Be mindfully confident as your facial expressions and body language cues may portray a lack of confidence Mastery of the content is the key to respond to difficult questions Avoid panicking as it may cloud your thought process and hinder your chance of arriving at a credible response Change from a "Panic Mindset" to a "Thinking Mindset" Don't rush for an answer, take some time to digest and unpack the question Make Empathy Statements like," Hmm...that seems like an interesting question. Is anyone from the audience equipped with an answer?" If the question requires you to verify certain facts or statistics, you may explain this to questioner Remember that most of the time, the questioner has a legitimate interest or concern

Breathe, pause, smile, stay grounded. Answer to the best of your ability. Don't take it personally. Speak with intention and keep up the appearance of calm.

I usually stay calm and collected, even smile when the question is tough and frown is the question is unintelligent our totally outside the scope of the speech. I Acknowledge a great question when it is and provide a concise and straightforward answer if I have and if not i say i do not know the answer to your question! In some instances of I would invite for a conversation, open or one on one after the speech.

I think we’re missing what defines a question as “tough,” because the answer depends on the challenge: 1. Information Gap: Is it tough because you don’t know the answer? Acknowledge the gap honestly, express curiosity, and commit to following up with accuracy. 2. Transparency Limits: Is it tough because you know but can’t share the answer? Respect boundaries with empathy, balancing discretion with clarity. 3. Confrontational Tone: Is the delivery aggressive or divisive? Stay grounded, reframe the question to foster dialogue, and respond intentionally. Tough questions test composure, adaptability, and connection. Some demand immediate tact; others benefit from thoughtful follow-up. Leadership lies in navigating with confidence and care.

1. Stay Calm and Collected: A brief pause to breathe and gather your thoughts can make a big difference. It helps you stay composed and deliver a clear response. 2. Clarify and Confirm: Replay back the question in your own words. This shows you understand it and gives you a moment to think. 3. Draw on Experience: Share insights and examples from your experience. This adds depth and credibility to your answers.

Tough means that I don’t have an immediate answer. I wait 5 seconds before beginning an answer. I answer with an analogy. For example the question is about cyber fraud on instant messaging. I answer that it may be like cyber fraud on email, something I am familiar with. I give a brief answer. The challenge is to keep the answer very brief, answering as best one can and quickly move on.

It is time to be a poker face. Reframe the question with your words. Be open-hearted and reflect your positive vibes to audiences.

True confidence is demonstrated when we embrace the fact that we don’t know something. It’s important to assess the level of difficulty of the question. If it’s challenging but manageable, take a brief pause to gather your thoughts before responding. It’s perfectly acceptable to let the moderator know that it was a tough question, as this allows both you and the audience to acknowledge the challenge, which can actually enhance your confidence. If you genuinely don’t have an answer to a difficult question, be honest and say that it’s a tough question and that you don’t have an answer at the moment. Assure them that you will look into it and follow up. Offer your contact details so the person who asked the question can reach out to you.

Firstly, I would think you need to anticipate a situation where someone will challenge you. Public speaking is all about communicating a message however some won't like the message or are keen to hijack your time for their own agenda. Your response will be influenced by the motivation of the speaker. Heck, I'm the last person to play nice, but where you can steer the question back to your message and explain why. Then move on. It's your time and not a Q and A session. Alternatively, you may want to defer questions until the end and address it once you have achieved your goal of delivering your message. Pavini's comment on content mastery is also critical.

The best way I deal with such situations is smile back, I have been told I have a good smile, truth be told I inherited it from my mom. But as an advice trust me your smile is your biggest weapon you carry. When you get aggressively bombarded with questions take a deep breath and smile, this not only brings you back into your calm composure but also makes you less impulsive. It’s difficult at first, but once you learn this art, not a person can play you around. So, in simple words, stop -> breathe-> think once -> go for the second thought if not first (since those are usually defensive) -> and SMILE :) Public speaking is not just about speaking it’s about expressing yourself and your smile says a lot about you and how you express yourself.