Five Ways to Improve Your Q&As
- Victoria Hogg
- Dec 5, 2025
- 3 min read
Glad tidings, Squad! |
“I get scared at Q&As and interviews - can you help?” We’re so glad you asked that question. In truth: you’re clever, you care and when you deliver a talk or go for an interview, you’re well prepared. So what isit about a Q&A set-up that’s intimidating, confusing or stressful? No matter how prepped you are, when the floor opens for questions (job interview, press panel, client pitch) your brain hits the panic button and your reasoning flees the building - whether you're an ambitious introvert, an ideas machine who caves under pressure or a Type A who dreads the unknown.
“Most people do not listen to understand - they listen with the intent to reply” Stephen Covey, author: Seven Habits of Highly Successful People
US CEO and philanthropist Warren Buffett (famously terrified of presenting), built his speaker skills because he knew the price of being a Q&A novice:
• misunderstandings • missed opportunities • lack of impact How do you train for spontaneous penny-drop moments without being someone you’re not? Applied Improv. It increases Adaptability Quotient - and makes you more credible speaker on the way. Read on for our Top 5 Tips for Better Q&As. |
Five Ways to Improve Your Q&As
TRY IT OUT! 💘 Our weekly tip, from applied improv to you.
PowerPoint Karaoke
Players A and B are sharing the presentation of a PowerPoint deck. As each slide arrives, they discuss it and take questions from the audience. The twist? They’ve never seen the deck in their lives!
This activity encourages agile thinking, faster error recovery and learning how to ‘sit in the flames’. Try it yourself: get a friend to send you a random PP deck and then try to ‘present’ it, without hesitation; calmly and knowledgeably.
Download: PowerPoint Karaoke.
Something questioned...
Here's five ways on how to handle a Q&A or interview:
1. Listen Like It’s Your Job
Don’t prep your answer while the question is still being asked. Aim for active listening: stay fully present and curious. Listen with the possibility of having your mind changed.
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” Stephen R. Covey, author: Seven Habits of Highly Successful People
Try it out: Go full ‘Yes, and…’! Repeat what you heard; add your thoughts.
2. Pause is Power
A beat of silence might feel like an eternity, but it actually builds authority. In improv, we learn that the pause isn’t a void—it’s space to think, connect, and deliver with intention.
Try it out: When asked something unexpected? Breathe. Sip water. Nod. Thenspeak. You’ll appear cool-headed and your answer will be stronger.
3. Speak in Storylines
Improvisers don’t recite; they reveal. Use story structure to give your answers impact and to make your answers vivid, grounded and memorable:
Set a scene (what was happening),
Share the shift (what changed),
Show the result (what you learned or achieved).
Try it out: Replace elements of your talk with weather metaphors (eg. “The 2026 social media marketing landscape feels variable and unique” becomes “Expect rain with wind and sunshine; look out for rainbows!”. It’ll give you a more specific viewpoint and lens - and you might even keep a metaphor or two in the final talk.
4. Keep Your Status Flexible
In improv, status doesn’t mean status symbol: it’s tone, posture and presence. High-status behaviours (calm voice, stillness) convey confidence. Low-status ones (apologetic tone, shrinking posture) can undermine your message.
Try it out: Sit tall. Speak from your belly, not your throat. Own the room with warmth, not ego.
5. Love the Curveball
Don’t fear the unexpected: it’s where the real learning happens. Curveballs help you show humanity and humour Remember: an awkward moment can become your most endearing one when you let yourself respond with calm generosity.
Try it out: Practise handling surprise questions with a friend or coach and don’t be afraid to surprise yourself. The more agile you become, the better.
Applied improvisation isn’t just for extroverts, it’s a toolkit for humans who want to communicate better under pressure. And who doesn’t want to increase their Adaptability Quotient?
Whether you're interviewing for your dream role, giving a keynote, or answering awkward investor questions, the goal isn’t perfection: it’s presence.
You don’t need all the answers. You just need to connect.
Vic n Paul
