Tips for a Successful Q & A Session

The following are guidelines for an effective Q and A session.
Consider distributing them when you do have speakers - we know of one affiliate where the "rules for Q and A" are handed out at every meeting....and then enforced.

1. Before opening the floor for questions, tell the audience what the ground rules are for asking questions. For example: “Please make your questions brief and concise.”

2. Never turn the microphone over to an audience member. Have a "runner" hold the mike in front of the speaker for the length of the question.

3. If an audience member starts to expound on a subject, politely ask him/her to state a question.

4. If an audience member asks a question that's overly specific to a single panelist or otherwise not particularly relevant to the concerns of the wider audience, don't be afraid to say, "That's an interesting question and perhaps better addressed in depth by Panelist A after the wider Q & A we're doing now."

5. If you're in a big room, not everyone will hear the questions when they're asked, so always repeat the question.

6. Do not let a person ask a second question until everyone has had an opportunity to ask his/her question.

7. If you have a large group you can have people write down questions on 3x5 cards and collected by "runners" and brought to the moderator who will screen and prioritize them.