How to Answer Questions With Confidence When Presenting

In our training workshops, one request comes up again and again:
“Can you help me answer questions with confidence?”

Most presentations involve a Q&A, and for many professionals, it’s the part they fear most. After investing hours crafting their message, this is the moment they feel exposed. What if:

– They ask something I don’t know?

– I look unprepared?

– They disagree with me?

– The question derails everything?

The good news is that confidence in the Q&A isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about how you respond when you don’t.

These six techniques will help you handle questions with far more ease, clarity and composure.

1. Step Into the Question

Most presenters literally step back when asked a difficult question. It’s instinctive and a physical expression of “I’m not sure.”

We teach the opposite: Step forward or lean in if seated, especially when the question makes you uncomfortable.

That small movement communicates control, confidence and presence, even if you don’t feel it yet.

Try it. Your body will do half the work for you.

2. Reframe the Moment

A challenging question triggers the fight‑or‑flight response; that’s normal, it means you care about getting the answer right.

Here’s the reframe:

Questions are a compliment; they mean your audience is engaged, thinking, processing, and curious.

High-impact presenting isn’t about delivering a monologue and escaping; it’s about sparking thought and creating conversation.

When a question lands, breathe and let the nervous energy become fuel, not fear.

Your audience isn’t trying to catch you out; they’re trying to understand.

3. Look at Them

When we don’t know an answer, our eyes often drop to the floor; it’s a universal tell.

Instead, make eye contact, not just with the questioner, but with the whole room.
It keeps the audience with you and signals confidence, even in uncertainty.

Your gaze is part of your answer.

4. Answer It Anyway (Without Pretending)

If you don’t know the answer, don’t bluff, as audiences can smell it instantly.

Say something like:

“I don’t have the exact answer right now, but I’ll find out and come back to you.”

Then, if you have a thought, perspective, or hypothesis, offer it clearly and honestly

“This isn’t the definitive answer, but here’s how I’m thinking about it…”

Honesty builds credibility, and pretending destroys it.

5. Treat Every Question as a Learning Moment

A question you can’t answer isn’t a threat, it’s a gift.

It reveals something you can learn, clarify or explore.
Life and business are ongoing work in progress; no one knows everything.

Instead of fearing the gap, welcome it; see it as an opportunity to grow, not a sign of weakness.

6. Take the Emotional Charge Out

Occasionally, a question may feel a little hostile or challenging.
The person may be frustrated, confused or simply disagree with you.

If the energy rises, use this three-step technique:

• Listen

Really listen. Don’t prepare your defence; understand their point.

• Search

Find one thing, however small, that you genuinely agree with or can acknowledge.

“That’s a fair point.”
“I can see why you’d ask that.”
“I understand the concern.”

This isn’t surrender. It’s a connection.

• Shut up

Pause and let the tension breathe out.

Most emotional charge dissolves when people feel heard.

Rather than fearing the questions you can’t answer, try these six techniques and see which ones shift your confidence the most.

As Einstein said: “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

The important thing for presenters is not to fear the questions, but to meet them with clarity, honesty and composure.

If you need help answering questions with confidence:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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