How do you answer difficult questions effectively? You upgrade them!

What do you consider a difficult question? One that is confusing? One that rambles on and on? One that is a series of questions? One that is off-the-subject? One that is a mini-speech?

Difficult questions come in many shapes and sizes with various approaches to respond. In this post, we will explore ways to make them less difficult.

This is the fourth post in a series on answering questions effectively:

The first post provided the 6 essential steps for answering questions effectively as found in Chapter 36 of Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide.
The second post explored how to effectively respond to questions when we don’t know the answer.
The third post described how to respond to questions that are often labeled as “stupid.”

This post describes how to respond to a variety of difficult questions. It shares an excerpt from Chapter 36, updated to reflect answering questions in person, virtually, and in writing, such as on social media or responding to comments online.

Let’s take a closer look at what we mean by a difficult question and examine the best ways to respond.

What do we mean by a difficult question?

Chapter 36 describes 7 types of difficult questions. So far, we’ve looked at two types: questions that you don’t know the answer and “stupid” questions. Next week’s post will tackle two more: hostile questions and questions about controversial topics.

This post will focus on three common types of difficult questions and solutions for handling them well.

Off-the-subject or limited-interest questions

These questions take the discussion off the focus of a presentation, meeting, or message. Answering at length may take you down a “rabbit hole” or on a tangent that may be hard to bring back to your key message.

Imagine completing a presentation about healthy aging and an audience member asks a question about the connection between obesity and high-fructose corn syrup, “I heard that high-fructose corn syrup causes obesity. Is that true?”

Your goal is to keep the discussion from going off track. Respond briefly and relate the answer to the topic, such as saying,

“The causes of obesity are too complex and numerous to discuss right now, with excesses of any type of sugar being a contributing factor. To relate your question to our discussion, we know that preventing and successfully treating obesity can lead to healthier aging.”

Another approach to dealing with off-the subject or limited-interest questions is to offer to discuss the answer later privately.

Rambling or long-winded questions

A question that goes on and on is most likely a mini-speech rather than a question. The audience will appreciate it when the communicator says,

"Excuse me, I must interrupt you in the interest of time. I appreciate your perspective; did you have a question?”

In response, rephrase their main idea briefly, connecting it to your topic as much as possible, and provide a concise answer to their question, if asked.

To keep the Q&A on track, prompt further questions with a statement such as,

“What other questions do you have about…?”

Multiquestions

At times, people will ask two or more questions, even when requested to ask only one. There are several options for how to handle this:

Remember each question and answer them briefly.
If that is too difficult or time-consuming, ask the questioner which question they want answered most.
Select one to answer. Preface your answer with something like, “Allow me to answer your first (second, last) question…”
If there is time to answer all of them and answering them will benefit the entire audience, ask that they be stated one at a time and answer them individually, “Let’s take those one at a time. Please restate your first question.”

Although all of these types of difficult questions have specific approaches to answering, they also share a common solution.

What is a recommended approach to respond to difficult questions?

When someone asks a difficult question, such as one that is long and complex, confusing, not well thought out, intended to intimidate, or inappropriate to the time or place, what can a communicator do?

Get a better question: Ask for the question to be repeated, ask for clarification, ask for a definition, or, ask a question in return to help the questioner focus the question. A better question is an upgraded one.

What might this look like?

Let’s say the nutrition communication was about incorporating more plant-based proteins in the diet. An audience member asks this off-the-subject question, “Which fad diet is the best?”

To get a better question, the nutrition communicator could respond,

“How do you define a fad diet?”

If their definition is a vegetarian diet, a suitable response could be,

“Calling a diet a fad implies that it is short term, so if following a vegetarian diet is not something someone can follow long term, it may qualify as a fad diet for them; because the best diets are not only balanced, but sustainable. That is what makes adding more plant-based proteins a good option for someone who prefers primarily animal-based proteins.”

Alternatively, you may be able to upgrade the question yourself without losing the questioner’s intent and bringing the question more in line with the topic. To upgrade the question above without asking them a question in return, your response could be,

“Let’s change that question to “What diet is the best?” because no fad diet is best. A fad diet, by definition, is only followed for a short time, so even if there are short-term benefits they don’t last. The best diets are those that are not only nutritionally balanced but fit your culture, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences, making them sustainable for the long term.”

When you get a difficult question, upgrade it!

For more, check out these previous posts about responding to questions effectively, which link you to 5 tips for mastering the Q and A:

Our final post in this series will tackle two specific types of difficult questions – the hostile question and the controversial question.

"A problem well stated is a problem half solved." ~ Charles Kettering

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