By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy
Here’s an idea to add impact to the closing of your speech. Reading time: 3:27.
The most competitive runners know their overall performance depends as much on their cool down as their workout.
So too, the most effective public speakers know their question and answer session -their Q&A preparation- is just as integral as their speech to the overall impact of their message.
One enhances the other. One primes the other. One complements the other. And most significantly one creates the other.
Unfortunately, too many wanna-be leaders confine most of their preparation to their main speech and little or none to their Q&A. And the results are predictably devastating.
You know drill. We’ve all been there. You ask for questions. No takers. The silence is deafening. The energy in the room collapses. Your message falls flat. And your audience scurries for the exits.
Sparking a Catalyst
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In fact, the most effective leaders can and do conduct more proficient Q&A sessions when they think of their speech as a catalyst, a catalyst that stirs a reaction in the audience — a catalyst that steers the Q&A into acting as a stabilizing solution.
As a catalyst, your speech sparks more engagement in the audience to understand your message. And they dissect it in the Q&A portion of your presentation.
As a catalyst, your speech ignites more interaction in the audience to study and act on your message. And they more fully understand it in the Q&A portion of your presentation.
As a catalyst, your speech prompts more probing questions in the audience to amplify and clarify your message. And they own it more completely in the Q&A portion of your presentation.
LEADERSHIP MINTS 