It’s Okay to Say, “I Don’t Know” in Your Presentation

I was at a presentation the other day given by the leader of a large office to her senior staff in which future strategies were being presented. An audience member asked how a certain part of this strategy would actually work, to which this presenter said without hesitation, “I don’t know.”

It was a wonderfully candid and honest answer, but in this situation it also served to let the group know that this company was a team and that one person was not responsible for all the solutions, answers and successes. The response also made it clear that the presentation being given was the start of a continuing conversation among those in attendance.

Though it may at first seem counterintuitive, saying “I don’t know” can actually increase your credibility when presenting. There’s nothing worse than someone desperately making up answers in order to appear in control, intelligent and all-knowing.

Here are a few answers to that question you genuinely don’t have an answer for:

• “I don’t know”
• “Tell me what you think”
• “Let me get back to you on that” (and do it!)
• “I’m going to be honest in telling you I hadn’t thought of that”
• “You raise a great question, and I’m not sure I have an answer for you at this point”
• “I can’t answer that today, but…”