Speaking Engagement – Ask Questions
You probably read the title of this post and think that a speaking engagement is a “thing” – like a bus pass or a lawn mower. But let’s look at it a little differently.
Engagement is the word I’m questioning. To engage is obviously to get someone involved. To have a speaking engagement is not to just be engaged by an organization to speak for them, it is also to engage your audience by speaking.
We’re going to be doing a series this week on how to engage your audience and turn a speaking engagement into a networking extravaganza!
Ask questions
While it might make you feel silly, when someone asks a group you’re in to raise a hand if they are familiar with something, you do it. It might be the half-hearted hand raise where your elbow never leaves your side, but you still acknowledge the question.
Asking questions not only lets you interact with your audience it lets you know what they’re thinking. There is nothing scarier than that moment you stand in front of a group of people and realize you now have to read minds. What if you tell the wrong joke? What if you talk over everyone’s head because you don’t know the skill level of the group?
It’s enough to make people fear public speaking…oh wait…maybe that’s why people fear public speaking!
But don’t put that pressure on yourself. Your audience wants to be engaged, they want to be entertained and enlightened. They are not there for the coffee, they are there for the networking and the number one thing everyone is going to talk about after you’re done…is you.
The number one icebreaker used after a speaker goes on stage is, “So, what did you think of the speaker?” You’re going to be the driving force of the connections made at the event you’re speaking at, so give them something to talk about!
Questions are also good because you can ask things that help you tailor your speech. When you start to feel you’re winding down, ask the audience what they would like to hear more about. Save a little time to improvise and delve further into the topic that your audience is most interested in.
When you put the pressure on your audience, it not only takes the pressure off you – it makes your speaking engagement one that your audience will appreciate far more. No one falls asleep or zones out when they think they may be called onto answer a question!
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POSTED IN: Business Networking, Educational Networking, General Networking, Tools for Networking
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