The last PowerPoint slide in a presentation often coincides with a very predictable closing from the presenter:

“Any questions?”

This often results in an equally predictable silence.

Presenters and instructors tend to interpret this silence as evidence that the audience understood the information.

But have they really? Don’t drop the mic just yet.

There are a variety of reasons why there will be no questions at the end of a presentation (particularly at the end of the day) that have nothing to do with audience comprehension. Specifically:

 

·       It’s finally over. (Miller Time!) No one wants to linger after a presentation
is clearly finished. Want to see the “death stare?” Watch the way other
audience members glare at that fellow in the back who had the audacity to raise
his hand and ask that last tedious question. It is pure animosity!

 

·       They are lost: At this point the audience may be so confused,
disinterested, or overwhelmed that they are incapable of asking a question.
They do not know what to ask.

 

·       Loss of face: Most people are reluctant to draw attention to themselves
for their lack of understanding. E.g., “Am I the only one not getting this?”
They will ask someone in private or look up the answer later rather than betraying
their own ignorance.

 

·       Passive norm.
This may be the first interaction initiated by the presenter after a lengthy
lecture or PowerPoint presentation and the audience is unaccustomed to anyone
speaking other than the presenter.

 

·       False confidence: The audience may think they understand, but the
presenter has no data to confirm this. All the presenter knows for sure is that
no one is asking questions.

 

·       Conditioning. The audience has learned, over time, that “any questions?” usually signals the end. Skeptical?  Here is an experiment you can
try: At the end of your next presentation, ask “any questions?” and listen
carefully. You will hear notebooks closing, chairs sliding backwards, and a
general stirring as people pack up and make ready to leave. In fact, if a
fire ever breaks out in your meeting room, rather than yelling “fire!”, yell
“any questions?” They will be out of the room faster.

For these reasons, asking “any questions?” is a very unreliable way of getting feedback from your audience. There are too many reasons why no questions will be forthcoming. This also includes many variations of “any questions?”, including:

“Is that clear?”

“Are you following?”

“Everybody getting this?”

This is not to suggest that you should never ask “any questions?” Sometimes, someone does indeed have a very good question that they’ve been waiting to ask. The key is not to depend upon it.

To get more reliable feedback, consider:

·       Interacting with your audience. Periodically ask questions like:

 

“Can someone give me an example of this?”

 

“How would you describe this in your own words?”

 

“Here is a hypothetical situation…how would you handle it?”

 

This not only gives you a steady stream of feedback, but also creates an interactive atmosphere in the room, making it more likely that audience members will ask their own questions when they have them.

 

·       Rephrasing the question. Rather than asking “any questions?”, consider
asking “Is there something I can explain further?” or “Is there anything you’d
like me to elaborate on?” These questions do not require audience members to
admit they don’t understand…simply, that they would like more information.

 

·       A dedicated discussion time. Let the audience know in advance that
you have allotted a specific period of time at the end of the presentation for
discussion. Your last PowerPoint slide should say “discussion” rather than “any
questions?”

 

Any questions?