How can you answer technical questions without losing your audience?

3 Check for understanding

After you answer a technical question, don't just move on to the next one or resume your presentation. Make sure that your audience understood your answer and that you addressed their concerns or curiosity. You can do this by asking them a follow-up question, such as "Does that make sense?" or "Is that what you were looking for?" You can also invite them to ask more questions or share their feedback, to keep the conversation going and show that you value their input.

4 Balance depth and breadth

Another challenge of answering technical questions is to find the right balance between depth and breadth. You don't want to go into too much detail and lose your audience's attention, but you also don't want to be too vague and leave them unsatisfied. A good way to balance depth and breadth is to use the "layered" approach. This means that you start with a general or high-level answer, and then ask your audience if they want more information or clarification. If they do, you can go deeper into the specifics, but if they don't, you can move on to the next question or topic.

5 Practice and prepare

The best way to answer technical questions confidently and effectively is to practice and prepare. Before your presentation, think of the most likely or common technical questions that your audience might ask, and rehearse your answers. You can also ask a colleague or a friend to play the role of your audience and give you feedback on your answers. You can also prepare some backup materials, such as slides, handouts, or links, that you can refer to or share with your audience if they want more details or resources.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?