Many speakers fear facing questions they can't answer–and sometimes “run out of time” for audience queries. There are, however,  more credible ways to handle questions that stump you. Far from confirming you as a dummy, the following strategies will reinforce your professionalism.

Despite the twenty hours Luanne spent preparing for each lecture to her nursing class, her students consistently rated her as dull. Jacob, a mechanical engineer with innovative ideas and brilliant designs, could not keep any audience interested in his presentation. Luanne and Jacob suffered from the bane of being boring, perhaps the worst curse that can afflict a speaker.