The pitch. If you’re in the innovation game you’re going to find yourself in the situation in which you’re pitching your idea in a presentation mode. When we talk about curiosity we usually focus mostly on asking questions. I’d like to take a moment to touch on answering questions. When you’re in the pitch presentation, audience members are going to ask questions. How you answer those questions will determine if your idea will fly.

It’s natural to do the presentation piece and take a, ‘thank goodness I got through that breath.’ But the real meat happens in the Q&A portion. It’s make or break time.

Don’t let your guard down. The number one key to successfully answering questions is empathy. You have to get into the shoes of the person asking the question. Understand the motivation behind the question. What does the person really want to know? What are they really concerned about? Most times there is more to the question than the words being spoken.

Without empathy you appear defensive. I’ve witnessed some answers to questions recently that caused the person asking the question to actually become angry as a result. This is unnecessary and counter to your goal in discussing your idea.

Rather than thinking in terms of a question and answer session, it should be a conversation that everyone else can witness. Always remember the goal of your presentation. Reinforce that goal with each answer.

Remember you’re not trying to just get through it. You are communicating. The audience questions can be the perfect lever to reinforce your message if handled correctly. If not, audience questions can undermine all of your hard work.