Your work is not over just because the presentation is finished. The experience does not end with the final question during the Q & A session. You can—and should—use each and every presentation to help you prepare for the next one. Because you know there will be a next one.

Often, presentations end with a question and answer session. Keep your cool while thinking on your feet. The more you do this, the better you’ll become.

One firm and fast rule: Always be authentic with your audience. If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t fake it. No one knows everything, and there’s nothing wrong with telling people you’ll get back to them personally with the answer to their question.

A presentation evaluation is an invaluable tool to help you improve your delivery. If possible, plan to give one to your audience following any presentation. Make your form simple and no longer than two pages. This feedback offers immediate input and understanding of how well you performed. Use the comments you gather as a way to do what you do better.

Today, let’s wrap up our series on presentations. Here are some ideas you can use to make every presentation a learning experience—for your audience and for yourself:

Be prepared. Try to anticipate important questions that are likely to be asked during the Q & A session. Keep your answers brief and on point. If you don’t know the answer, tell the person you’ll get back with them.

Stay confident. Don’t let the “um’s” and “ah’s” ruin a great presentation. You can use statements like “That’s a really good question” or “I’m so glad you asked that” to buy some time while you organize your thoughts during the Q & A session. Also, this affirms the person who asked the question.

See yourself. Your poise, gestures and speaking ability will reflect on your competence and your product’s quality. Videotape yourself delivering the presentation, and evaluate the tape later for ways to improve. You also might want to seek professional coaching in order to improve your presentation technique.

Get feedback. Hand out an evaluation form after the presentation so you can get feedback on how you did. But don’t get defensive about the evaluation comments. Learn from them; don’t try to justify your mistakes. This allows you to get better and better.

Use every presentation to help prepare for the next one. Stay confident during the question and answer session. Always be authentic with your audience. A presentation evaluation can help you understand immediately how well you performed. Try to anticipate important questions that might come up during the Q & A session. Stay poised during the questions, and don’t hesitate with your answers. Videotape yourself presenting, and study the tape for ways to improve. Hand out an evaluation after every presentation if possible.