NEVER SAVE Q's 'TIL THE END

Questions from your audience are a way to cement your message, demonstrate your point or build a better relationship. They are a measure of success, not failure.

It's 2022 and this is still happening.

I joined a client meeting of senior leaders. The operations director opens his slides and tells the group to “keep all questions until the end”.

My heart sank. Why? Because there is NOTHING worse.

It’s a bit like going to a music gig and being told you can’t dance or cheer until the end. No thanks.

What is the point in being at the meeting if you can’t join in, agree, ask, challenge and support the speakers’ points?

As the speaker or leader your impact simply disappears when you restrict involvement in this way.

No more lectures

I am on a quest to turn all presentations into powerful conversations. We are all too time poor to sit and listen to one way lectures. By the time a presentation is over most of us have forgotten the first half or are overwhelmed with bullet-points.

Enough.

You can’t inspire or change people by forcing them to listen. The audience want to be involved.

Success = questions

I used to work for a transport provider. A leader I was coaching was getting ready to announce a major business change to a room of front line leaders. I asked him, what would make this a success for you? He replied: “Zero questions... I want to give them all so much information no one needs to ask anything”.

He thought that silence was agreement. And that no questions meant full comprehension, immediately after an annoucement.

We had a long way to travel!

I hear so many leaders worried about questions and whether they are proof that they failed to communicate effectively. Nope. Questions are opportunities to cement your message. To amplify the reason for our presentation or meeting. They are not a sign of failure or gaps.

Pause and Ask

So, the next time you are out the front of the room, be sure to pause and encourage others to ask. If the audience doesn’t ask you a question, try asking the room one.

Let the conversation flow, and the engagement will grow.