Be Prepared to
Answer Questions
If you have the “state of the knowledge”about the subject, you can probably answer most questions. During a practice session, ask colleagues to pose what they feel might be typical questions.Answering all questions is not necessary. Appropriate responses might be, “We have not performed those experiments yet” or “That’s a very interesting idea; we’ll have to give that some thought.” At most meetings, the time allotted for questions is very limited. If an answer will take an unreasonable period,say that you would be happy to discuss it after the session. Practicing this part of a presentation is difficult but can make you feel very prepared and sure of yourself.