what are good feedback questions to ask after a presentation

160 Questions to Ask After a Presentation

Asking questions after a presentation is not just about seeking clarity on what was discussed. It’s a golden opportunity to delve deeper, engage with the speaker, and enhance your understanding of the subject matter. But knowing which questions to ask isn’t always straightforward.

In this piece, we’re about to break down the art of crafting impactful questions post-presentation that will not only benefit you but also add value to the entire audience’s experience.

Table of Contents

Questions to Ask After a Presentation for Feedback

Questions to ask after a presentation interview, questions to ask students after a presentation, questions to ask after a research presentation, questions to ask after a business presentation, questions to ask after a marketing presentation, questions to ask after a book presentation, reflection questions to ask after a presentation, frequently asked questions, final thoughts.

• Can you summarize the key points of the presentation?
• What aspect of the presentation did you find most engaging?
• Were there any areas that were unclear or confusing? If so, what were they?
• How would you rate the overall organization and flow of the presentation?
• Did the visual aids (such as slides or charts) enhance your understanding of the topic? Why or why not?
• Did the presenter maintain good eye contact and use body language effectively?
• Was the presenter’s tone and pace suitable for the content and audience?
• Were there any statistics or facts presented that stood out to you? Why?
• Did the presenter address potential counter-arguments or opposing views adequately?
• Were the objectives of the presentation clearly stated and met?
• How well did the presenter handle questions or interruptions during the presentation?
• Was there anything in the presentation that seemed unnecessary or redundant?
• What would you suggest to improve the presentation for future audiences?
• How did the presentation change or influence your thinking about the subject?
• Did the presentation feel tailored to the audience’s knowledge and interest level?
• Was there a clear and compelling call to action or concluding statement?
• Did the presentation feel too short, too long, or just the right length?
• What was your overall impression of the presenter’s credibility and expertise on the subject?
• How would you rate the relevance and importance of the topic to the audience?
• Can you identify any biases or assumptions in the presentation that may have influenced the message?
• How did you determine what content to include in your presentation?
• Can you explain the rationale behind the structure and flow of your presentation?
• What challenges did you face while preparing this presentation, and how did you overcome them?
• Were there any points in the presentation where you felt you could have elaborated more or less? Why?
• How did you decide on the visual elements and design of your presentation?
• Can you describe your intended audience and how you tailored the content to engage them?
• How did you ensure that the information presented was accurate and up-to-date?
• Were there any counter-arguments or opposing views on this topic that you considered including?
• How would you adapt this presentation for a different audience or context?
• How do you handle unexpected questions or interruptions during a presentation?
• Can you give an example of how you’ve handled negative feedback on a presentation in the past?
• How do you measure the success of a presentation? What metrics or feedback do you seek?
• What techniques do you use to engage an audience that may not be familiar with the topic?
• How do you balance the need to entertain and inform in a presentation?
• How do you prioritize information when you have a limited time to present?
• What strategies do you employ to ensure that your main points are memorable?
• How do you deal with nerves or anxiety before or during a presentation?
• Can you describe a situation where a presentation did not go as planned and how you handled it?
• How do you keep up with the latest trends and best practices in presenting?
• Is there anything you would change about this presentation if you were to do it again?
• How did you feel about the presentation? Were you confident or nervous, and why?
• What was the main message or goal of your presentation, and do you think you achieved it?
• How did you decide on the structure of your presentation?
• What research methods did you use to gather information for this presentation?
• Were there any challenges you encountered while preparing or presenting, and how did you address them?
• How did you ensure that your visual aids or multimedia elements supported your key points?
• What part of the presentation are you most proud of, and why?
• Were there any areas where you felt uncertain or that you would like to improve upon for next time?
• How did you tailor your presentation to fit the knowledge level and interest of your audience?
• What techniques did you use to engage the audience, and how do you think they worked?
• How did you practice your presentation, and what adjustments did you make as a result?
• Did you feel the time allotted for your presentation was sufficient? Why or why not?
• How did you decide what to emphasize or de-emphasize in your presentation?
• What feedback did you receive from peers during the preparation, and how did you incorporate it?
• Did you have a clear conclusion or call to action, and why did you choose it?
• How do you think your presentation style affects the way your audience receives your message?
• What would you do differently if you were to present this topic again?
• Can you reflect on a piece of feedback or a question from the audience that made you think?
• How has this presentation helped you better understand the subject matter?
• How will the skills and insights gained from this presentation experience benefit you in the future?
• Can you elaborate on the research question and what prompted you to investigate this topic?
• How did you choose the methodology for this research, and why was it the most suitable approach?
• Can you discuss any limitations or constraints within your research design and how they might have affected the results?
• How do your findings align or contrast with existing literature or previous research in this field?
• Were there any unexpected findings, and if so, how do you interpret them?
• How did you ensure the reliability and validity of your data?
• Can you discuss the ethical considerations involved in your research, and how were they addressed?
• What are the practical implications of your findings for practitioners in the field?
• How might your research contribute to theoretical development within this discipline?
• What recommendations do you have for future research based on your findings?
• Can you provide more details about your sample size and selection process?
• How did you handle missing or inconsistent data within your research?
• Were there any biases that could have influenced the results, and how were they mitigated?
• How do you plan to disseminate these findings within the academic community or to the broader public?
• Can you discuss the significance of your research within a broader social, economic, or cultural context?
• What feedback have you received from peers or advisors on this research, and how has it shaped your work?
• How does your research fit into your long-term academic or professional goals?
• Were there any particular challenges in conveying complex research findings to a general audience, and how did you address them?
• How does this research presentation fit into the larger project or research agenda, if applicable?
• Can you provide more insight into the interdisciplinary aspects of your research, if any, and how they contributed to the depth or breadth of understanding?
• Can you elaborate on the primary objectives and expected outcomes of this business initiative?
• How does this strategy align with the overall mission and vision of the company?
• What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you’ll be monitoring to gauge success?
• Can you discuss the risks associated with this plan, and how have you prepared to mitigate them?
• How does this proposal fit within the current market landscape, and what sets it apart from competitors?
• What are the potential financial implications of this plan, including both investments and projected returns?
• Can you provide more detail about the timeline and milestones for implementation?
• What internal and external resources will be required, and how have you planned to allocate them?
• How did you gather and analyze the data presented, and how does it support your conclusions?
• How does this proposal take into account regulatory compliance and ethical considerations?
• What are the potential challenges or roadblocks, and what strategies are in place to overcome them?
• Can you explain how this initiative aligns with or affects other ongoing projects or departments within the company?
• How will this plan impact stakeholders, and how have their interests and concerns been addressed?
• What contingency plans are in place if the initial strategy doesn’t achieve the desired results?
• How will success be communicated and celebrated within the organization?
• What opportunities for collaboration or partnership with other organizations exist within this plan?
• How does this proposal consider sustainability and the potential long-term impact on the environment and community?
• How have you incorporated feedback or lessons learned from previous similar initiatives?
• What are the key takeaways you’d like us to remember from this presentation?
• How can we get involved or support this initiative moving forward?
• Can you elaborate on the target audience for this marketing campaign, and how were they identified?
• What are the main objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) for this campaign?
• How does this marketing strategy align with the overall brand values and business goals?
• What channels will be utilized, and why were they chosen for this particular campaign?
• Can you discuss the expected return on investment (ROI) and how it will be measured?
• What are the creative concepts driving this campaign, and how do they resonate with the target audience?
• How does this campaign consider the competitive landscape, and what sets it apart from competitors’ efforts?
• What are the potential risks or challenges with this marketing plan, and how will they be mitigated?
• Can you provide more details about the budget allocation across different marketing channels and activities?
• How have customer insights or feedback been integrated into the campaign strategy?
• What contingency plans are in place if certain elements of the campaign do not perform as expected?
• How will this marketing initiative be integrated with other departments or business functions, such as sales or customer service?
• How does this campaign consider sustainability or social responsibility, if at all?
• What tools or technologies will be used to execute and monitor this campaign?
• Can you discuss the timeline and key milestones for the launch and ongoing management of the campaign?
• How will the success of this campaign be communicated both internally and externally?
• How does this marketing strategy consider potential regulatory or compliance issues?
• How will the campaign be adapted or customized for different markets or segments, if applicable?
• What lessons from previous campaigns were applied in the development of this strategy?
• How can we, as a team or as individuals, support the successful implementation of this marketing plan?
• What inspired the main theme or concept of the book?
• Can you describe the intended audience for this book, and why they would find it appealing?
• How did the characters’ development contribute to the overall message of the book?
• What research was conducted (if any) to ensure the authenticity of the setting, characters, or events?
• Were there any challenges or ethical considerations in writing or presenting this book?
• How does this book fit into the current literary landscape or genre? What sets it apart?
• What do you believe readers will find most engaging or thought-provoking about this book?
• Can you discuss any symbolic elements or literary devices used in the book and their significance?
• How does the book’s structure (e.g., point of view, chronological order) contribute to its impact?
• What were the emotional highs and lows during the writing or reading of this book, and how do they reflect in the story?
• How does the book address or reflect contemporary social, cultural, or political issues?
• Were there any parts of the book that were particularly difficult or rewarding to write or read?
• How does this book relate to the author’s previous works or the evolution of their writing style?
• What feedback or responses have been received from readers, critics, or peers, and how have they influenced the presentation?
• What are the main takeaways or lessons you hope readers will gain from this book?
• How might this book be used in educational settings, and what age group or courses would it be suitable for?
• Can you discuss the process of editing, publishing, or marketing the book, if applicable?
• How does the book’s cover art or design reflect its content or attract its target readership?
• Are there plans for a sequel, adaptation, or related works in the future?
• How can readers stay engaged with the author or the book’s community, such as through social media, book clubs, or events?
• How do you feel the presentation went overall, and why?
• What part of the presentation are you most proud of, and what made it successful?
• Were there any moments where you felt challenged or uncertain? How did you handle those moments?
• How did you perceive the audience’s engagement and reaction? Were there any surprises?
• What feedback have you received from others, and how does it align with your self-assessment?
• Were there any technical difficulties or unexpected obstacles, and how were they addressed?
• How well did you manage your time during the presentation? Were there areas that needed more or less focus?
• How did you feel before the presentation, and how did those feelings change throughout?
• What strategies did you use to connect with the audience, and how effective were they?
• Were there any points that you felt were misunderstood or could have been communicated more clearly?
• How did the preparation process contribute to the overall success or challenges of the presentation?
• What did you learn about yourself as a communicator or presenter through this experience?
• Were there any ethical considerations in the content or delivery of the presentation, and how were they handled?
• How does this presentation align with your long-term goals or professional development?
• How would you approach this presentation differently if you had to do it again?
• How has this presentation affected your confidence or skills in public speaking or presenting?
• What resources or support would have enhanced your preparation or performance?
• How will you apply what you’ve learned from this presentation to future projects or presentations?
• How did your understanding of the topic change or deepen through the process of preparing and presenting?
• What steps will you take to continue improving or building on the skills demonstrated in this presentation?

What if I disagree with a point made during the presentation?

It’s important to frame disagreement in a constructive and respectful way. You might say, “ I found your point on X intriguing. From a different perspective, could Y also be considered…? ” This opens up a dialogue without dismissing the presenter’s viewpoint.

How can I formulate my questions to encourage a more detailed answer?

Use open-ended questions that start with “ how ,” “ why, ” or “ could you explain… ” as these require more than a yes or no answer and encourage the presenter to provide depth. For example, “ Could you explain the process behind your research findings in more detail? “

By asking insightful questions, you’re not only cementing your understanding of the material presented but also opening doors to further knowledge and collaboration. Remember, the quality of your questions reflects the depth of your engagement and willingness to learn.

So, the next time you find yourself in the audience, seize the opportunity to ask meaningful questions and watch as simple presentations transform into dialogues that inspire and illuminate.

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Bea Mariel Saulo

Bea is an editor and writer with a passion for literature and self-improvement. Her ability to combine these two interests enables her to write informative and thought-provoking articles that positively impact society. She enjoys reading stories and listening to music in her spare time.

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11 Excellent Post-Webinar Survey Questions

June 16th, 2020 Michael Mayday

In today’s data-conscious age, we all know that it’s critical to gather attendee feedback after your webinars . 

Asking the right post -webinar evaluation survey questions will: 

1) provide the meaningful engagement data you need to improve the quality and responsiveness of your programs.

2) understand your attendees and deepen the relationships you’ve begun with them.

The Best Post-Event Question Examples

Below is a robust, post- event survey used by one of our clients that serves as a great example for a webinar follow-up. 

It provides three specific pieces of audience feedback that you can use to make your programs better: their views on the value of the webinar , the knowledge and skills of the speaker(s) and the likelihood that they will recommend your program to colleagues (the ‘net promoter score’). Note that, when it comes to surveys, timing truly is everything. More on that below. 

Pick and choose among these, or consider using all:

[Event Name] Feedback

Thank you for attending [Event Name].

Your views on the program are important to us. Please provide feedback on this session by completing this survey.

1. What percentage of the information was new to you?

Select: 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%

2. I can use this session information:

Select: Immediately In 2-6 months In 7-12 months Never

3. Would you like to learn more about this topic?

Select: Yes No

4. Please rate the speaker’s knowledge of the topic:

Select: Excellent Good Fair Poor

5. Please rate the speaker’s presentation skills:

6. Please rate the content of the slides/virtual aids:

7. How accurate was the session description?

8. How did the session compare to your expectations?

9. Overall session evaluation:

[If relevant: Additional comments about the breakout:]

10. How likely are you to recommend this session to a colleague? (with 10 being most likely to recommend)

Select: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11. Please rate your overall experience:

You can of course ask other webinar feedback questions to gain further insight into the needs and interests of your audience. Keep in mind, though, that longer surveys – those that take more than a few minutes to complete – typically generate fewer responses, so if you’re looking for different feedback you may want to swap out questions rather than tacking on new ones.

Remember: with follow-up surveys, timing is everything

Mention the post-webinar survey — and ask people to fill it in — just after the presentation has concluded, right before you start Q&A.

Your attendees are engaged, they’ve either asked questions and are waiting to hear them answered, or are ready to participate in Q&A. The worst time to first mention a survey is in an email when the webinar concludes. By then, your audience is completely disengaged. Recipe for success: mention the survey at engaged moments in the webinar and send soon after.

Post-Webinar Evaluation Questions to Ask for Written Responses

• How could we make the program better?  

______________________________

The answers help you identify improvements you could make to your webinars in general and the current presentation in particular.

• Takeaways: What was your single biggest takeaway?

____________________________________

Responses to this question will confirm you’re focusing on the right issues and/or identify modifications you might want to make to the substance of your webinar.

• Length / pace: The [length / pace] of the webinar was: Too Long/Slow / Just Right / Too Short/Fast

Questions on the length and pace of your program can help you understand how to adjust the delivery of your insight to make the session more relevant and interesting to your audience.

• Additional interests: What would you like to see next?

___________________________________

This question is a good one to include because it helps you align your content calendar to the actual interests and needs of your targets.

• Reasons for attending: Why did you attend today’s program? Required for job / Interesting Topic / Knowledgeable Presenters / CLE

While it doesn’t need to appear on every survey, this question can help if you’re trying to understand what motivates your audience to sign up for your webinars.

• Prior webinars: Have you attended any of our webinars in the past? If so, which ones?

This is a useful question to include when you want to find out how well you’re attracting new participants to your programs.

Your Post-Webinar Survey Checklist

Be ready to ask the right question at the right time. Download our post-webinar survey checklist. Just click here or on the image below.

90 Questions to Ask After a Presentation

Have you ever found yourself mulling over a presentation, wishing you had a treasure trove of questions to uncover the speaker’s insights and wisdom fully?

The right question isn’t just a follow-up; it’s a key that unlocks a deeper connection with the topic. This guide is designed to arm you with a curated collection of inquiries that will enhance your understanding, invite valuable discourse, and help you to apply what you’ve learned.

Let’s dive into the art of the post-presentation conversation and transform every ending slide into an opportunity for continued learning and engagement.

Table of Contents

Clarifying Understanding

• Could you elaborate on the main thesis of your presentation?
• What inspired the topic of your presentation?
• Can you summarize the key points you’d like us to take away?
• Is there an aspect of your presentation you think deserves deeper understanding?
• How does your presentation relate to current trends or issues in the field?
• Were there any counterarguments or challenges to your points that you didn’t mention?
• In what way does your presentation build on or differ from existing research?
• Could you clarify the methodology behind your study or findings?
• How would you explain the significance of your findings to a layman?
• Is there a particular slide or section you can revisit for further clarification?
• Could you give an example that illustrates your point about [specific detail]?
• What were the assumptions underlying your analysis or argument?
• How do definitions used in your presentation compare to industry-standard ones?
• Can you clarify the statistical significance of your data?
• Where might we find more information on this topic if we wish to understand it better?

Digging Deeper into Content

• Can you expand on how your findings compare to similar studies?
• How might emerging technologies impact the relevance of your findings in the future?
• Are there ethical considerations linked to your presentation topic?
• What are the limitations of your research, and how can they be addressed in the future?
• How can your research be applied in other fields or industries?
• In what ways do your findings challenge conventional wisdom?
• Could you walk us through the process of how you collected your data?
• How would different theoretical frameworks affect the interpretation of your results?
• What unanswered questions remain after your presentation?
• How do you expect the discussion on this topic to evolve in the next five years?
• What are the implications of your findings for policy or practice?
• How does cultural context play into the outcomes of your research?
• Can you discuss any relevant case studies that connect to your presentation?
• What follow-up research would you recommend based on your work?
• In your research, what was the most surprising discovery you made?

Gathering Practical Applications

• How can we apply your research findings in our everyday work?
• What steps can organizations take to implement your recommendations?
• Can you suggest tools or resources for applying the insights from your presentation?
• How might your research influence day-to-day decision-making?
• Could you provide a real-world example where your findings have been put into practice?
• What are the short-term and long-term benefits of applying your findings?
• Who stands to benefit most from the practical applications of your research?
• Are there certain industries or sectors where your findings are particularly relevant?
• How will applying your findings change existing systems or processes?
• What are some common obstacles to implementing your research, and how can they be overcome?
• How do you recommend staying up-to-date on applications in your research area?
• Can you suggest partner organizations or groups that are working on applying these concepts?
• What measures can be put in place to evaluate the efficacy of applying your research?
• How do you foresee your findings impacting future innovations?
• What action can individuals take to support the practical application of your research?

Providing Constructive Feedback

• I found [specific point] very compelling; have you considered expanding on this?
• Your presentation makes a strong case for [topic]; how could it be enhanced with additional data?
• I noticed [aspect] during your presentation; could this be a point for further refinement?
• The visual aids were helpful; have you thought about using more interactive elements?
• The section on [specific area] was very informative; how can it be made more accessible for beginners in the field?
• In terms of delivery, would you be open to exploring other formats for your presentation?
• Your research draws important conclusions; how else might you support them?
• The pacing of your presentation was effective; could you use a similar approach to emphasize other key points?
• Given the complexity of your topic, have you considered a follow-up session or workshop?
• What additional resources or readings would you recommend to enhance our understanding of your topic?
• Your narrative was engaging; might there be a way to incorporate more storytelling?
• How might audience participation be facilitated in future presentations to enhance understanding?
• Were there alternative viewpoints you debated including in your presentation?
• How did you decide on the structure of your presentation, and what could be changed to improve it?
• Is there a component of your research that you feel requires more visibility or discussion?

Fostering Engagement and Discussion

• What questions do you have for the audience that might help further the discussion?
• How can the audience keep the conversation going outside of this presentation?
• Are there forums or networks where this topic is actively discussed?
• Could you propose a thought experiment or hypothetical scenario for us to consider?
• How can we encourage more interdisciplinary dialogue on this subject?
• What common misconceptions should we address to clear up understanding?
• In your opinion, what are the most controversial aspects of your topic?
• How can we contribute to the body of research or thought around this subject?
• What role can non-experts play in the discussion of these findings?
• Can you suggest a way to create a community or collective around this area of research?
• How would you like to see this information shared or disseminated?
• What would be an ideal outcome of the discussions that stem from this presentation?
• Are there collaborative projects or initiatives we could start as a result of your findings?
• Would you be interested in hosting a series of discussions to delve deeper into certain aspects?
• How do you suggest we handle differing opinions or debates that arise from your topic?

Exploring Next Steps and Actions

• Based on your research, what should be our immediate action?
• What are the first steps to be taken for those who want to delve deeper into this topic?
• Who should be contacted or involved in further development of this topic?
• Are there upcoming events or conferences where this topic will be featured?
• What can we do as individuals to further the research or findings you presented?
• How can we best track the progress and development in this area?
• What practical steps would you recommend for a follow-up study or project?
• Could you outline potential obstacles we might face in advancing this topic and how to overcome them?
• Are there policy changes or advocacy needed to move this conversation forward?
• How can the general public be engaged in the action steps related to your findings?
• What are the most critical areas for immediate exploration or action?
• Is there a need for collaboration with other disciplines to advance this topic?
• How can educators integrate your findings into their curriculum or teaching?
• What funding opportunities should be looked into to support further research?
• How can we measure the impact of the actions taken as a result of your presentation?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i provide feedback on the presentation style as well as the content.

Yes, but always aim to be constructive and polite. Feedback on presentation style can be as valuable as feedback on content.

What should I do if my question isn’t answered during the Q&A session?

If time runs out, try approaching the presenter afterward or sending a follow-up email with your question.

How can I encourage a discussion rather than just a Q&A session?

Ask open-ended questions that invite the presenter or audience members to share thoughts and perspectives, thus fostering a more interactive dialogue.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it—a comprehensive guide to quenching your intellectual curiosity and contributing valuable insights after a presentation. From uncovering the nuances of presented content to setting the stage for future collaboration, asking these questions ensures that no stone is left unturned.

Remember, the journey of understanding and exploration doesn’t end with the closing slide; it’s merely the beginning. Now, go forth and turn those questions into conversations that matter!

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Bea Mariel Saulo

Communication Compendium

15 Questions for Better Feedback

On your talks and presentations.

Here are the three least effective ways to ask for feedback after a talk or presentation:

“What’d you think?”

“How do you think I did?”

“Did you like it?”

And because you asked an empty question, you can expect an empty response…

“I thought you did a great job!”

“Loved it.”

“I really liked it.”

“Nicely done.”

Sure, the comment will make you feel good (temporarily), but you’ll walk away not knowing what you did that made you great or what you should have done to be even better.

And because you’re someone who wants to improve, I know you want to know how to get better feedback.

But before getting that feedback, you need to first consider who you’re going to get feedback from.

Here’s who I consider:

Someone who’s in my target audience. Meaning, the person I had in mind while I was writing my talk or creating my presentation.

Someone who I’ve told in advance that I’ll be asking for their feedback — and likely shared exactly what I want their feedback on.

Someone who isn’t too close to me personally, so their potential critical feedback doesn’t bleed into our personal relationship (this depends on the dynamics of my relationship with the person).

Someone who has experience giving talks or presentations.

Someone who uses the type of information I shared.

Someone I’ve paid to coach me (or a mentor).

Someone who isn’t overly complimentary (like my mom).

Once you know who you’re going to ask for feedback from, try one (or more) of these feedback questions:

How do you plan to use what you learned?

Where do you think I should have spent more/less time?

If I spoke again on the same topic, what else would you want to know about?

What are three words you’d use to describe me while I spoke/presented?

What do you think was my most memorable point or slide?

If there was one thing I could do to improve my talk or presentation, what would it be?

What specifically did I do that connected me or disconnected me from my audience?

What’s something you now know that you didn’t know before my talk or presentation?

What problem was my talk or presentation trying to solve?

What type of person would benefit most from hearing my talk or presentation?

At what point in my talk or presentation did you feel most/least engaged?

What do you remember about my body language while I spoke/presented?

What made you decide to attend my talk or presentation?

Was there anything you were hoping to learn that you did not?

If I had to remove one section from my talk or presentation, what would you suggest I cut out?

Feedback is only valuable when it tells you what you should start doing, keep doing, or stop doing.

When you ask for feedback, be intentional about who you ask, be specific about what type of response you want, and remember that just because they say it doesn’t make it true.

If you’d like to add a question to the list, drop it in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Ready for more?

Conference Badge

28 post event survey questions to ask after your conference.

Artwork by Mónica Alexis

Jacob Black

Feb 02, 2024

28 Post-Event Survey Questions to Ask After Your Conference

You’ve just spent thousands of dollars on an event for your business. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sales event, team training or bonding exercise, or even a new product launch: every event organizer wants to know: How did my conference go? To answer that question fully you’ll need a post-event survey.

What are Post Event Surveys?

A post-event survey is a form you’ll send out to gauge the success of your conference or seminar after the event has finished. Most of the time, you’d send a post-event survey to attendees, but it can also be valuable to send them to your sponsors, staff, and any other stakeholders who attended.

Other Types Of Event Surveys

Pre-event surveys are surveys you’ll send out before the event: usually to find out things like dietary requirements and accommodations that your guests might need, or to compile a small amount of demographic data. Mid-event surveys are more common for long events, they might ask how the attendee feels so far, and what they aren’t enjoying. This gives event organizers the opportunity to adapt and adjust on the fly. These surveys are a valuable part of any conference planning checklist.

For now, we’ll focus on post-event surveys, and the reasons it’s important to send a well-constructed questionnaire.

Benefits of Post-Event Surveys

Apart from the obvious ability to make sure your guests were satisfied, post-event surveys offer a wide range of benefits. They help you:

• Engage your attendees and stakeholders in a way that makes them more likely to respond to future outreach and invites.
• Learn what worked and didn’t work so you can improve in the future.
• Find efficiencies that can save you time and money in the long run.
• Implement new ideas.
• Improve trust between your organization and your guests.
• Find out how successful your event was according to specific goals.

Put simply, the amount of feedback you get in a post-event survey is almost infinite, and if you spend a little time crafting your questions carefully you can get immediate, actionable feedback to use on future events.

Types of survey questions

The main types of survey questions fall into these categories:

Yes/No: A closed-answer question that tells you simply a yes or no answer. This is useful for getting specific answers on high-level questions.

Open-ended questions: These allow written responses and offer the opportunity for respondents to give you their honest opinions without constraints. These are useful for getting qualitative insights.

Comment boxes: A comment box differs from an open-ended question in that it doesn't necessarily ask anything. Instead, it’s a totally free text field for respondents to put any general feedback they want to add.

Rated or Ranked Questions: Rated questions often ask for a response on a scale – usually between five and 10. They help you get a more nuanced quantitative number you can use as a comparative metric later on.

Multiple choice: Like a rated question, a multiple-choice question helps you get looser and less constrained answers but while still controlling the data you collect. They let you maintain the scope of your question while still offering nuance in the data.

Each of these question types has a place. How you use them will determine what sort of information you can glean. Managing your mix of question types is one of many best practice tips for creating a post-event survey.

Best Practices for Event Surveys

It can be hard to get engagement on surveys at the best of times. After a large conference or event when attendees are tired or traveling is even worse. So how do you make sure your survey gets filled out? Some best practice tips include knowing:

When to send:

The best timeline is between 24 and 48 hours after the event. Too soon, and attendees are recovering or traveling, too late, and their recollection won’t be strong.

What incentives to offer:

Sometimes, you’ll get more engagement if you offer a prize or a discount for attendees who respond to post-event surveys. If you have a particularly large event or if you feel like the survey responses will be more valuable, it’s worth adding a small incentive. Be careful not to make the prize too compelling or you may find people responding with useless answers just to enter for the prize.

When to follow up?

It’s often a good idea to send a follow-up request for your members to complete the survey. This should go out 24-36 hours after your initial survey request. In those follow ups, include a personal note for the guest, so they know it’s their opinion you are looking for in particular. This can motivate people to respond more fully.

Length of survey:

A recent HubSpot survey showed that most people are only willing to spend 15 minutes or less completing a survey . With a combined total of 42% only willing to spend 1-10 minutes. That’s about 7 – 10 questions, depending on how complicated your survey is. This length allows you to get the most responses, with a good balance of fast and well-considered answers.

How to write questions:

Simple questions are easier and take less time to respond to than complicated questions. You have likely seen the “How true is this statement, rate from 1-5: The event was useful.” style of survey question. This is more complex than needed. A better way to structure it is to ask, “How useful was this event?” with multiple choice answers like “Very, Not very, Neutral”. The more straightforward your question, the more likely you are to get accurate responses and a better response rate.

How to Distribute Surveys

Options for distributing your survey vary from print to digital, and even telephone surveys. As always, each option has pros and cons.

Printed Surveys:

Print surveys are easy to distribute because you can hand them out with any exit packs or gift bags, or even just hand them to your members as they leave your event. You’ll know who you’re giving surveys to. You can even add your survey to the welcome pack along with your conference badge holders and member name cards .

If you have a drop box for participants to return completed forms as they leave the venue or their hotel you might get a strong response rate, but may not be as effective if they have to mail in the form. Also, it’s hard to compile the results of these surveys. They’re best used for short, sharp, tick-box style surveys with yes or no, or multiple choice questions.

Telephone Surveys:

Calling participants after your event can add a personal touch, but the response rate isn’t always high, and sometimes phone calls feel intrusive. You’ll also need to record the calls in order to get the most accurate results, and compiling those answers is time consuming.

Digital Surveys:

A web form sent out by email or even an email form are far more efficient and effective methods to send out post-event surveys. You’ll get statistics on open rates and response rates and compile the responses in an easy-to-access online portal. Most importantly, you’ll give your attendees a convenient way to answer your questions in their own time. Online surveys are more cost-effective and have better response rates than other formats.

Questions to Ask

As we said above, the best surveys will have between seven and 10 questions of varying types. Here’s a selection of post-event questions you can choose from depending on your needs.

Are you satisfied with your experience at this event?

This is the first and perhaps most important question to ask. It will give you a high-level understanding of the most basic question: Are guests happy?

You can ask this question of both stakeholders like vendors and event partners as well as attendees. It is best phrased as either a yes/no, or a ranked question from 1-5. Best practice would include a “Why/Why not” comment box.

Would you recommend this event to others?

This question is often used to create a net promoter score (NPS). By offering a rank of 1-10, guests can suggest how likely they are to recommend your event. Those who answer 9-10 are a promoter, anything from 7-8 are considered passive, or neutral, and anyone who answers 0-6 is a detractor.

Using this question to generate an NPS can give you a quantitative metric to compare to other events.

This question is relevant to both event partners and sponsors as well as attendees.

Was this event well structured?

You can use this question as a yes/no, or a rated question to get a sense of the overall architecture of your event and how it was received. You might also pivot this question to ask “how did you find the structure of our event?”.

Ask this of attendees to make sure they got everything they need. You might find answers that suggest a new format, or show that guests missed out on content due to scheduling conflicts.

It’s valuable to include a why/why not comment box for open-ended questions on this one as well.

How useful did you find this event?

We used this example earlier when talking about the best ways to structure questions. By asking it this way and offering a range of multiple-choice answers from “Not at all” to “Extremely” you can get a sense of sentiment. You can also easily convert those selections to a numerical value to blend the quantitative and qualitative data into a reportable format.

Ask this of event attendees.

Will you attend future events put on by [company]?

This question aimed at attendees is also good for volunteers, event sponsors, or vendors selling at your event. It gauges the success of your event from a high level. A why/why not box makes this question more valuable by offering more nuanced insight.

What did you hope to get out of this event? (develop skills/gain knowledge/networking/other)?

This is another good multiple-choice question for attendees and guests, or event partners and sellers. You can tweak the options available to suit each audience. This will also help validate your event marketing and format.

The answers to this might give you ideas for future events and topics as well.

Did this event meet your expectations?

Follow the question above up with this more generic question that gives you a sense of how well you met the needs of your members and guests. A yes/no here makes it easy to compile the results, but a why/why not comment box will help drill down into more actionable insights.

Why did you decide to attend this event?

A variation of the two questions above, this open-ended query lets you know what your attendees value about your event. You could also select multiple-choice answers like “networking opportunities”, “it looked fun”, “I wanted to see the new [product]” etc.

This is a particularly good question for new stakeholders or those who are peripherally related to your core business.

Rate this event on the following:

• Event timing
• Layout of the venue
• Date of the event
• Refreshments/Snacks/Beverages/Catering
• Programming/content
• Value for money

If you want quick, rapid-fire responses to specific elements on your event you can do a rated style question. Ask respondents to assess each of the elements of your event on a 1-5 or even 1-10 scale. The qualitative data you get here can be compared to other events, and also give a snapshot of what you did well, vs less well.

What would you describe as the biggest takeaway from our event?

If your event was a sales meeting or a training conference this question is a must-have. It will help you determine if your attendees got the key messages, and help you measure your goals for messaging and education. Ask this one of attendees using an open-ended style in a free-form comment box.

How helpful were the staff at the event?

Every event needs help. How your staff respond to attendees will impact their perception of your organization. Use this as a rated question, with an optional box for comments to find out if there was anything particularly good or negative that people experienced.

Did our event improve or weaken your impression of our organization?

Some events are all about community outreach, or thought leadership. If you launch an event hoping to engage with clients, this question will measure success. Like many of the questions here, you can structure it with a ranking system or multiple choice, and even add a comment box. It’s a good question for event guests as well as partners.

What would you improve about this event? / What would make the event better?

By asking for specific improvements you’re guiding your respondents to give their constructive feedback. This kind of “growth opportunity” question can improve the way your less happy members react to your event, while also giving you valuable feedback from stakeholders.

What did you enjoy most during our event?

An opportunity to spread positivity toward the end of your survey can help influence the overall impression of your event and organization in the eyes of its participants. It will also give you a sense of what went right, and what sort of content is most appealing. Ask this of any attendee, partner, or worker at your event via a free text box.

Which part of the event was most valuable for you?

This question and the one above are slightly different, in that the most enjoyable parts of an event aren’t always the most valuable. Here, you might get surprising answers, so it’s best to leave it to free text. For example, a guest might say “learning about the different workgroups within your organization” was the most valuable – which may trigger more content based on the different functional groups within your company.

As with many questions, this is useful feedback from both guests or members, and for groups like vendors or event sponsors.

What should we add more of to future events?

Asking for attendees' thoughts on this subject will help you ideate new content ideas or formats for new events.

Questions for Digital Events

You can ask any of the above questions for events of all kinds, but these ones are specifically targeted to online or virtual events. They include:

How satisfied were you with the event's digital features?

Finding out if your guests enjoyed or benefited from the digital format is important. This question does that. You should use a rated system to gain quantitative data.

Was it easy to log on?

This type of usability question will help you uncover any errors or issues you weren’t aware of during the operation of the meeting. You could add multiple-choice responses like: - Yes, very - Yes, once I figure it out - Not really - No, I had problems with your connection - No, I had problems with my computer

Would you prefer virtual or in-person meetings in the future?

Especially in the current era, many events are moving digital. You can determine if this move was the right one for your organization by polling guests after they attend a digital meeting.

Questions for Internal Stakeholders

As with digital events, your internal stakeholders and partners, as well as staff, your board, and even volunteers might have separate feedback to offer. Questions for these groups might include:

Would you partner with this event again in the future?

This question, specifically for event partners and vendors, will assess whether you delivered value for money. It can help determine the feasibility of your conference or meeting down the road. This question is a good candidate for a yes/no response, with a why/why not comment box that helps provide further insight.

How can we improve the event experience?

Stakeholders will likely have a lot of opinions to offer here, especially if they partnered with your organization’s event for business opportunities. Give them a large comment box to capture their thoughts with.

By giving staff the opportunity to give their thoughts, you might also capture unofficial responses they heard anecdotally during your event. Also, they’ll be more invested in the event’s success because your staff worked hard to make it all happen, so their insights will be particularly keen.

Comments often lead to meaningful improvements, like a switch to sustainable lanyards that helps improve the environmental footprint of an event and leads to a better public perception for the organization that made the move.

Do you consider this event a success? Why or why not?

Similar to the questions above and below, this seemingly straightforward question can help you see where or how you did well for your stakeholders. A yes/no followed by an optional comment box is the best format for this stakeholder question.

Did the event meet our objectives for our organization?

This is a very nuanced question, but it is one for your post-event analysis team to work on. This question will be informed by the post-event feedback surveys sent to guests and members, if you structured them well.

Finishing Questions

The final questions you ask should be the opportunity for respondents to give any feedback they hadn’t yet had the opportunity to provide. Possible finishing questions include:

How would you rate this event on a scale of 1-10?

This overarching question is another quantifiable way to measure overall customer satisfaction (CSAT) with your event. A good time to ask this question is right before the final open-ended question of your survey that asks for free-form feedback.

Please share any other feedback, ideas, or suggestions for future events

This is one of the most important questions you can ask, and it should be added to almost every survey, usually as the last question. The free-form format is a catch-all for your stakeholders and guests to give their honest and unfiltered or unguided views. This is where you’ll get some of the more surprising feedback. You might even find it’s where attendees leave their most positive feedback.

Ready to Survey?

These types of questions and the tips for post-event surveys will help you get the most effective feedback from your efforts and gauge attendee satisfaction. Remember, not all your feedback will be positive: That’s a good thing! Take the constructive feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow. You can incorporate this post-event feedback into your future event planning and make each one more successful than the last. For more conference and event inspiration and ideas visit our resource centre at ConferenceBadge.com .

Originally published on Feb 02, 2024

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30 presentation feedback examples

Jump to section

You're doing great

You should think of improving

Tips to improve

3 things to look for when providing presentation feedback

3 tips for giving effective feedback.

We’re all learning as we go. 

And that’s perfectly OK — that’s part of being human. On my own personal growth journey, I know I need to get better at public speaking and presenting. It’s one of those things that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me. 

And I know there are plenty of people in my shoes. So when it comes to presenting in the workplace, it can be intimidating. But there’s one thing that can help people continue to get better at presentations: feedback . 

The following examples not only relate to presentations. They can also be helpful for public speaking and captivating your audience. 

You’re doing great 

• You really have the natural ability to hand out presentation material in a very organized way! Good job!
• Your presentations are often compelling and visually stunning. You really know how to effectively captivate the audience. Well done!
• You often allow your colleagues to make presentations on your behalf. This is a great learning opportunity for them and they often thrive at the challenge.
• Keeping presentations focused on key agenda items can be tough, but you’re really good at it. You effectively outline exactly what it is that you will be discussing and you make sure you keep to it. Well done!!
• You created downloadable visual presentations and bound them for the client. Excellent way to portray the company! Well done!
• Your content was relevant and your format was visually appealing and easy to follow and understand. Great job! You’re a real designer at heart!
• You always remain consistent with the way you present and often your presentations have the same style and layout. This is great for continuity. Well done!
• You always remain consistent with every presentation, whether it be one on ones, small group chats, with peers, direct reports, and the company bosses. You have no problem presenting in any one of these situations. Well done!
• You are an effective presenter both to employees and to potential clients. When controversial topics come up, you deal with them in a timely manner and you make sure these topics are fully dealt with before moving on. Well done!
• You effectively command attention and you have no problem managing groups during the presentation.

You should think of improving 

• You’re a great presenter in certain situations, but you struggle to present in others. Try to be more consistent when presenting so that you get one single-minded message across. This will also help you broaden your presentation skills by being able to portray one single idea or message.
• You tend to be a little shy when making presentations. You have the self-confidence in one-on-one conversations , so you definitely have the ability to make compelling presentations. Come on! You can do it!
• During presentations, there seems to be quite a lack of focus . I know it can be difficult to stick to the subject matter, however you need to in order for people to understand what the presentation is about and what is trying to be achieved.
• To engage with your audience and make them attentively listen to what you have to say, you need to be able to use your voice in an effective manner to achieve this. Try to focus on certain words that require extra attention and emphasis these words during your presentation.
• Knowing your audience is critical to the success of any presentation. Learn to pick up on their body language and social cues to gauge your style and tone. Listen to what your audience has to say and adjust your presentation accordingly.

• During presentations, it’s expected that there will be tough questions . Try to prepare at least a couple of days before the time so that you can handle these questions in an effective manner.
• To be an effective presenter you need to be able to adjust to varying audiences and circumstances. Try learning about who will be in the room at the time of the presentation and adjust accordingly.
• Remember not to take debate as a personal attack. You tend to lose your cool a little too often, which hinders the discussion and people feel alienated. You can disagree without conflict .
• The only way you are going to get better at public speaking is by practicing, practicing, practicing. Learn your speech by heart, practice in the mirror, practice in front of the mirror. Eventually, you’ll become a natural and you won't be afraid of public speaking any longer.
• Your presentations are beautiful and I have no doubt you have strong presentation software skills. However, your content tends to be a bit weak and often you lack the substance. Without important content, the presentation is empty.

Tips to improve 

• Remember it’s always good to present about the things you are passionate about . When you speak to people about your passions they can sense it. The same goes for presentations. Identify what it is that excites you and somehow bring it into every presentation. it’ll make it easier to present and your audience will feel the energy you portray.
• Sometimes it can be easier to plan with the end result in mind. Try visualizing what it is you are exactly expecting your audience to come away with and develop your presentation around that.
• Simplicity is a beautiful thing. Try to keep your presentations as simple as possible. Make it visually appealing with the least amount of words possible. Try interactive pictures and videos to fully immerse your audience in the presentation.
• It’s a fine balance between winging the presentation and memorizing the presentation. If you wing it too much it may come across as if you didn't prepare. If you memorize it, the presentation may come off a bit robotic. Try to find the sweet spot, if you can.
• When presenting, try to present in a way that is cause for curiosity . Make people interested in what you have to say to really captivate them. Have a look at some TED talks to get some tips on how you can go about doing this.
• Remember presentations should be about quality, not quantity. Presentations that are text-heavy and go on for longer than they should bore your audience and people are less likely to remember them.
• Try to arrive at every staff meeting on time and always be well prepared. This will ensure that meetings will go smoothly in the future.
• Remember to respect other people's time by always arriving on time or five minutes before the presentation.
• Remember to ask the others in the meeting for their point of view if there are individuals during presentations.
• If you notice presentations are deviating off-topic, try to steer it back to the important topic being discussed.

Presentation feedback can be intimidating. It’s likely the presenter has spent a good deal of time and energy on creating the presentation.

As an audience member, you can hone in on a few aspects of the presentation to help frame your feedback. If it's an oral presentation, you should consider also audience attention and visual aids.

It’s important to keep in mind three key aspects of the presentation when giving feedback. 

Communication

• Were the key messages clear? 
• Was the speaker clear and concise in their language?
• Did the presenter clearly communicate the key objectives? 
• Did the presenter give the audience clear takeaways? 
• How well did the presenter’s voice carry in the presentation space? 

Delivery 

• Was the presentation engaging? 
• How well did the presenter capture their audience? 
• Did the presenter engage employees in fun or innovative ways? 
• How interactive was the presentation? 
• How approachable did the presenter appear? 
• Was the presentation accessible to all? 

Body language and presence 

• How did the presenter carry themselves? 
• Did the presenter make eye contact with the audience? 
• How confident did the presenter appear based on nonverbal communication? 
• Were there any nonverbal distractions to the presentation? (i.e. too many hand gestures, facial expressions, etc.)  

There are plenty of benefits of feedback . But giving effective feedback isn’t an easy task. Here are some tips for giving effective feedback. 

1. Prepare what you’d like to say 

I’m willing to bet we’ve all felt like we’ve put our foot in our mouth at one point or another. Knee-jerk, emotional reactions are rarely helpful. In fact, they can do quite the opposite of help. 

Make sure you prepare thoughtfully. Think through what feedback would be most impactful and helpful for the recipient. How will you word certain phrases? What’s most important to communicate? What feedback isn’t helpful to the recipient? 

You can always do practice runs with your coach. Your coach will serve as a guide and consultant. You can practice how you’ll give feedback and get feedback … on your feedback. Sounds like a big loop, but it can be immensely helpful. 

2. Be direct and clear (but lead with empathy) 

Have you ever received feedback from someone where you’re not quite sure what they’re trying to say? Me, too. 

I’ve been in roundabout conversations where I walk away even more confused than I was before. This is where clear, direct, and concise communication comes into play. 

Be clear and direct in your message. But still, lead with empathy and kindness . Feedback doesn’t need to be harsh or cruel. If it’s coming from a place of care, the recipient should feel that care from you. 

3. Create dialogue (and listen carefully) 

Feedback is never a one-way street. Without the opportunity for dialogue, you’re already shutting down and not listening to the other person. Make sure you’re creating space for dialogue and active listening . Invite questions — or, even better, feedback. You should make the person feel safe, secure, and trusted . You should also make sure the person feels heard and valued. 

Your point of view is just that: it's one perspective. Invite team members to share their perspectives, including positive feedback . 

You might also offer the recipient the opportunity for self-evaluation . By doing a self-evaluation, you can reflect on things like communication skills and confidence. They might come to some of the same important points you did — all on their own.

Now, let’s go practice that feedback 

We're all learners in life.

It's OK to not be perfect . In fact, we shouldn't be. We're perfectly imperfect human beings, constantly learning , evolving, and bettering ourselves. 

The same goes for tough things like presentations. You might be working on perfecting your students' presentation. Or you might want to get better at capturing your audience's attention. No matter what, feedback is critical to that learning journey . 

Even a good presentation has the opportunity for improvement . Don't forget the role a coach can play in your feedback journey.

Your coach will be able to provide a unique point of view to help you better communicate key points. Your coach can also help with things like performance reviews , presentation evaluations, and even how to communicate with others.

Enhance your presentation skills

Unlock new heights in your career with personalized coaching tailored to boost your presentation prowess.

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really!)

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30 Post-Event Survey Questions to Gather Feedback

May 9, 2022 | Events

You put so much time and effort into planning your corporate event — but how much did your guests, speakers, sponsors, and others enjoy their overall experience? By sending the right post event survey questions to the right audiences, you can learn about your event’s strengths and weaknesses from your audience’s point of view.

In this blog, we’ll touch on the basics of event feedback survey etiquette and offer example event survey questions to help you get started.

Getting Started With Event Feedback Surveys

Let’s start with the fundamental questions you may have about event feedback surveys: Who should you send a post event questionnaire to, and what should the event feedback questions look like? What is the best method for sending out survey questions after an event, and when should you send them? And why bother sending a feedback survey, anyway? We’ll answer all these and more below, so read on for a crash course in post event feedback survey etiquette and best practices!

Who to survey for event satisfaction

Anyone present at your event can be surveyed to determine their overall satisfaction with their event experience. Attendees are the most commonly surveyed, but you can gather important and informative data for your future events by sending event surveys to:

How to survey for event feedback

These days, the most effective way to send a feedback form after an event is through email, usually via a third-party survey generator service like Google Forms or Survey Monkey. Typically, event planners will gather attendees’ email addresses during the guest list compilation process or through digital RSVPs or ticket purchase/registration. You may also survey attendees during an event using iPads pre-loaded with your survey, and gather their emails for follow–up surveys and future branded communications at the end of the survey.

When to survey for event feedback

Sending survey recipients the right questions at the right stage in their journey with your event is critical to gathering the specific information you’re after. There are advantages to soliciting survey responses before, during, and after your event depending on how you intend to use the information gleaned.

• Before : Sending out a survey before an event can help you plan events that better meet your audience’s desires and expectations. For example, a theater may send out a survey to season ticket holders to determine what shows and types of entertainment they’d like to see in the forthcoming season.
• During : Surveying guests during an event — for example, at points throughout a weekend-long conference or after a specific checkpoint in your event, like registration or after dinner — can help you gather up-to-the-minute data about your guests’ satisfaction with certain elements of your event. Guests surveyed during an event are more likely to answer questions honestly, as they have not had time for their memory of the event to fade or be affected by hindsight.
• After : Post-event surveys allow you to gather a 360° view of your guests’ experience and can touch on virtually every aspect of your event. This data can be used to inform future events based on what attendees did and did not enjoy and the specific feedback they provide.

Why survey for feedback

Simply put, surveying for feedback after an event provides valuable insight straight from those whose opinion matters most: Your guests. Post-event survey questions for attendees can help you:

• Determine whether you achieved your event goals
• Understand your guests’ experience and how it could be improved
• Learn specifics about your guests’ priorities for this and future events

Post Event Survey Questions

When choosing what types of questions to ask on a survey after an event, you’ll likely want to include a variety of types to elicit diversified responses. While some question topics are better suited to certain formats, you should ultimately choose question types that reflect the kind of information and quality of responses you’re interested in. 

• Yes or No: A simple yes-or-no question is ideal for determining whether the survey recipient is interested in further communications from your company regarding future events, volunteer opportunities, etc. These types of questions can also be followed by an open-ended question (“Why or why not?” or “If you answered yes, what specific elements did you enjoy about this event?”) to elicit a more detailed response.
• Multiple Choice: Multiple choice questions can be ratings-based, in which respondents select a number between 1 and 10 or select a satisfaction level between “Extremely Satisfied” and “Not At All Satisfied,” to rank elements of your event. They can also list a variety of elements of your event and ask the survey respondents to select the element(s) they most enjoyed or felt could be improved. You may choose to allow respondents to select only one answer out of the multiple choices, as in the 1-10 example, or allow them to select as many answers as apply to them when asking about their enjoyment of a variety of elements.
• Open-ended: Open-ended questions give survey recipients the opportunity to respond in their own words and provide qualitative feedback about your event. While these responses are harder to analyze from a quantitative data point of view, they often elicit the most candid and specific responses from participants who choose to put the time and thought into answering them thoroughly.

When choosing types of questions for your post event survey, consider: What style of response would be most helpful to you as you compile the survey data? Is a yes-or-no response or multiple choice answer sufficient, or would an open-ended question that the recipient can answer with as much or as little detail be more appropriate? Remember that some survey recipients may not want to write out answers to open-ended questions, while others may write a great deal.

General Questions To Ask Attendees After An Event

These general questions to ask after an event are appropriate to send following any type of event. While they do not necessarily target specific elements of your event, your guests’ responses to the more open-ended questions below will likely touch on areas of strength or improvement. These general questions are crucial in opening up the respondent’s mind to the many facets of your event, prompting them to think critically about their experience with each. Most of these questions can be phrased as multiple-choice or open-ended questions depending on your preference, though some are better suited to the yes or no format.

• How satisfied were you with this event?
• What elements or parts of this event did you enjoy the most?
• What, if anything, did you dislike about this event?
• Are you likely to attend this or other events hosted by us in the future?
• Would you recommend this event to others?
• How can we improve this event in the future?
• Is there any other feedback you would like to share about this event?

Post Conference Survey Questions

There’s a lot to consider when planning your conference survey questions. You’ll want to ask some general questions like the ones listed above, but also hone in on some specifics, like the respondents’ thoughts on the conference topic(s), presentations, structure, etc. Here are some conference attendee feedback survey question examples to get you started:

Do you plan to attend this conference again in the future? Why or why not?

Which topics covered at this conference were you most interested in, do you feel this conference was structured well, what was your biggest takeaway from this conference, how satisfied are you with the networking opportunities presented at this conference.

Open-Ended : This question begins as a yes or no question but ends with an opportunity for a more specific response, which is critical to providing context for their ultimate decision to attend or not attend your conference in the future. This question reveals the respondent’s enthusiasm for your event, helping you to estimate future attendance levels, but can also reveal deal-breaking details about your event and areas of potential improvement.

Multiple Choice: For this question, list the various topics covered by conference presentations, speakers, activities, etc., and allow respondents to choose one or more. This should help you determine which topics are the most interesting to your audience, and can potentially inform programming for the next year’s conference if the most popular topics remain relevant.

Yes/No: This yes or no question can optionally be followed by a “Why or why not?” open-ended question for more specific responses, but even a binary response can point to problem areas in the overall flow of your conference. If a respondent answers “No,” they’ll likely elaborate in their open-ended responses to more general questions, even if this one is not followed by “Why or why not?” 

This is also a great question to ask volunteers, vendors, and anyone else who worked on the conference, as these individuals will have the most firsthand knowledge of the organization of the event and any pitfalls they personally experienced.

Open-Ended : This question helps determine what attendees learned from your event and what they gained from it, i.e. their takeaway. Do the responses to this question match your goals for the event? If not, this is a great opportunity for you to understand what guests got out of your event versus their own expectations as well as your own. It can help you better align your conference programming with your goals for future events.

Multiple Choice: If your conference includes dedicated networking time — which may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea, depending on the industry and individual personalities of those present — your post-corporate event survey questions should give guests an opportunity to provide feedback on that experience. 

Offer multiple-choice responses of “Extremely Satisfied,” “Very Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Less Than Satisfied,” and “Not At All Satisfied,” with an optional additional response of “I do not enjoy networking during conferences” to cover those for whom networking is not a priority. This will help you determine the value of networking time for future conferences and, if guests elaborate in open-ended questions about their experience with the networking opportunities, help determine the duration of future networking time and any activities or offerings therein.

Workshop Survey Questions

Workshops tend to be more hands-on and rooted in firsthand experiences with the topic, so it’s important to gear some of your post workshop survey questions to those elements. You may also give attendees an opportunity to provide feedback on the instructors or presenters for the workshop, as the quality of these individuals’ instruction or presentation is a major component of the overall experience. The open-ended questions listed below are also intended to elicit more qualitative, experiential responses, which may be helpful in replicating a similar atmosphere or activity in future events. Here are some examples of survey questions for workshop feedback to get you headed in the right direction:

Did this workshop meet your expectations? Why or why not?

Did this workshop improve your skills or overall understanding of the topic, how satisfied were you with the quality of the instruction at this workshop, what were your favorite moments or experiences during this workshop, what types of workshops would you like to see from us in the future do you have suggestions for future workshop topics or activities you’d like to share with us.

Open-Ended: Your guests’ expectations headed into an event are particularly important for events like workshops, which are centered on hands-on participation. Your guests likely expect to participate a great deal in the scheduled activity or with the featured instructor or presenter, and likely anticipate receiving some amount of feedback on their work or participation. They may also expect some kind of take-home item or other significant takeaways from the experience. 

By asking this question, you’ll learn whether or not your guests achieved their goal(s) for your event — and whether their goals aligned with yours. This open-ended question allows attendees to share specifics about which of their expectations were met and to what degree, as well as what elements of the event did not meet their expectations and why.

Yes/No: Particularly for workshops and corporate events with an overarching theme or topic, it’s critical that your guests leave feeling that the information provided was new, useful, and worth the time and money spent to attend. This yes or no question will help you determine whether your event was successful in communicating its core ideas or goals and point to overall guest satisfaction.

Multiple Choice : As mentioned above, the instruction, presentations and/or leadership of your workshop can be make-or-break for guests’ satisfaction with your event. If guests found the instructor to be hard to understand, too quick to move on, unengaging or otherwise unsatisfactory, they will be less likely to walk away feeling your event was worth attending — and less likely to attend other events hosted by your organization in the future. 

Offer multiple-choice responses of “Extremely Satisfied,” “Very Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Less Than Satisfied,” and “Not At All Satisfied.” You also have the option of adding an open-ended follow-up question, like “What did you like about this instructor/presenter? What, if anything, did you not like?” to get into the specifics behind the initial response.

Open-Ended: This question gives guests the chance to describe what they liked most about your event and why they liked that moment or activity. It’s a lovely way to gain insight into the little things that make an event memorable, like interactions with other guests, the charisma or sense of humor of the speaker, and other small details you may not have considered as integral elements of your event. You’ll learn what you did right with this event and what experiences are most valuable to your audience, helping you to plan future events that emphasize the moments a majority of your guests agreed upon as being worthwhile.

Open-Ended: Your post-event survey can be a great jumping-off point for planning your next workshop or event. After all, the best way to learn what your audience is interested in is simply to ask! You might be surprised by the topics your guests would like to see covered at a similar workshop in the future, or you may have your ideas for future programming validated by their responses  — either way, this question should give you some excellent, audience-approved material for future workshops and content.

Survey Questions for After a Presentation

Like any event, a presentation should be engaging and useful to its audience. Your post-presentation survey questions should gauge these elements but also get into specifics, like the quality of the information provided, whether the presentation achieved its goals, and whether the duration of the presentation should be changed to optimize audience enjoyment. Here are some sample presentation review questions to get your audience talking: 

What did you enjoy most about this presentation? What, if anything, did you not enjoy?

Was the length of the presentation too long, too short, or just right, did this presentation improve your understanding of the topic, did you have any outstanding questions about the topic after this presentation how could we improve this presentation for future audiences.

Open-Ended: These more general questions will help you measure the overall success of your presentation in terms of what your audience did and did not find enjoyable. Their feedback can help you design future presentations that are better aligned with audience needs, goals, and expectations. 

Multiple Choice : Is there anything worse than a presentation that drags on and on? Only a presentation that is too short and uninformative to be useful! This multiple-choice question will give you some insight into whether your audience was enjoying your presentation and wanting more, or bored stiff by the long-awaited end. Aggregate the data from these responses and edit your presentation’s duration accordingly for future events! 

Yes/No: Like the similar question listed for post-workshop feedback prompts above, this yes-or-no question should help you determine whether your presentation has achieved its ultimate goal: Communicating an idea to your audience in a manner they understand. If many respondents answer “No” to this question, take a look at both the content of your presentation and the presenter themselves for areas of improvement, especially when it comes to clarity of content and delivery. 

Open-Ended: Leaving your presentation audience with outstanding questions isn’t always a bad thing. It may mean they’re interested in your topic and would love to dive deeper! Alternatively, they may be confused about the information presented and why it matters to them — which is why this open-ended question pairs perfectly with the yes/no question above. 

Post Event Sponsor Survey Questions

As stakeholders in your event, you should carefully weigh the feedback of your event sponsors. It’s most important that your event sponsors feel they got their money’s worth out of the event. That will look different to every sponsor, but you can generally expect your sponsors to want to see a great turnout of guests that are in their target audience, engaging with their brand in some significant way throughout the event. Here are some expertly-crafted post event evaluation questions for event sponsors:

How relevant was this event’s audience to your business, organization, and/or industry?

What do you feel was the roi of sponsoring this event, would you recommend sponsoring this event to a friend in business why or why not, would you be interested in sponsoring this event again next year.

Multiple Choice : As mentioned above, sponsors want to know that their brand was positioned before an audience that may convert to loyal customers. This question will help you determine your sponsors’ general satisfaction with the audience of your event as it relates to their goals for both your partnership and their marketing or sales efforts. This information can help you decide whether this partnership is viable for future events in a similar vein. 

Open-Ended: This question should give you a good idea of whether your sponsorship packages ultimately proved valuable to your sponsors. By keeping this question open-ended, you’ll learn specifics about what your sponsors found valuable. If their responses are positive, you may use their answers as proof to other future sponsors that your event is a worthwhile investment. If their responses are less than glowing, you can use the specifics mentioned to better design your sponsorship packages for the future. 

Open-Ended: The best review an event can receive is a recommendation to a friend — especially when that friend may be a potential sponsor! People are more likely to pursue opportunities recommended to them first-hand by a friend, so the responses you receive to this question will help you measure the satisfaction of your sponsors with your sponsorship package offerings and their experience as a whole. 

Post Fundraising Event Survey Questions

Fundraisers are about asking people for money—so you’d better be sure they get their money’s worth of fun, food, and fulfillment! Your event satisfaction survey questions should focus on your guests’ enjoyment of the event and their willingness to participate in the future, like these samples: 

• How would you rate the following elements of this event: Location, food, entertainment, duration? 

How would you rate the quality of the auction items/prizes/etc.?

How can we improve our fundraisers in the future, would you be interested in volunteering for this or similar fundraising events in the future, how would you rate the following elements of this event: location/venue, food, entertainment, duration .

Multiple Choice : This is a multi-faceted question that gives your guests an opportunity to rate the various core elements of your fundraiser. Break it into sections for each element and allow guests to rate them on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best that element could possibly be. This will give you a quick look at your areas of strength and give you a starting point for planning future events that improve on weaker areas. Event venue, food/beverage offerings, entertainment, and duration are particularly important for fundraising events because, unlike a conference or workshop, your guests aren’t there with the goal of learning or development — they are there to have a great time in exchange for their donations to your cause. Without a fantastic venue, delicious food and drink, and enjoyable entertainment, your guests are unlikely to be motivated to attend — much less throw a hefty donation your way! 

Multiple Choice : Many fundraising events feature a silent or online auction, raffle, or other prize-based activities to encourage donations. If your event has an auction or raffle at the center of its festivities, be sure to give guests the opportunity to rate the quality of the offerings or prizes on a scale of 1-10. 

If many guests give the items a low rating, it’s time to consider ways to improve your prizes for your next fundraiser, or consider a different method of driving donations. If many guests rank the quality of the items highly, but the auction bids or raffle entries do not reflect that level of interest, it is possible that your starting bid or ticket cost was simply too high for your guests’ ideal price range. Consider starting future auctions or raffles at a lower cost and use the quality of your prizes to drive the excitement and, in turn, the bids! 

Open-Ended: Like all the more general post-event survey questions, this open-ended question is designed to give guests a chance to talk about what they did and did not like about your fundraiser. You’ll learn a lot about what guests want and expect from an event at which they are expected to donate, which can go a long way when planning your next fundraiser and determining event specifics that will drive guest satisfaction. 

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, asking for feedback after your presentation.

It’s always a good idea to ask for audience feedback after a presentation. Constructive feedback is necessary if you want to improve yourself and your presentation skills. This is your chance to figure out where you shine and where there is room for improvement. Even the greatest leaders understand the value of feedback and how it’s a critical component for growth and development. It’s important to be mindful of how you collect feedback so you can be sure it is worth your while. Here are a few suggestions for how to ask for feedback after a presentation. 

Feedback Forms

One simple way to collect valuable feedback is by providing audience members with a feedback form after your presentation has concluded. Encourage your audience to fill it out and leave it with you in a dropbox. When you create a feedback form, stay away from multiple choice questions, as this provides very little useful feedback. Rather, ask open-ended questions to solicit more useful feedback such as, “What is the most valuable thing you learned today? How could this session have been more valuable? What recommendations do you have?†

Interactive Polls/Questionnaires

Once the audience leaves the room, it can be difficult to ensure they will take the time to fill out forms, respond to emails, etc. Therefore, ask for feedback while your audience is still present. There are several polling and questionnaire apps that you can use for live polling during your presentation. The respondents will remain anonymous, but you can see the results of your polls and surveys instantly. 

Social Media

Twitter and Facebook are also great tools for gathering audience feedback. Today’s generation might not be reliable when it comes to written feedback, but they have no problem posting it to social media. Twitter can be used before, during, and after your presentation to engage and interact with your audience. Create a hashtag for your talk and encourage audience members to post comments or questions during and after your presentation. This is a great way to collect valuable and authentic feedback. You can also create a Facebook page for your presentation and ask audience members to post comments and feedback to your Facebook page. 

Another way to collect audience feedback is by sending a follow-up email with feedback questions. This is a great way to recap your main points and reconnect with your audience after the presentation.  It also gives audience members a chance to provide constructive feedback about the presentation. 

How to Ask for Feedback at Work (With Example Questions)

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Getting feedback at work is a great way to learn about how others view your performance and (hopefully) get tangible advice on improving at work. But do you know how to ask for feedback that’s helpful and constructive? This guide will show you who, what, why, and how to ask for feedback and what to do after you’ve received it. We’ll cover:

Why You Should Ask for Feedback at Work

How to ask for feedback.

• What to Do After You Ask for Feedback

Asking for Feedback at Work: The Bottom Line

Asking for feedback at work can be intimidating — so why ask for feedback at all? Brooks E. Scott, executive coach and interpersonal communications expert, says that asking for feedback “shows that you’re the type of person who wants to learn and grow.” 

Asking for feedback can strengthen your relationship with your manager or coworker and prove to them you’re a motivated, dedicated employee. This perception is crucial when it comes to work opportunities and promotions. Who will they call on to take on an exciting project or recommend for a position? The person who’s driven and always looking to improve.

“Being open to feedback and initiating conversations with leadership will solidify trust and can be a catalyst for career advancement,” Logan Mallory, VP of marketing at employee recognition software company Motivosity, says.

Feedback can also positively impact your internal motivation, Rod McDermott, CEO and co-founder of Activate 180, an executive coach firm, says. Getting feedback that helps you succeed in your role can empower you to take charge at work and even enjoy your job more.

“When you work for the right company and seek consistent feedback, it helps you create a meaningful career path,” he says. “This allows you to create a life fueled by passion and intention while simultaneously avoiding a position that will lead to burnout.”

>>MORE: Discover a career path you love with Forage’s virtual experience programs .

When and Who to Ask

There’s no need to wait until your performance review to ask for feedback at work. Instead, asking for feedback regularly can help you in your day-to-day work and ensure you progress throughout the year.

Your manager is one of many people you work with who can give you feedback. If you’re working closely with someone, presenting to a different team, or communicating with a stakeholder for the first time, don’t hesitate to ask them for feedback, too! Feedback from anyone you work with is valuable, even if they’re not directly responsible for your development.

Example Questions

There’s no need to ask for a formal feedback session to get feedback (unless you’d like one!). Instead, you can just ask the person you’d like feedback from targeted questions about your performance. The type of feedback you get will heavily depend on the questions you ask. Here are some example questions depending on the situation and depth of feedback you’re looking for.

Questions to Ask Your Manager in a Performance Review

In these meetings, McDermott recommends asking big-picture questions that focus on your role and the company strategy, like:

• What changes would you’d like to see at the company that I could support?
• Reflecting on my current term at this company, what are some reasons others have stayed long-term in this position to build their careers? Have there been opportunities for advancement?
• Based on my current skill set, how do you think somebody like me fits in at the company long-term? Where can I improve?
• Based on my current skill set, what strengths make me a suitable fit to advance in this role? Where can I improve?

These questions are great opportunities for you to understand what career advancement looks like at your company. Then, you’ll plant the seed in your manager’s mind of how you can develop and grow to fit company needs.

Questions to Ask After a Presentation or Large Project

When requesting feedback about a presentation, don’t just ask,”‘How do you think I did?'” Scott says. “It’s too broad, and you’ll likely get a useless response like, ‘I think it went really well!’ Instead, ask, ‘What was the least powerful part of my presentation?’ Or, ‘During the closing section of my presentation, specifically the last 10 minutes, what one thing would have made the closing even stronger?'”

>>MORE: How to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Getting specific about something you’ve worked on and asking for actionable ways to improve will help you get constructive feedback versus a generic reaction.

“You’ll get more targeted feedback that can help direct your actions and provide great insight for your next projects,” Mallory says.

Questions to Ask a Coworker or Potential Mentor

When asking for general feedback from someone who’s not your manager, you may focus less on general company strategy. Instead, you might want to ask about your specific performance, how you collaborate , and your working relationship as a whole. Yuletta Pringle, SHRM-CP, SHRM HR knowledge advisor, recommends asking questions like:

• Do you have any examples of times you thought I’ve worked well with you?
• What areas could I improve upon?
• Is there training or education you’d recommend I take?

What to Do After You Ask for Feedback at Work

Feedback doesn’t end once it’s given to you — after you’ve asked, it’s time to implement it. 

“Follow up with next steps,” Mallory says. “Once you’ve got an idea, a plan, and a path, check in with the person who gave you feedback to ask their thoughts on your new approach. This will (1) show that you listened and applied their feedback, and (2) speeds up your increase in performance because you’ll have a targeted approach, rather than shots in the dark.”

Scott agrees, saying it’s better to take a “preemptive approach” and ask the person to watch for how you’ve implemented the feedback before they view your work.

For example, Scott recommends asking, “‘Can you pay close attention to the first 10 minutes of my presentation and let me know the things that I did well to engage the audience and the things that I did that were not as effective?'” 

“This helps chunk down the time your evaluator will have to pay attention through the lens of feedback and still give that person a chance to participate and listen to the presentation from an operational standpoint,” he says.

If you ask the right questions and ask often, feedback can be a helpful tool to build workplace relationships and create opportunities for advancement.

“Having formal conversations about work performance, career direction, and professional development is a great way to build a better relationship with your manager or mentor (or both), hear about their experience in the industry, and get a better understanding of what you want out of your career in the long run,” Mallory says.

Continue building your professional development skills with Cisco’s Career Readiness Virtual Experience Program .

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25 Post Event Survey Questions to Ask

Published: March 31, 2021

Just like Joey from "Friends," we recognize the importance of giving and receiving in marketing. One of the best things to give and receive is feedback.

Without feedback, we would never be able to improve. And even though it's hard, feedback is a great way to measure success.

With a post event survey, you'll learn what attendees thought about the event, how they heard about it, and what they enjoyed most. Measuring attendee satisfaction will help you improve your event marketing and figure out what's working and what isn't.

In fact, 90% of virtual event organizers use surveys to measure attendee satisfaction. And 80% report that attendee engagement and satisfaction were KPIs used for measuring event success.

To design a post event survey, you'll want to ask several types of questions -- from Yes/No, rating, to open-ended questions.

Below, let's review the best post event survey questions to ask.

Post Event Survey Questions

• How satisfied were you with the event?
• What was your favorite experience or moment of the event?
• What could we improve on?
• How useful was the event?
• Did the event meet your expectations?
• How likely would you be to attend our events in the future?
• Would you recommend our events to a friend or colleague?
• Did you have an opportunity and place to ask questions and participate?
• What would have made this event better?
• Why did you attend this event?
• How did you hear about this event?
• Have you attended this event before?
• Would you want to attend this event again in the future?
• Have you attended our other events before?
• Were you satisfied with the amount of activities/workshops?
• Were you satisfied with the quality of the content?
• How helpful was the staff at the event?
• What was your biggest takeaway from the event?
• How satisfied were you with the virtual experience?
• What were your favorite virtual features?
• How easy-to-navigate was the platform for the event?
• How satisfied were you with the networking opportunities provided?
• What topics would you want to see more of at future events?
• How did this event impact your perception of our company?
• Please share any additional comments, thoughts, suggestions for future events.

1. How satisfied were you with the event?

First and foremost, it's important to ask attendees about their overall satisfaction with an event. You can also ask participants to rate specific things including the venue, date, speakers, vendors, catering, quality of sessions, amount of sessions, and more.

This will help you gauge specifically how well you did in each area, but also the overall satisfaction of attendees.

This is probably the first and most important question that is asked on most surveys. It's a great starting point for the specific questions that follow next.

2. What was your favorite experience or moment of the event?

This question should be open-ended and let the participants describe what they liked most about the event and why they liked that moment.

This will help you discover what you did right and what experiences are most valuable to your event attendees.

With this information, you can get an idea about how to plan events in the future and figure out if there's anything that a majority of your attendees agree with or want to see again.

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3. What could we improve on?

Again, this will be an open-ended question that lets your participants give constructive feedback. While it's hard to hear sometimes, this will help you figure out what resonates with your audiences and what doesn't.

By tracking what audiences don't like, you can then improve and iterate future events so people don't have those barriers about attending your next event.

The point of getting feedback isn't just to receive positive feedback, but to figure out what isn't working as well.

4. How useful was the event?

This is a great question for figuring out how actionable the event content was. Did your attendees find the information useful? Did they learn anything? Were they able to apply something they learned from your event into their work flow?

Depending on the type of event you're holding, this can be a great way to figure out if people felt they got their money's worth.

5. Did the event meet your expectations?

Similar to the question above, this question measures if people got what they thought they were going to get. This answers the question, "Did my audience achieve their goal by attending this event?"

This should be an open-ended question that allows users to expand and explain why the event met their expectations, or why it didn't.

6. How likely would you be to attend our events in the future?

With this question, you'll learn how many people plan to keep up to date with your events. If they were generally satisfied, they'll say yes. If they weren't, they'll say no.

This does a good job of figuring out how well you marketed and sold your company as an authority and trustworthy leader in the industry.

7. Would you recommend our events to a friend or colleague?

Given that people are more likely to purchase a product their friend has shared with them and the importance of customer reviews, referrals are a great way to measure how satisfied your event attendees are.

Liking your event or products isn't enough -- do they like you enough to talk about you with their friends? That's the true mark of success for an event.

8. Did you have an opportunity and place to ask questions and participate?

Whether you provided online support or you had event helpers around the building, it's important to note whether attendees noticed that help and if they felt supported. When you run an event, there are bound to be questions about registration, access to certain workshops, and more.

This question lets you know that your audience knew where to go if they had a question. If they didn't feel like they had a space to ask questions, then you can do better about promoting your support channels.

9. What would have made this event better?

This is a great question to crowdsource event ideas from your target audience. What do they want to see? What gaps did they see in your event from competitors? With this question, you'll be able to brainstorm ways to improve your next event.

10. Why did you attend this event?

You can use this question as a way to inform your pre event marketing. This will let you know what your audience liked about your marketing and what they expected from you. This open-ended question will give you a chance to show up for your audience and give them what they want.

11. How did you hear about this event?

Again, this is a great way to evaluate your pre event marketing. Where are attendees learning about your event? What marketing channels are working best? What marketing channels aren't working at all?

This will tell you where to focus your pre event marketing for your next event and let you know places where you need to pay more attention and improve on.

12. Have you attended this event before?

A great metric to keep track of is how many repeat attendees you have coming to your regular or annual events. This will let you know how many people see the value in your event and want to continue attending.

Again, this metric will let you know where to focus your marketing efforts. Do you want to increase repeat attendance? Then perhaps you need to focus on the customer experience during the event. Do you have great repeat customers but not enough new acquisitions? This will let you know that you need to focus on pre event marketing channels.

13. Would you want to attend this event again in the future?

This question, while similar to one of the above, measures how likely someone is to attend the same event in the future. Do they see value in attending this event every year? Or do they feel like they got everything they needed?

Again, just like it's easier to retain customers than get new ones, it's easier to convince former participants to attend the same event again. This will reveal if your audience is excited about coming to your event in the future and then you can compare with the number of attendees who actually came back the next year.

14. Have you attended our other events before?

This question will let you know how many loyal followers you have. Are the people coming to your events in your community? Or are these new people who haven't heard of your brand before? This will help you measure where you're acquiring event attendees.

15. Were you satisfied with the amount of activities/workshops?

This is a specific question that measures satisfaction with the quantity of activities or workshops available to attendees. Essentially, was there enough for your participants to do during the event. Or was there too much? Either way, this question is important to figure out if you and your audience are aligned on what content they want.

16. Were you satisfied with the quality of the content?

Once you know how much content to offer your audience, it's time to ask about the quality of the content. Did they find the information helpful? Was this worth paying for? This will help establish trust with your audience that you can present high quality content and information that they find valuable and useful.

This will also help you gauge what content your audience is interested in. If they were not satisfied with the quality, it could be because the type of content, the speakers, or the way it was presented.

17. How helpful was the staff at the event?

This is an excellent question that will help you figure out how your staff performed during this event. When attendees asked questions or used support, was the staff friendly and helpful? Or was there a staffing issue?

This will help you figure out how quickly issues were resolved and if participants enjoyed their experience.

18. What was your biggest takeaway from the event?

Again, this helps you determine what people were able to learn from your event and what they got out of it. Does that align with your goals for the event? If not, this is a great way to learn what people took away from your event and what they expected.

19. How satisfied were you with the virtual experience?

If you're holding a virtual event, it's important to add post event questions that measure the success of the virtual experience.

You can leave this as a rating and/or an optional open-ended question to let people explain why they were or were not satisfied with the virtual experience. Attendees might comment on the ease of navigation or the audio quality, for instance.

20. What were your favorite virtual features?

If you offered any special online features or an event app, this is the place to figure out what your attendees thought about those features. This lets you measure the success of your virtual platform overall -- did this platform provide features that your audience liked? Or were there other features they wished were available?

21. How easy to navigate was the platform for the event?

Similarly, this question is meant to measure the effectiveness of your online platform for your virtual events. If the platform isn't intuitive or easy for participants to use, then they probably won't consider coming back for your other events. This will help you gauge if improvements need to be made to the online experience.

22. How satisfied were you with the networking opportunities provided?

Lots of marketing events are meant to allow networking and a lot of people attend these events to network with other professionals. If networking is something that your audience wants from you, it's important to measure the success of your networking opportunities.

This can be a rating question or an open-ended question so your attendees can elaborate on what they liked about the networking opportunities or didn't like.

23. What topics would you want to see more of at future events?

Again, it's always a good idea to learn what content your audience wants to see. How can you figure that out? Just ask.

In your survey, you can ask what type of topics they're interested in learning about in the future. This will also give you new perspectives and content ideas for your next event.

24. How did this event impact your perception of our company?

This is a great question for learning how effective your brand story and messaging is at your event. Is your branding clear through your event marketing materials? How does it fit in to the larger strategic picture? This question will let you track how effective your event was in terms of branding.

25. Please share any additional comments, thoughts, suggestions for future events.

Of course, ending with an open-ended question where participants can leave feedback on any area is a best practice. You want your attendees to feel like they can tell you their overall thoughts and opinions.

Hopefully the questions in your survey got your attendees thinking and they might also feel like there are other topics to cover. Since you can't ask every question you'd probably like to, this helps you figure out what's important to your audience.

Post event surveys are mainly used to measure how successful an event was. These surveys will give you information that you need to improve future events.

Now, post event survey questions aren't the only type of surveys you'll want to send out. You might consider also sending a pre-event survey. A pre-event survey will help you measure your current event marketing, see what got people excited about the event in the first place, and how to tailor the event to the actual attendees.

Here are some examples of what that might look like.

Pre Event Survey Questions

• What are you most excited about?
• Why did you choose to attend this event?
• Do you have special accommodations you would like us to be aware of?
• Was there any event information that was difficult for you to find?
• Which social media platform do you use the most?

1. How did you hear about this event?

This question is great to ask either before or after an event. You could send this in a pre event survey to figure out what marketing channels are working the best. This will help you make changes to your budget and priorities when you continue marketing the event.

2. What are you most excited about?

With this pre event question, you can gauge what people are most looking forward to. Again, this will help inform your marketing budget and priorities so you can fulfill any customer expectations.

3. Have you attended this event before?

Similar to the first question, this can be asked before or after an event. The reason to find this out before an event is to see if you are getting a lot of repeat attendees or if you need to do more marketing to previous attendees.

4. Why did you choose to attend this event?

This is a great question to ask before an event because it will tell you what people are most looking forward to. This will help you prepare for an event so you can deliver on what people are expecting.

5. Do you have special accommodations you would like us to be aware of?

Logistically, this is important to know. If you don't have a lot of attendees, and accommodations need to be made, then you should be aware of what those accommodations are. If you're holding a larger event, you need to consider the type of accommodations you'll need to make for various attendees.

6. Was there any event information that was difficult for you to find?

Again, this will help you make adjustments to the pre event and registration process while it's still going on. This should help you get more registrants, ultimately, because you can pivot your strategy in real time.

7. Which social media platform do you use the most?

If you don't have a plan for how you're going to communicate with your attendees during the event, social media is a great option. But what platform would work best? You can use a pre event survey to learn what social media platforms your audience uses the most, so you can provide helpful information during your event.

Conducting pre or post event surveys is an important part of measuring the success of your event team and marketing team. To do this, you can use a survey tool, like HubSpot . Regardless of the tool you use, remember that the goal of sending a survey is to receive both positive and constructive feedback so that you can improve your event marketing and events.

Don't forget to share this post!

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40 Powerful Post-webinar Survey Questions to Ask Your Audience

There’s more to hosting a webinar than engaging your audience. You need to make sure they’re relevant and contain information that viewers can readily absorb. 

You can gauge your success in that endeavor with a survey. Post-webinar surveys give you invaluable information about your prospects, their desires, and their pain points. You can then immediately apply the attendee feedback you gather to improve online events. 

However, the quality of responses you receive is dependent on you asking the right questions. The post-webinar survey questions you ask event attendees must leave room for thorough responses so you can learn from them. The point is to synthesize those insights to build top-notch webinars and refine your marketing strategy to drive more conversions. These large achievements require you to hone in on the finer details, and this article will help you do just that. 

Why Create a Webinar Feedback Survey?

You already run polls and live events during your virtual events, and your registrants show up, so why the need to send a survey when a webinar ends? Post-event questionnaires are (usually) anonymous and completed solo, and that privacy makes viewers feel more comfortable providing their honest opinions. Their thoughts bring several benefits, which we’ve broken down below. 

Understand Your Audience

If you want to understand your audience, ask how you can improve and become more appealing to them. You may think you know your target demographic well, but you gain rich insights into what your audience wants when you review your webinar analytics and directly ask them how you can better serve them. 

This entails more than understanding what they want and what their pain points are. It requires you to relate to them in a way that fosters a genuine connection.

Improve Webinar Quality 

Your webinar attendees can greatly help you improve the quality of your events. Asking the right post-webinar survey questions will reveal exactly where you fall short and how you can improve your content, presentation, and pre- and post-event communications. This leads to higher audience attendance and stronger organic conversions for automated webinars as well as live and on-demand events.

Types of Webinar Surveys

There are three main ways to conduct a survey: telephone, paper, and online. Since the majority of people use the Internet, online surveys have become increasingly popular. Going paperless is also environmentally friendly, and it takes less manpower to design one survey template to customize and send en masse than it does to make individual calls.

Besides different methods of administration, surveys also feature a range of types to hone in on various aspects of the attendee experience. 

Customer Satisfaction Survey

The customer satisfaction survey is one of the most common and useful types. As the name suggests, its goal is to obtain a deeper understanding of how customers feel about a particular product, service, or business activity.

These questionnaires gather customers’ opinions about your business. You can then leverage that information to make improvements and support high customer retention.

Format, Content, and Speakers Feedback Survey

The format, content, and speakers feedback survey deals with your webinar presentation. It asks audiences how they would rate the format (how-to, Q&A, panelist discussion, etc.) of your virtual event, the content covered, and even the speakers you choose and their presentation skills. 

This style of questionnaire allows you to see if your attendees would prefer a different format or method of delivery, or if you’re already on the correct track. Unlike an overall satisfaction survey, this kind targets specific key elements of your webinars so you can fine-tune future deliveries for a more positive response.

General Conference, Event, and Webinar Survey

While many survey types focus on products, this format hones in on events. A webinar and conference form measures how well (or poorly) attendees received an event. This gives the organizers important feedback about what elements audiences particularly liked and disliked.

When organizing networking events, it’s imperative to ensure attendees are satisfied with the overall experience, so their feedback is invaluable. Further, showing you care about their constructive feedback by implementing their suggestions is an excellent strategy to keep people coming back for more of your content.

Product and Marketing Survey

The purpose of a product and marketing survey is to determine your target audience’s wants and needs and to learn how best to reach out to more potential customers.

The data gathered from this questionnaire will help your business craft more effective marketing campaigns to increase sales. The goal is to connect with your target segment and find out what you can do to engage your audience further .

Webinar Survey Questions

Not sure what your post-webinar survey questions should ask? Here are some suggestions to get you started. By adapting and incorporating the following questions into your post-event follow-up, you’ll be able to customize your webinars to enhance the user experience and move viewers down your sales funnel. 

Choose the questions that best fit your webinar format, content, and goals, or simply use them as an overall guideline for improving your webinar survey questions overall. 

Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest, how satisfied are you with your most recent webinar experience? Why did you give this rating? 

(Asking for an explanation gives you greater insight into the reasoning behind the rating.) 

• What can we do to improve your rating? 

(This gives you actionable advice to improve audience satisfaction scores.) 

• What was your favorite part of the webinar? 

(Leave this open to gain an informative answer.) 

• What was your least favorite part of the webinar?

(Leave this open-ended to gain an informative answer.) 

• Does webinar length affect your enjoyment of the webinar? Why or why not? 

(A detailed answer lets you know if the overall webinar length was a deterrent or strength.) 

• Was the webinar topic what you expected? Explain your answer. 

(This tells you if you properly marketed your webinar or where you can improve titles and ads.) 

• Will you attend the next webinar? Why or why not? 

(This tells you how promising of a lead the prospect is.)

• What would you like to see included in our next webinar? 

(This gives you ideas for what to include in future events; if desired, give a poll or suggested ideas to choose from)

• Are you more or less likely to visit our website/social media pages/blog as a result of your most recent webinar experience? Why or why not? 

(This tells you if your webinars are driving audience interest.)

• Did you learn something new from the most recent webinar? If so, what was it? If not, explain what you had hoped to learn. 

(This helps you understand how informative/interesting your webinars are, and gives you insight as to how to include other content from an audience’s POV.)

You can also include demographic questions in your overall satisfaction survey. 

Format, Content, and Speakers Feedback Questions

• Did the webinar speaker influence your decision to attend this event? 

(You want to know if the speaker you choose draws in a crowd.)

• Did you enjoy the way the webinar was presented? Why or why not? 

(Your audience will let you know what format they prefer.)

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest, how would you rate the speaker of the webinar? 

(A rating scale can be averaged after all surveys are completed to give you an idea of how well the speaker resonated with the audience.) 

• What was your favorite topic covered and why? 

(This reveals what your audience most enjoyed.)

• What topic not covered today would you like to see discussed in the future?

(Offer a multiple-choice option of topics you’re likely to cover in the future.)

• What was the main takeaway for you? 

(This shows if your webinar hit home.)

• Was the content covered a determining factor in why you attended? Please explain.

(Learn if your topics are driving traffic, and if not, what is.) 

• Was the speaker knowledgeable and engaging? 

(This uncovers if your speaker resonated with the audience.)

• What speaker would you recommend for future webinars? 

(Gather suggestions from your audience.)

• Was the content delivered in a timely fashion? 

(In other words, was your webinar too long, rushed, dragged out, etc.?)

General Webinar Survey Questions

• How many webinars have you attended before, including this one? 

(Learn how experienced your audience is in viewing webinars.)

• How long do you feel a webinar should be to remain relevant? 

(Suggested durations help you keep webinars at an engaging length.)

• How many of our webinars have you attended? 

(Estimates how many warm leads make up your audience)

• What type of webinar do you enjoy most? 

(Offer a multiple-choice format suggestion.)

• What is your favorite thing about webinars? 

(Are your webinars hitting these satisfaction points?)

• What is your least favorite thing about webinars? 

(So you learn what to avoid in your own webinars) 

• What interactive features do you use in webinars?

(Learn if your audience uses chat, surveys, polls, etc., and what other elements you should incorporate) 

• What has been the most memorable webinar you’ve attended to date?

(If it’s not yours, you’ll have a webinar to refer to for guidance.) 

• What made you attend this webinar today? 

(This hones in on the driving factor for each audience member)

• Do you prefer live, automated, or on-demand webinars? 

(Learn how to best leverage your webinar content.) 

Product and Marketing Questions

• What did you hope to gain from this webinar? Did you realize that goal? 

(I.e., Did your webinar respond to your audience’s pain points?) 

• How did you find out about our webinar? 

(This tells you if your marketing efforts are working well) 

• What products or services would you like to see covered more in the next webinar? 

(Learn which products appeal most to audiences.) 

• Were the brand, products, services, and related discussions explained thoroughly? 

(Did your audience learn something new about your brand?) 

• Did this webinar influence your buying decisions? 

(This tells you how likely your webinars are to result in a sale) 

• What promotions and/or freebies did you enjoy most? 

(Discover what webinar CTAs and incentives work best for your attendees) 

• How likely is a webinar to influence your buying choices in the future?

(This tells you if webinars are productive marketing tactics for driving sales) 

• Was the registration process easy? 

(That is, is your sign-up process a barrier to attending?) 

• Care to share a referral to our next webinar? 

(Referrals yield potential leads.) 

• Will you attend our next webinar? What incentive would most influence your decision? 

(Show multiple-choice CTA incentives.) 

How to Create a Webinar Survey

Creating a survey from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult. If you take the right steps, you can reduce the stress of developing quality questionnaires while still ensuring you capture accurate and useful data from attendees.

Decide How to Conduct Your Survey

Before crafting your survey, consider the best way to engage with your target audience. Decide if a paper form, online form, or telephone questionnaire is the most appropriate way to reach out to your customers.

If you’re dealing with older customers, a telephone survey might be the best option. However, you also need to take into account the products, services, or events your business offers and tailor your engagement strategy to fit those.

For example, if you host webinars, your users are obviously tech-savvy and comfortable operating online, so a digital survey would likely earn the best response rate.

Selecting a delivery format that’s most convenient for your audience not only shows you’re aware of their needs but also increases the chances of them completing it.

Know the Purpose of Your Webinar Survey

To construct a useful survey, you need to decide what information you want to gather and why you’re conducting the survey in the first place.

Do you want to know what went right or wrong with your session, or learn what people want from a future webinar ?

Important information to gather includes:

• Attendee names and contact information
• What was successful
• What could be improved
• Any major suggestions for improvement
• Attendee opinions about the webinar

Make It Easy for Yourself

One of the main obstacles of building a post-event survey isn’t the content but the design. Online surveys are arguably the most convenient way to connect with your target audience, but they’re also the trickiest to produce.

Many people assume they need to know how to code to create a digital form. However, this is no longer the case: There are a variety of survey makers online, including SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Jotform, and Zoho Survey, that handle the hard work and leave the important segments to you, such as inserting relevant questions.

So, instead of worrying about learning a programming code or having to hire someone, keep it simple and use an online builder.

How to Gain the Most From a Webinar Survey

After all the work put into its development, you want to make sure your survey provides a worthwhile return. Remember, the aim of your survey is to encourage participants to give you insightful answers.

Tailor the questions to the information you want to gather, such as: 

• Insights for Improvement: Learn how you can improve your webinars based on audience feedback and preferences. 
• A Deeper Understanding of Your Audience: Delve into your audience and their pain points as a whole so you can create webinars around those findings. 
• Growing Your Email List: Discover more about registrants and participants to acquire more leads. 

Regardless of the reason for the survey, it’s common practice to collect participants’ names and email addresses, as this will help you follow up with registrants after the webinar (whether or not they attended).

The more responses you receive, the greater the value of your survey, so it needs to be user-friendly to encourage participation. Keep it short and concise to avoid intimidating people as well. 

Include a healthy number of close-ended questions. This not only helps the participant make easy choices but also makes the information easier for you to analyze. It’s recommended you leave space for additional comments to give participants the freedom to express their thoughts in full.

To achieve the highest response rate, distribute your post-event survey properly (that is, delivery, format, messing, etc.). Consider the different devices your audience will use to complete it, their experience with and perceived value from the webinar, and the time they’ll have to commit to the questionnaire.

How to Achieve a High Response Rate

The more responses you collect, the more useful feedback you can synthesize tof make your future events successful. To obtain a high response rate, you should focus on a few key aspects:

• Show genuine gratitude and thank people for taking part in the webinar and completing the survey. State that you appreciate their feedback and that it will help improve your service and increase the value of your webinars.
• People are more likely to fill out the form if they know it’s short and won’t take too much of their time.
• What time you send the survey also impacts response rate. If you send a questionnaire prior to the event for attendees to fill out afterward, most will forget about it. To avoid this, consider sending your survey within two hours of the webinar’s conclusion. That way, the event will still be fresh in their minds, and the information you obtain will be more accurate.

Analyzing the Survey Results

How you analyze the answers to your survey will vary by question type. The built-in features of your chosen webinar platform will also influence your analysis.

Open-ended survey questions require the most in-depth analysis because they’re subjective, and the how and why are incredibly useful to marketing teams and product design. Their specificity can also contribute to and guide major changes in your offers.

Questions about the presenter are important as well. If a webinar host elicits too many negative responses, find out why. Some issues can be resolved easily, but ongoing negative feedback necessitates serious changes. 

For example, technical issues that make the presenter hard to understand are usually quick fixes. But if people find the presenter themselves irritating or difficult to follow, you may need to bring on someone else to host. Review both quantitative (scale rating and multiple choice questions) and qualitative questions when evaluating your presenters.

The content of the webinar presentation also deserves a closer look. Scale ratings can serve as an indicator of general audience impressions, but you’ll need more focused feedback to improve future webinars and increase attendee satisfaction. Because of the need for a thorough review, the presentation content may take more time to optimize. 

No questionnaire is perfect, so expect to tweak your post-event survey questions over time to gather actionable insights. If you receive inconclusive or ambivalent answers, look into why. Perhaps the question was unclear or too leading. Removing bias from questions is one of the hardest tasks when crafting a post-webinar survey, but it’s also crucial to its reliability.

Collecting the honest opinions of past session attendees can make a huge difference in the quality of your future webinars. They provide valuable insights into your events’ successes and shortcomings so you know what to keep and what to change.

Surveys are a simple, cohesive way to gather this information; you can easily send one after every event. If utilized correctly, these questionnaires will help strengthen your webinars so they more consistently achieve the goals you set for them.

Create More Quality Content

Once you know what your target segment wants from a virtual event by asking them powerful webinar survey questions, it’s time to get to work! Demio is a top-rated webinar solution for sales teams that aim to craft quality content that appeals to audiences. With interactive and customizable features to make your webinars stand out, you can have your first successful webinar running within minutes. Get started for free or book a demo today to learn more. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Webinar Survey Questions

How many webinar survey questions should i ask .

Ask around 10 questions so you don’t overwhelm your audience but still gather enough useful information. 

How do I get audiences to fill out webinar survey questions? 

Incentives like discounts, promos, sneak peaks, freebies, and invites to exclusive content are excellent options to encourage audiences to fill out webinar surveys. 

How do I apply the information from survey responses to my webinars? 

Compare audience feedback to identify patterns in responses. Then, you can make specific changes and improvements to your webinars that are the direct result of your respondents’ opinions. That action will both display your regard for your attendees’ thoughts (in turn endearing your brand to them) and help you tailor future presentations to their preferences, which will lead to higher attendance rates, greater engagement, and, ultimately, more conversions. 

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18 post-event survey questions to ask your attendees

How do you ensure that attendees keep coming back to your meetups, conferences, webinars, or virtual events ? It all starts with knowing what people think about the event.

Getting a clear idea of what people liked and didn’t like about the event can help you make the next one even better. Creating a post-event survey can help you collect that valuable feedback.

In this post, we’re going to discuss the ins and out of post-event surveys — including what types of questions to include — and share some best practices. 

What is an event survey?

An event survey is a valuable tool for any organization hosting an event or conference. Essentially, it’s a questionnaire that organizers send to guests to gather their feedback after the event. The event can be a conference, a webinar, a virtual summit, or another business gathering. 

No matter the size of the event or the format you choose to hold the event in, an event survey will help you better understand your attendees. You can evaluate the responses and use them to understand what’s working as well as what you should improve for future events.

Just so you know

Make your own free online post-event survey to get important event feedback, fast.

What questions should be included in an event survey?

The right questions can help you gauge the success of the event overall. These questions generally boil down to three types — yes/no, open-ended, and multiple choice/ratings. It’s best to include a mix of all three in your post-event survey. 

Yes/no questions

When you need a straightforward yes-or-no answer, this is the way to go. You can always give participants the opportunity to expand on their answers as well. This is particularly helpful if they’ve answered with a “no.” 

Here are some examples of yes/no questions to ask your audience:

• Would you recommend the event to a friend or colleague? 
• Would you attend the event again next year? 
• Did the event meet all of your expectations? 
• Do you think the event was structured well? 
• Was the event a good networking opportunity for you? 
• Would you like to learn about participating in next year’s event? 

Open-ended questions let the respondent give feedback without restrictions. It’s more difficult to analyze open-ended responses when you’re dealing with a large number of surveys, but the qualitative data can provide more interesting insights than other types of questions.

Below are examples of open-ended questions to ask your guests:

• What was the most valuable part of the event for you?
• How can we improve the event for next time?
• What made you decide to attend the event?
• What was your biggest takeaway from the event?
• What topics would you like to see covered next year?
• Do you have any additional suggestions for this event?

Multiple choice/ratings 

These types of questions ask respondents to rank their answers on a numeric scale or select from a set answers.

Here’s a list of rating questions, but you easily change them to a multiple-choice format:

• On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied were you with the event?
• On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate the event overall?
• On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate the location of the event?
• On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate the speakers? 
• On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate the cost of the event?
• On a scale of 1–10, how likely are you to recommend the event to a friend?

Post-event survey best practices 

Here are a few best practices to help you collect more actionable feedback from your event surveys. 

Send the survey within 24 hours of your event 

One of the biggest mistakes that hosts of both virtual and in-person events make is waiting too long to send a feedback survey. If you wait too long, attendees are likely to forget details. They’re also more likely to ignore the survey altogether. 

Send surveys while the event is still fresh in their minds — ideally within 24 hours. This means you’ll need to have the survey and your distribution method prepared in advance.

Want to save time creating your post-event survey? Use one of our free survey templates .

Send a follow-up reminder  

If you don’t receive a survey response after a couple of days, it’s a good idea to send a survey follow-up email . Resend the survey link or form with a personal note — from you or another staff member — asking the attendee to complete the questions. Be sure to express your appreciation for their time and let them know that you’ll use their responses to improve future events.

Offer an incentive to complete the survey

Motivating your audience with an incentive can increase the chances of them filling out the questionnaire. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You can offer a discount on future tickets or products, or enter their name in a raffle for a gift card or other prizes.  

Send surveys to speakers, volunteers, and sponsors 

Post-event surveys aren’t just for attendees. If you modify them a bit, they can also be a great way to collect feedback from speakers, volunteers, and sponsors. Their insights can also help you improve and streamline the process for future events.

If sponsors give you positive feedback, you can also use that as a natural segway to ask them to sponsor future events. 

Put together a game plan to implement survey feedback 

What good is all of this feedback if you don’t review it carefully and use it to inform future events? The next step is to analyze and categorize the feedback. While you don’t need to implement every suggestion, you should tag all of the great suggestions and then work with all stakeholders to prioritize and implement the improvements.

One way to quickly analyze and streamline all of the feedback is by using the new Jotform Report Builder .

You put a lot of time and work into your event. But just because the event is over doesn’t mean your work is done. Send out the post-event surveys, follow up for more responses, and then take action based on the results.

Thank you for helping improve the Jotform Blog. 🎉

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How to Nail the Q&A After Your Presentation

• Caroline Webb

You can’t rehearse it, but you can be prepared.

When preparing to give a presentation, most professionals focus their energy on the main portion of their talk — their key messages, slides, and takeaways. And far too few people think through how you’ll answer questions at the end of the presentation can be a big mistake. If you’re worried about how to hand the Q&A, there are several things you can do. Change your mindset. Rather than dreading this part of the talk, develop an appreciation for the conversation. It’s a good thing that people have follow-up questions and want to further engage with your content. Beforehand, think through the types of questions audience members might ask. Put yourself in your shoes and ask yourself what concerns they might have about how your message impacts their job. Then, when you’re asked a question, especially one that might be contentious, start your answer by focusing on where you and the person asking it agree. This makes the person feel seen and connected to you. And if you’re asked a question out of left field, be curious. Ask follow-up questions that help you understand what they’re getting at and where they’re coming from.

If you’re not a huge fan of public speaking , you’re in good company. It’s such a widely shared source of anxiety that when psychologists want to induce unpleasant stress in a person for experimental purposes, they often use a public speaking task called the Trier Social Stress Test . The test requires people to give a talk and do sums in front of a panel of impassive listeners, and it reliably generates stress markers such as a faster heart rate, raised cortisol levels, and “enhanced skin conductance,” which is the polite way of saying sweaty palms.

• Caroline Webb is the author of How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life . She is also CEO of coaching firm Sevenshift , and a senior adviser to McKinsey & Company. Follow her on Facebook or Google + . caroline_webb_

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Feedback Survey Questions: Types, tips, and 31+ examples

Running surveys and asking questions is one of the most important things you can do when trying to collect feedback on your business, product or service. But how do you know what kind of questions are right? What questions would be best for your business?

This guide will provide a comprehensive introduction to feedback survey questions, including the different types of questions you can ask, best practices for question design, and example feedback survey questions you can start using today.

Question Types

In general, questions fall into one of the following question types:

• Open-ended questions: These questions allow respondents to provide feedback in their own words. This type of question is great for getting detailed feedback but can be difficult to analyse and track responses.
• Closed questions: These questions have predetermined answers that respondents select from a list. This type of question is good for tracking responses and generating quantitative data.
• Likert questions: These questions use a five-point scale to indicate how strongly the respondent agrees or disagrees with a statement. This type of question is good for generating overall feedback and tracking trends over time.

There are also two different types of open questions: ‘general’ questions, which ask about any topic that may be on the respondent’s mind, and ‘specific’ questions, which ask about a particular topic or issue.

When choosing questions for your feedback survey, it’s important to consider the following factors:

• What you want to learn from the feedback: Open-ended questions are great for getting detailed feedback, while closed questions can help you track responses and generate quantitative data.
• The target audience: Likert questions are good for getting feedback from a general audience, while specific questions are better suited for targeted surveys.
• How much time they have: Open-ended questions can take longer to answer than closed or Likert questions.

Multiple choice questions

A multiple-choice question is a type of question that gives the respondent a list of options to choose from. This is a great option for questions that have a right or wrong answer, or for questions where you want to know what the respondent prefers.

Here are some example questions:

• What is your favorite colour?
• Which of the following best describes your feelings about our product?
• Do you prefer a digital or paper receipt?

Rating scale questions

A rating scale question is a type of question that asks the respondent to rate something on a scale. This is a great option for questions where you want to know how the respondent feels about something, or for questions where there is no right or wrong answer.

• On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with our product?
• On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?

NPS is a great example of a rating scale question .

Likert scale questions

A Likert scale question is a type of question that asks respondents to rate something by choosing how much they agree or disagree with a statement using a rating scale, which typically includes five points from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”

This is a great option for questions where you want to know the respondent’s opinion on something or questions where you want to measure how they feel about a certain topic.

For example, the Customer Effort Score (CES) uses a Likert scale question, “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following: The company made it easy for me to (insert specific action*).”

Dropdown questions

A dropdown question is a type of question that asks the respondent to choose from a list of options. This is a great option for questions where you want to know what the respondent’s favorite thing is, or for questions where you want to know more about their background.

• What is your job title?
• Which of the following best describes your relationship with our business?
• Do you prefer to make/receive calls or send messages via text message when communicating about questions related to our product/service?

Open ended questions

An open-ended question is a type of question that asks respondents for free-form input. This is a great option for questions where you want to know what the respondent thinks about something or questions that need more context.

• What do you think of our product?
• Do you have any feedback on how we can improve our product/service?

Open-ended questions should be used sparingly because they can be difficult to analyze.

Demographic questions

A demographic question is a type of question that asks for information about the respondent’s background, such as their age, sex, or job title. This is a great option for questions where you want to know more about your respondents.

• What is your age?

Ranking questions

A ranking question is a type of question that asks the respondent to arrange things in order from best to worst. This can be helpful if you want to know where something ranks according to respondents, or when there are multiple options and you want one option chosen as “best” while others are chosen as “worst.”

• Please rank the following options in order of how important they are to you.
• Please rate the following options on a scale from one to five, with one being the worst and five being the best.
• Which of the following is your favorite color?

File upload questions

A file upload question is a type of question that asks the respondent to upload a file. This can be helpful if you want to see examples of something, or if you need more information from the respondent.

• Please attach a screenshot of your receipt.
• Please attach a copy of your driver’s license.
• Please upload a picture of your product.

Question design best practices

(or, “how to write effective survey questions that will get you valuable feedback”)

Now that we’ve gone over the different types of questions that can be used in a feedback survey, let’s take a look at some best practices for question design. These build on common survey methodologies .

When creating questions for a feedback survey, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

Questions should be clear and easy to understand

Questions should be clear and easy to understand so that respondents can easily answer questions. If questions are not clear, people will get frustrated with the survey. Additionally, if questions are confusing or misleading, it is possible for some respondents to provide inaccurate feedback because they misunderstood a question.

Questions should be relevant to the topic of the survey

Questions should be relevant to the topic of the survey so that questions are focused on the things that matter. If questions are not relevant, respondents will have a hard time understanding what you’re asking for in your feedback survey, and they may feel like their responses don’t really matter because the questions seem unrelated to the product or service being surveyed about.

Questions should be designed to elicit useful responses

Questions should be designed to elicit useful responses. If questions aren’t designed to elicit useful responses, it can make analysis more difficult, which means you’ll have a harder time trying to extract actionable insights from feedback survey results.

Questions should be unbiased and non-judgmental

Questions should be unbiased and non-judgmental so that respondents feel like their opinions are valued. If questions are biased or judgmental, respondents may feel like their answers don’t matter and they may be less likely to provide honest feedback.

Now that we’ve gone over the questions that can be asked and best practices for question design, let’s move on to some examples of survey questions.

Examples of good questions

How easy was it to understand the questions in this survey?

This is a great question for a feedback survey. The question is clear, easy to understand, and unbiased. This question allows for the respondent to give an honest answer.

Would you recommend this product to a friend?

This is another great example of questions that can be used in a feedback survey. The response options are limited, but they allow for more specific answers than “yes” or “no.” This question also has potential follow-up questions, such as “why” or “what would you recommend.”

On a scale from one to five, how satisfied are you with our product?

This is an example of a Likert scale question. This type of question allows respondents to rank their level of satisfaction on a scale from one to five. This question is relevant to the topic of the survey, and it is designed to elicit a useful response. It is also unbiased and non-judgmental.

What did you like best about our product?

This question allows respondents to share their positive experiences with the product. This question is relevant to the topic of the survey, and it is designed to elicit a useful response.

Examples of badly designed questions

What was wrong with our service?

This is not a good question. This question requires someone to come up with something negative and it may be awkward if they can’t think of anything.

Do you like kittens?

This question is not as relevant to the topic of the survey, and therefore may not elicit useful responses.

How much do you dislike puppies?

This is a leading, or biased, question and may produce unreliable results.

How easy is it for you to understand the meaning of the questions we’re asking in this survey?

This question is not clear, and it is difficult to understand. This question may also produce unreliable results.

Example feedback survey questions

Product feedback questions.

How would you rate our product?

This is a good example of questions that can be used in a feedback survey. The response options are limited, but they allow for more specific answers than “good” or “bad.” This question also has potential follow-up questions, such as “why” or “what did you like best?”

Was the quality of our product what you were expecting?

This is another good example question that can be used in a feedback survey. This question allows respondents to share their thoughts on the quality of the product. This question is relevant to the topic of the survey, and it is designed to elicit a useful response.

Did you encounter any problems using our product?

This is a good question for a feedback survey. The response options are limited, but they allow for more specific answers than “yes” or “no.” This question also has potential follow-up questions, such as “what was wrong?” or “how can we fix this problem in the future?”

Customer feedback questions

How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?

This is an example of a question that can be used in a customer experience survey . The question is designed to elicit information about the respondent’s likelihood of recommending the product to a friend.

Why did you choose our product over the competition?

This question allows respondents to share their thoughts on why they chose the product over the competition. This information can help understand what aspects of the product are most appealing to customers.

How often do you use our product?

This question is designed to understand how often customers use the product. This information can help determine customer engagement and identify areas where the product could be improved.

How would you feel if you could no longer use our product?

This question is designed to elicit feelings about whether customers would be disappointed if they could no longer access the product. The responses can help measure product-market fit.

What could we do to improve your experience with our product?

This question is designed to understand what can be done to improve customer experience. This information might include ways that customers would like the company to provide support or how they’d prefer contact about questions related to their account.

Which features of our product are most important to you?

This question allows respondents to share their thoughts on the features of the product that are most important to them. This information can help prioritize and streamline future development.

What could we do to make our product more valuable to you?

This question is designed to understand what would increase the value of a product or service for customers. This information might clarify where improvements should be prioritised, as well as how much people are willing to pay for the product.

How would you rate your overall experience with our product?

This question is designed to understand how customers rate their experience using a particular product or service. This information might help identify areas that need improvement and specific questions on which surveys should focus.

Employee feedback questions

How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or relative?

This is an example of a question that can be used in a feedback survey to measure employee loyalty.

On a scale from one to ten, how satisfied are you with your job?

This is an example of a question that can be used in a feedback survey to measure employee satisfaction .

How do you think we can improve our company?

Open-ended questions like these allow employees to share their thoughts and suggestions on ways the company can improve.

What do you like most about your job?

Likert scale questions are a great way to measure employee satisfaction because they allow employees to express their opinion on a range of topics.

How often do you feel appreciated for the work that you do?

This question is designed to measure employee satisfaction with recognition. It’s important for employees to feel valued and appreciated, so this question can help identify areas of improvement in the workplace.

How often does your supervisor or manager provide feedback on your performance?

This question measures how often supervisors provide feedback about an employee’s performance. This information can help identify areas of improvement for employees who feel that they’re not receiving enough feedback.

What could we do to make you more excited about coming to work?

This question helps employees share what would increase their motivation and excitement about working at the company. Employees need to be engaged to drive success, so questions like this can help identify areas of improvement.

How would you rate your experience during the interview process?

This question is designed to understand how likely candidates are to recommend working at a company, as well as what they liked most about the interview process.

Market feedback questions

How likely are you to purchase our product?

This is an example of a question that can be used in a feedback survey to measure market demand.

On a scale from one to ten, how interested are you in our product?

This is an example of a question that can be used in a feedback survey to measure customer interest in a product.

How likely are you to recommend our company or products?

This question measures customer loyalty, which is an important measure of success for companies that depend on referrals and word-of-mouth advertising.

What can we do to improve your opinion about our brand?

Companies often seek the opinions of their customers because customers have valuable insights into what they like and dislike about a company. This question is designed to understand what customers would change or improve about the brand, as well as how likely they are to recommend it to others.

Key takeaways

When creating questions for a feedback survey, it is important to keep the following in mind:

• The purpose of the survey: What are you trying to learn from the respondents?
• The audience for the survey: Who will be taking the survey?
• The format of the questions: How will the questions be asked?
• The questions themselves: What questions will be asked?

By following best practices for question design and avoiding bad questions, you can create a feedback survey that produces useful responses. And by using questions that are relevant to the topic of the survey, easy to understand, and unbiased, you can create a survey that respondents will be happy to take.

Co-founder, TRACX

Tom is the co-founder of TRACX, a no-code marketing platform that allows local business owners to collect customer feedback and create engaging marketing campaigns. With over 17 years of experience in entrepreneurship, product development, and marketing for businesses large and small, Tom is currently responsible for developing product and marketing strategies for TRACX.

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices Become a better presenter -- with a little help from your friends

by TED Masterclass Team • May 12, 2020

Getting useful feedback can be a critical step in developing an effective presentation - it can also be harder to find than you might expect. Honest feedback calls on you to be vulnerable, and forces your feedback partner to sometimes deliver difficult constructive criticism. The good news is that this type of deep and authentic feedback can encourage personal growth and a willingness to take creative risks.

Get high-quality feedback that elevates your presentation skills by putting in a little extra preparation and focus.

First, decide who to ask for feedback

Feedback can feel personally risky if it’s coming from a close friend or colleague. Because these relationships are so important to us, honest feedback can end up feeling critical. In these situations, it can become tempting to give non-critical feedback, but that’s not helpful.

The person you work with to give you feedback should be someone:

• You want to learn from, who pushes you to think creatively
• With a different perspective - it can help to look beyond the people you spend a lot of time with personally or professionally
• Who shares your enthusiasm for acquiring new skills and is excited for you to become a better presenter

Then, prepare to receive feedback

Just as important as deciding who will be giving you feedback, is creating an environment and mindset where giving and receiving constructive feedback is easy.

• Create a distraction-free time and space for getting feedback. Ideally both of you should be present, focused, and open. If we’re feeling stressed or pressed for time, it’s hard to be a good feedback partner. That’s why it’s wise to tune in to how you’re feeling before you schedule a session.
• Remind the person that you’re looking for honest feedback to be the best presenter you can be.
• Before getting started, tell the person if there are any specific aspects of your idea or talk that you’d like them to focus feedback on.

Finally, ask the right questions

Giving feedback can be overwhelming for your partner if they don’t know what they should be focusing on. Decide on these areas ahead of time, and let your partner know. Then follow up with questions that will help them hone in on the most helpful feedback points for you.

Get overall feedback using these three questions:

• What works?
• What needs work?
• What’s a suggestion for one thing I might try?

Get specific feedback using these questions:

• Delivery: How is it landing for you overall? Are there places where your attention is wandering? What’s distracting?
• Content: Do you get this - will the audience? What questions do you have? Where are you engaged? Surprised? Moved? Is there a clear takeaway for the audience? Do you have any clarifying questions?

Good feedback is a gift that can really elevate your presentation skills. Make the most of your feedback opportunities with a little preparation.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20   •  #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

• Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
• Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
• After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

• ask specifically what you want to ask
• good overview of the results
• anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
• easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
• analysing the results can be time-consuming
• you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

• quick and easy to access
• easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
• save feedback directly on your computer
• Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

• no prerequisites
• open format
• okay for small audiences
• not anonymous (people might not be honest)
• time consuming
• no detailed evaluation
• no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
• not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

• What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
• What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
• How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

• type in your own feedback questions
• choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
• show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Co-located audience.

Co-located Audience means that the speaker talks to the audience in person. It is used verbal and non-verbal methods to communicate a message. The speaker makes gestures with their hands, changes their face expression and shows images.

Keynote is a programme which, like PowerPoint, is used to create digital screen presentations. It is mainly used by Apple users.

External Communication

External communication is the exchange of information between two organisations. For example, it can be an exchange with customers, clients or traders. Feedback from a customer also counts as external communication.

PowerPoint Online

PowerPoint Online is the web version of PowerPoint. You can present and edit your PowerPoint presentation with it, without having PowerPoint installed on your computer. It's only necessary to have a Microsoft - or a Microsoft 365 account.

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Guide for Handling Questions after a Presentation

October 19, 2017 - Dom Barnard

The questions at the end of a presentation can be terrifying for many speakers as they can’t be controlled and are hard to prepare for. However, questions form an important part of the presentation for the whole audience as they allow for clarification and consolidation of learning.

The presenter can enhance the usefulness of the question and answer session by treating it as a formal part of the presentation that requires as much careful planning and control as the delivery of the core material.

Identify possible questions and scope in your preparation

The background work that you undertook whilst planning your presentation is the key to handling questions effectively and understanding what  type of audience  you’ll be faced with. If you have defined a focus for your presentation and have explored this thoroughly in your research and planning, you are more likely to be able to confidently respond to questions.

When planning your presentation, you will need to prepare prompts for questions that are open and straightforward, for example saying “That’s the end of my presentation. I’ll be taking questions for the next 10 minutes”.

You might also want to define topics for discussion before taking questions, by stating the areas you’re willing to field questions in. Your preparation will help you identify topics you are not confident with and want to avoid in the questioning.

Set some rules for asking questions

At the start of your presentation, make it clear when you would prefer to deal with questions – as you go along or at the end of the presentation.

Some speakers prefer questions to be raised as they arise during the presentation. The advantage of this approach is that any misunderstandings can be dealt with immediately. However, there is also a danger that the question will disrupt or distract the speaker, or that questions are raised that would have been covered later in the presentation.

If you leave questions until the end, plan to leave plenty of time for questions so that the audience doesn’t feel rushed.

Framework for responding to questions

Answering questions under pressure can make you say things you shouldn’t have – the nerves can force you to give an inappropriate response. In your panic you might have misinterpreted the question or given away company information that was sensitive. Use the following framework to help you respond effectively to your audience.

Practice answering AI-generated questions on your speech or presentation with  VirtualSpeech .

1. Listen to the whole question

You don’t have to answer a question immediately. Pause for a few seconds,  actively listen  to all parts of the question and think about the best way to answer.

Frequently questions can change direction at the last moment, particularly if the questioner is thinking on their feet. This can throw you if you have already started to prepare an answer. Remember that questioners will frequently try to make a point whilst asking their question – it’s therefore important to both hear the content of the question and try to decipher the questioner’s intention.

2. Understand the context

If you are worried that you haven’t understood a question, ask them to clarify what they mean. Check for confirmation by paraphrasing the question back to the questioner – “You want me to list the improvements of X?”.

3. Involve the whole audience

It is important to remember that even though you are taking a question from one member of the audience, you are still responsible for the interest of the other audience members. This is particularly important in large groups as the audience will become bored if the presentation descends into a series of one-to-one discussions.

To involve the rest of the audience, make sure the whole audience has heard and understood the question by repeating it or paraphrasing it to the audience.

4. Respond concisely

When you reply to a question, direct your answer to both the questioner and other members of the audience. Try to keep your responses as focused as possible, leaving space for other questions. To avoid going into too much detail, check back with the questioner to see if you have answered their query – “Does that answer your question in enough detail?”.

We’ll cover different ways to respond in a later section.

5. Allow follow-up questions via email

You can also encourage your audience to ask questions after the event has finished by providing your email address. This shows a high level of respect for your audience and implies that the topic still has much further scope for enquiry.

Two good resources for handling questions

• What’s the art of answering a tricky question?
• Dodging the Question

Practice Answering Questions

Practice answering questions after your presentation using a 4 step process. Learn More

Options for answering the question

There are five possible choices depending on how well you understand and can answer the question. It’s okay to say that you don’t know the answer to something. This can add to your credibility instead of trying to waffle through an answer you don’t really know.

If you have a good answer for the question from the audience, go ahead and answer it in a short and clear message.

Ask a question back the audience member, such as “Can you clarify what you mean by that”. You can also attack the question if it is not related to the issue, factually inaccurate, personal or based on false assumptions. Be careful with this method.

Ask the question back to the audience or pass it to another panel member if possible. If suitable, another technique is to imply the question has been asked already, with you stating you don’t want to cover old ground.

Tell the audience member you will talk to them after the event. This gives you more time to think of a good answer and there is less pressure to give a perfect answer.

Or mention that that point is coming up in a slide.

This involves answering the question but changing the subject. You can also give a partial answer or give a negative answer, saying that something else will happen instead.

Avoid answering questions that fall outside of the remit of your talk: “I’m afraid that really falls outside of my objectives for today’s presentation. Perhaps we can resume discussion of that particular point later?”

Diagram Explained : Once you receive a question, you’ll have a few moments to think about it and reframe it in a way that makes sense to you. This will give you five choices on how to react – you can answer, reflect, deflect, defer or change the scope of the question. Once you’ve answered concisely, you can then follow up to check if the person asking the question is satisfied and then continue with the presentation.

Strategies to use when struggling to answer

Here are some strategies to use when you are struggling to answer the question posed to you. For more information, read this article on  Dodging the Question .

• Acknowledge the question without answering it – “That’s a good question, let’s consider the impact by looking at…”
• The question fails to tackle the important issue.
• The question is based on a false assumption.
• The question is factually inaccurate.
• The question is too personal or objectionable.
• Decline to answer. Refuse to answer on the basis that it is not your area of responsibility or it is sensitive company information – “You will have to ask [name] because I wasn’t involved in that particular project.”
• Partial answer
• Start to answer but change the subject
• Negative answer. You state what won’t happen instead of what will happen
• Answer a similar question
• State or imply the question has already been answered – “We’ve already covered that topic”

Things to avoid

When handling questions and answers, you will still need to be as professional as you have been for the main delivery of your presentation. There are some common dangers to avoid.

Answering the question you wished you’d been asked

A common trick played by politicians, this strategy ignores the precise nature of the question and uses a predetermined answer to the broad topic area. If handled poorly, this technique is very obvious to the audience and frustrating to the questioner.

Giving a lengthy response

This is the process whereby you make a lengthy response, including all the information you’d left out in planning the main presentation. Your unplanned response will be unstructured and rambling, so keep things focused and brief. If you find yourself rambling, ask them to talk to you after.

Passing the blame

Passing the blame to others comes across as weak and evasive. If an idea from the audience is a good one, acknowledge its value. If it isn’t, make a polite rebuttal and move on.

Defensive answers

Occasionally, questions can really put you on the spot, but it is important to remain calm and in control. An aggressive or defensive reply will be seen as weakness on your part and will spoil the effect of an otherwise successful presentation.

Handling difficult questions

It is important not to start responding to a difficult question before you have thought about the answer. Repeating the question and asking for clarification will help create some space for your thoughts.

Sometimes you will need to think about a question for a moment before responding. You may be able to buy a little bit of thinking time to help focus your response. Useful strategies include searching for an appropriate visual aid to help focus your response or simply pausing for a moment or two to think. For even more time, suggest that you’ll come back to the topic later (but don’t forget to do this).

7 myths when answering tough questions during presentations

Sometimes questions are too difficult to answer. Don’t worry about admitting that you don’t know something or haven’t considered an alternative approach. An enthusiastic “That’s an interesting idea, I’d not thought of that” is much more positive than a mumbled “I don’t know ”. Remember that a presentation is a two-way process and it is important to show that you are learning from your audience as well.

Finally, you can come across a questioner who disagrees strongly with your argument. Although this can feel very awkward, remember that you are still responsible for the whole audience and that you cannot allocate all of your question time to one individual.

If you feel that you have answered the initial question, announce that you will move on and suggest that you might continue discussion after the presentation. If the questioner persists, assert your position calmly by saying “I’m afraid I need to move on”.

You can read more on this topic here:  Responding to questions effectively (PDF)

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How did CNN’s moderators do in the Biden-Trump debate? It almost didn’t matter that they were there

President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump went right to mixing it up on policy — and each other — in their first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign.

President Joe Biden, on stage at right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, participate in a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. At far right is CNN moderator Dana Bash. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Patrons watch President Joe Biden debate Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, at a debate watch party Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden, right, speak simultaneously during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate hosted by CNN with President Joe Biden, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Joe Biden, speaks during a presidential debate hosted by CNN with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

CNN’s Dana Bash, left, and Jake Tapper listen as they moderate a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Liquor bottles are placed on a back bar at the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2024, as a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is broadcast. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

NEW YORK (AP) — To a large extent, it almost didn’t matter that Dana Bash and Jake Tapper were on stage.

The two CNN journalists prepared meticulously to moderate Thursday’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the first ever between a sitting president and his predecessor, and asked several sharp questions.

Not only were many of them ignored, but the impression that some Americans were left with about President Biden’s fitness for the job essentially had nothing to do with Bash and Tapper or their involvement in the program.

“There’s no question this was not what the Biden campaign wanted or needed,” said ABC’s Mary Bruce. After the debate, CNN’s John King pointed to his cell phone, saying he hadn’t seen anything like the concern expressed to him in text messages as the debate went on.

“There’s a full-on panic about this performance,” said NBC’s Chuck Todd.

The event, organized by CNN and broadcast over most of the country’s main news and broadcast networks, was the earliest general election debate ever, before the two candidates had been formally nominated by their parties.

Did the moderators play a role?

Tapper and Bash asked about the economy, immigration, abortion, threats to democracy — a litany of issues that ranked among the most important problems facing the country in a recent Gallup poll of U.S. adults.

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Their problem was that, more times than not, the questions were ignored as the two candidates continued to squabble at their own pace.

“You have 67 seconds left,” Tapper said to Trump when he didn’t address one. “The question was, what are you going to do to help Americans in the throes of (opioid) addiction right now to get the treatment that they need?”

“This does pertain to it,” Trump said, moving on to talk about open borders and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

At another point, when Bash asked Trump whether he would support the institution of a Palestinian state, Trump said, “I’d have to think a bit before we do that,” and went on to talk about NATO.

Bash also had to go back to Biden to ask a second time what he would say to Black voters who believed they hadn’t made enough progress under his administration, after he recited a handful of programmatic changes. She asked Trump three times about whether he’d accept election results if he lost.

They weren’t designed to be referees

CNN determined ahead of time that Tapper and Bash would be questioners, not umpires. They didn’t follow up questions — except to repeat those that weren’t answered — and left it to the politicians to try and fact-check. Each called the other a liar.

CBS’ Gayle King said later that the lack of fact-checking benefited Trump because he was able to seem more in control with his answers. “If you don’t know the facts, you’d think he was making a lot of sense,” she said.

CNN’s Daniel Dale sent out several fact-checks on social media during the debate, but television viewers would not be aware of them unless they happened to look for them. Per CNN rules, other networks carrying the debate were not allowed to break in with any commentary of their own until the debate was finished.

Heading in to the debate, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said that she did not envy the position in which Tapper and Bash were placed.

“The moderators at CNN have an impossible job,” she said, “and they are under nuclear hot scrutiny.”

CNN came under criticism before the debate by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which protested the network’s decision not to allow a pool text reporter into their studio to observe Biden and Trump off-camera. CNN said there was no room, although it promised to usher a reporter in briefly during one of the two commercial breaks.

The first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020 was seen by 73 million viewers, while the second had 63 million. Those were in the fall, when television viewership was generally up.

Following the debate, The Washington Post and The New York Times had nearly identical lead headlines. The Post: “Biden Struggles, Trump Deflects Questions.” The Times: “Biden Struggles as Trump Deflects Questions During Contentious Debate.”

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder .