythm of the speech, change the order, change enough content for the audience to realize you are trying to solve the previous situation. And next time, practice with your team before exposing to an audience!
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Benjamin Donlon
Experienced Data Leader | Analytics Strategist | Driving Business Performance & Innovation Through Strategic Data Insights & Operations Excellence
It is vital to remember that a question is more than likely coming from an authentic place. If the question is trying to drive deeper into the topic than you had planned, you can use it as an opportunity to connect with them after the speech/presentation is over. If the question will be addressed again in your presentation, then you can use that as an opportunity to answer it later.
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Ana Babovic
CEO FORWARD Consulting | Adjunct Professor Sciences Po - Paris (PSAI) | MPA Harvard Kennedy School
Although many would say that if it comes from misunderstanding that means you were not clear... I totally disagree with that!!! There are so many filters in our ears that hinder our understanding of the topic often... if there is misunderstanding you want to clarify, provide different perspective or example... your goal is to make them learn from it...
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Robby Maita
Helping companies build cultures of learning, understanding, and communication; with award winning training solutions and 'talk like a local' translations.
I love when I get interrupted for clarity. If I spent so much energy and time in preparing, and am passionate about what I am saying, it is a gift to have the opportunity to reclarify something to everyone. I think it is also easy to leave some of the audience behind on topics you have given a lot of thought to, and their questions might provide the needed context to bring it home.
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Aybüke Demir Yeşilbağ
Doktor Öğretim Üyesi-Ticaret Hukuku ABD. Assistant Professor-Commercial Law
Providing clarity during your answer will help clarify some issues for you later in the conversation. However, a clear and concise answer will reassure the audience about your expertise, which will elevate you during your speech.
La gestion du moment de votre réponse aux interruptions est essentielle. Si vous êtes au milieu d’un point critique, il serait peut-être préférable de demander poliment à répondre aux questions à la fin. Alternativement, si vous êtes à une pause naturelle, répondre à la question immédiatement peut être engageant. Quoi qu’il en soit, soyez toujours conscient du timing global de votre discours pour vous assurer de couvrir tous vos points clés.
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Tshifhiwa Rasiluma (Cert.Dir®)
Founder & CEO of Rasiluma TD Attorneys Inc| Certified Director | Certified Ethics Officer |Non-Executive Director| Trustee
If an interruption is disruptive or inappropriate, politely but firmly redirect the conversation back to the presentation. You can say something like, "That's an interesting point, but let's discuss it further after the presentation."
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Dr. Wilbert Mutoko
PhD, MBA, FHEA, Multi-award-winning expert in strategy, change management, leadership, and entrepreneurship, | senior lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology
The danger of taking questions or comments during the talk is that you may end up taking more time answering questions and never finish the speech in time. In my experience, when I have a small audience, say less than 40 people, I can allow them to ask questions as we go. But for audience above 40, I tell them in advance to ask questions or comment at the end.
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Suzie Bergman
Dentist | TEDx Speaker | Author | Educator International lecturer with focus on integration of medical, dental and behavioral health. Patient-centric, evidence-based care is my priority as a clinician and consultant.
I usually say, “great question” followed by: “that’s coming in a couple more slides” or “that would be another whole talk”, depending on which of those two responses is true. I don’t mind answering questions if they are relevant to the topic, but if someone is one step ahead of me, I prefer sticking to my outline, for clarity.
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Philippe BOULANGER, PhD
Conférencier international sur l'innovation, l'IA et la prospective - Accélère l'innovation et l'IA en réduisant les risques - Exec @ Apple et Sony
In order to control the timing, it happens I say "Given the time allocated for this talk, I propose to take time to answer your question / time on a dedicated one on one at the break afterwards".
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Vidal Estévez
Father | 10X LinkedIn Top Voice | Senior Retail Executive | True value isn't measured by the amount of knowledge you have, but by how generously you share that knowledge to benefit and uplift others.
In my opinion, preferences vary from person to person. Personally, I prefer addressing questions at the end because it helps maintain focus and prevents distractions during crucial moments of a presentation. However, I've come across people who enjoy and welcome more interactive exchanges throughout. Ultimately, it depends on your personal style and preference.
Enfin, engagez-vous avec l’interrompeur avec tact et de manière positive. Utilisez-le comme une occasion d’interagir avec votre public, en montrant que vous appréciez sa participation. Une réponse pleine de tact encourage les autres à s’engager également, créant ainsi une expérience plus interactive et mémorable pour tous. N’oubliez pas que la façon dont vous gérez ces moments peut transformer une interruption en un atout pour votre discours.
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Susan Heaton-Wright
The SuperStar Communicator™ Empowering emerging leaders to communicate with credibility & confidence in business conversations *Facilitator*Coach*Podcaster*Author* International Speaker*
Whilst an interruption could break your flow, responding to one could be beneficial in informing your audience; reminding them that there are questions at the end or even to maintain control when there is a derogatory remark directed at you, the speaker. Respond respectfully, reminding about the questions, thanking for an informative remark But the last, you need to quickly challenge the derogatory remark and reminding the person that this is not the time to interrupt. Your audience will also thank you for this. They want yo listen to you!
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Ernesto Mejia
Bilingual facilitator and speaker passionate about empowering students, parents, and educators through the best learning experiences.
I've always said that no one enjoys being lectured for hours. Allowing audience members to interject and use the information they share is always beneficial, but not everyone is equipped for it. Be prepared to use that information. Be prepared to be interrupted and make that person feel acknowledged, and if they do so respectfully, make them feel appreciated too. Once you learn how to handle these interruptions when speaking to youth you can handle adults with your eyes closed.
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Stan Holden
Best Selling Author, Creative Director and Speaker. 5M+ content
Know your subject inside and out with confidence, and you will be able to field most questions without losing a step. Confidence is the secret ingredient… And you gain that by practice and purpose. #GivingCandyToStrangers
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Alfredo Toro Hardy
Retired Ambassador, scholar and author / Embajador jubilado, académico y autor.
If possible, listen and briefly engage. Promote constructive Interchange of ideas. If the interrupter’s position is aggressive never engage, or rapidly go back to your speech.
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Nelisa Monakali
Education | Curriculum Coordination | English Language Development
Engaging tactfully is a skill I’ve honed through my interactions with students, colleagues, and management. By valuing each person’s input and responding with respect, I foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, which enhances the overall experience.
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Steve VanWieren
Established Data Executive | Data & Analytics Strategy | People Analytics | AI/ML Solutions
Have fun with Q&A. Before your presentation, write down 5 questions you would hate to be asked and practice your answers. This helps allow you to stay calm and in control.
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Dr Tilak Jha (朝帝)
Associate Professor at Bennet University; Ex-BBC & Former Asian Future Leaders Scholar, Co-Founder, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Forum, Founder - ICANGOVERN, #SaveSoil Volunteer: Conscious Planet
There are always unexpected situations and questions coming. The best way is to be honest about it. If you can answer it well, go ahead but don't hesitate to add that you will get back on it and possibly you need to give more thought to it. No one is prepared for every question that can be raised. One needs to see it as an opportunity, genuinely engage and see it as a means to grow together.
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Margreet Jacobs 🎤
Public speaking expert | business presentation trainer/coach
If a person deliberately tries to pull you down by interrupting, my response is always: Shower them with love. They want to be heard and seen. Compliment their courage to speak, thank them for their question and only answer if it’s relevant for the entire audience. Otherwise, take it offline. “ To respect everyone’s time, let’s discuss this specific matter one to one later. I’m curious to hearing your thoughts” Never defend yourself of go into a discussion! If you don’t feel comfortable with questions during your presentation, frame it at the beginning. “At the end of my presentation there will be time for discussion. Please save your questions and comments until then.” If someone still interrupts you, you can refer to that frame.
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Mercy Ohiaeriaku
Senior Manager @ Centene | MPH, CPH, CSM,CReC | Military Spouse & Vet | Strategic Leader | Data Analytics & Services | Resilient Change Agent | Data Storyteller | Executive Coach
I often use humor to defuse tension, build rapport with the audience, and humanize myself. However, keeping the humor relevant, tasteful, and inclusive requires some skills and awareness.
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Deirdre LaBassiere LL.B(Hons) FTLS
Head of Governance & Company Secretary @ Parasol Homes | Chair @ Legacy Centre of Excellence, Women Acting In Today’s Society (WAITS) & Common Purpose WM, Trustee @ Lunar Society | Green Entrepreneur @ Newfoundland Ltd
I believe very much in active listening which also includes reading body language and can even extend to reading the room and understanding the mood. When interrupted, I always acknowledge the individual, thank them for their query, hear what they have to say and firmly yet respectfully respond with an answer in the moment or offer to take it off-line or signpost them to the answer, as appropriate. Depending on the context of the interruption I might inject some light humour, but only if appropriate.