We were presenting our quarterly sales updates to our executives and most of us were not looking forward to it. No matter how well your quarterly numbers were, it always seemed like an interrogation. Afterwards I felt like one salesperson got off easy because he didn’t get any tough questions. Later I found out from my manager that wasn’t the case.

While I only heard the executives ask this person a few simple questions about numbers or why something happened, the rest of us were grilled on the next steps for projects, the best growth options we saw for our accounts, and where we saw our relationship expansion opportunities. Not long after that, the one salesperson who received zero tough questions was downsized and let go.

I found out from my manager the salesperson was doing very little to expand his accounts and the executives only trusted him with delivering data, but not with making decisions that could affect the future direction of the account. I came to realize there are 3 types of questions people tend to ask. Each question type tells you how you’re perceived by your audience.

3 Types of Questions Audiences Ask

You can prepare for your next presentation by focusing on the three types of questions you might get asked. While this will help you prepare for your presentation, it will also help you figure out how your audience currently perceives you.

Factual Questions

These questions are focused on data you have but the audience doesn’t. If the audience’s questions never go beyond data recall, it may indicate the audience is not comfortable asking you for analysis or recommendations for the future. In some cases, it could mean the audience thinks future decisions are reserved for more qualified individuals.

Some examples of factual questions:

• When did the servers first start triggering alerts?
• What phase is your deployment team in right now?
• Who did you put in charge of that project?
• How long did it take for the marketing team to get it done?

Analytical Questions

These questions reveal an audience perception of you as a good source for historical data and as an expert in analyzing that data. Your answers to these questions show you can analyze data and deduce what happened. It shows your ability to find a root cause for something. You’re seen by the audience as an expert in your field.

You have the ability to explain why something happened. Your audience sees you as an investigator with the ability to look at clues to create a narrative. You can analyze the past and share your discoveries.

• Why would the database cluster fail over like that?
• What motivated you to do it that way?
• How did the delay from our vendor affect your team?
• Why did you invest so much in the Alpha Project?
• What was the reason your team sales spiked so high this quarter?

Predictive Questions

The reason why we study the past is to help us predict the future. If we can predict the future, we can better control it and prepare for it. Once data is gathered and analysis has been performed, the next logical question type is future-oriented.

When you’re able to answer predictive questions it shows the audience your ability to use logic, analysis, and speculations to choose a path forward. This also shows leadership. Your audience sees you as someone who can use information from the past to create a better tomorrow.

• How do we use this information to adjust our path forward?
• What do you recommend?
• What would you do different next time?
• Where do you see the greatest potential for the Mid-West Region?
• So, where do we go from here?

The Real Value

You can provide the greatest value to your audience when you’re able to answer all three types of questions. As you prepare for your next presentation, spend some time considering what your audience may ask you in each of these three areas. Then, make sure you are prepared to answer them all. When your audience is asking you all three types of questions, you know you’re on the right track.

All the best,
Russ

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.