“I don’t know” is one of the scariest phrases in the English language. Especially if you have to say it in front of a crowd. But chances are, if you present often, you’ll eventually be asked a question to which you don’t have an answer. And it can be embarrassing. But it doesn’t have to be if you handle it well. Here are some strategies for dealing with those tough situations.
Don’t Fake an Answer
If you were to lie to your audience, chances are, most of them wouldn’t be able to tell. Study after study has proven that despite what we might want to believe, humans are horrible lie detectors. Laura Zimmerman cites research that specifically shows that our “ability to detect lies is no more accurate than chance, or flipping a coin.” But just because we aren’t likely to get caught, doesn’t mean we should lie. Aside from the whole issue of ethics, there’s simply too much at stake. If you are caught in a lie, there’s not much you can do to rebuild your credibility. However, if you are open with your audience that you don’t know the answer to a question you’ve been asked, it will demonstrate that you are trustworthy and have likely been honest during the rest of your presentation.
Speak from Responsible Knowledge
When you stand up to speak on a topic, there are things you should know. You are expected to have what is called responsible knowledge. It’s a list of things that will help to give you comprehensive understanding of your topic. It is made up of things like the history of the subject, the main issues surrounding the topic, the major contributors of the field, what the latest developments are, and how it affects the listeners’ lives. If someone asks you a question that you probably should know, you can say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but it’s something I should probably dig into, so I’ll do some research and get back to you.” That accepts that it’s within your field and you are responsible to provide an answer.
However, we can’t be expected to be an expert at everything. If we try to cover too broad of an area of research, we can’t reach the depth that is required to make us experts. So if someone asks you a question which falls outside of your expertise, it’s okay to say so. (In a diplomatic way, of course.) You might respond with something like this: “That is a great question. However, it falls outside the scope of my research and expertise.”
Become A Link
But just because it falls outside your range of responsible knowledge doesn’t mean you can say “I don’t know” and move on. if you do, it might come off as rude or dismissive to your audience. So you have to become a link. Your job now is to connect the audience member who asked the question with someone who can answer that question. So your response would sound something like this: “That is a great question. However, it falls outside the scope of my research and expertise. But I’d love to put you in touch with someone who I think might be able to help answer your question.”
There’s no shame in saying “I don’t know.” Just remember to be truthful above all. And then, clearly communicate what falls within your responsible scope of knowledge and research. If it’s something you should know, learn it. If it’s something you shouldn’t be expected to know, say so. But then find a way to connect your curious audience member to an expert who can help him or her.
At Ethos3, it’s our business to know presentations. And we are passionate about developing, designing, and delivering them. How can we help you today?
