How can I control questions asked during a presentation?

Question

When people give presentations in my company, other members interrupting the flow of the presentation with questions/discussions on minor points can make the presentation lose focus. Personally I find the interruptions frustrating when showing off my work as I can't always show everything I wanted to because of the questions/discussions coming up in the middle.I am still quite junior in the office. I want to say something like, *"So the demo should only take a few minutes, it's probably best that any questions wait until after so I don't get distracted and show everything that was intended"*, but I'm worried that it will come across as too firm a tone when speaking to my superiors.How can I discourage interruptions to the flow of my presentation without offending senior management who has a culture of interjecting when they have a point to make?

Answer 1

While you may find this personally frustrating, it is best to defer to the patterns established and allowed by your superiors. Instead of speaking to persons who would potentially be doing the interrupting, it is best to get clarification directly from the supervisors you are concerned about ( in terms of their preferences for what will take place during your presentation.)

Answer 2

Awesome suggestions from Christopher C! To add to what he said, it would be good to make note whether it is the same individuals interrupting or if it is more related to the culture of the company. If the culture of the company is that questions are encouraged at anytime, you may want to address questions that directly relate to what you are presenting (use some form of note cards or outline so that you remember what you want to cover, even as you answer questions). For questions that are not directly related, acknowledge the question and let them know you will answer later in presentation (if you say you are going to answer a question later, make sure you do). You could say something along the lines of "That's a great question that I can better answer after I explain my core points."

Something else for you to consider in planning for the type of presentation you are giving. If it is a brief demonstration, introduction, or presentation; you could lead off by letting everyone know that you will not be long, and therefore you will answer questions after presentation. Something along the lines of, "In respect of everyone's time, I will provide my brief presentation and then take questions at the end." For longer presentations, questions along the way are usually encouraged because they help the presentation be more interactive and engaging.

Answer 3

There are a few ways you can do this. You can be firm and resolute by simply saying, "Please hold your questions until the end of the demo." and leave it at that. If you're dealing with individuals that highly outrank you, it may be to your advantage as you alluded to, to let them interject and handle the questions. Handling questions mid presentation is a skill that can be improved, mainly because if you're running a demo often you'll hear that same questions or concerns many times and it will become easier to answer them.

Another avenue you can pursue is speaking to these individuals that interject when you're not in the meeting. Let them know that their questions are hindering your ability to deliver and effective demo, and in the future would they please hold their questions until the end. That's a private way of resolving the issue with these individuals one on one without making a big scene.