No wifi neededLast week, we looked at setting your goals for a seminar and making the relevant word choice when looking at questions posed to an audience. This week we are building on from that previous post into developing a working presentation.
Let Audience Response Guide You
The outcome of your poll may determine which way your presentation goes. Using a closed question will yield more specific results than trying to get more information out of a single question.
For example “Do you use Twitter?” will give you more information to work on than “Which social media platforms do you use professionally?” Which you can then use to ask more detailed questions and move the presentation along.
By starting off a presentation with a simple question, you give the audience an immediate representation of what your seminar is about.
The results of that question will then either prove or disprove the point that you are trying to make. Depending on which way the poll result has gone, you can create two different presentations. If for example, not many people use Twitter, you can go on and talk about the importance of the platform for modern businesses.
If it is widely used, you can talk about the importance of making sure it remains a professional and reachable marketing platform for both business associates and clients alike. Just because your delegates know to use Twitter, it doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to make the most of it.
Keep The Audience With You
You may not think that a single question posed at the start of a presentation has all that power, but it represents a gateway into more detailed and thought provoking questions. Starting off with a yes/no question can easily warm up your audience and can even sometimes produce unexpected results. Getting people into a relaxed state of mind with an easy question to start off with – perhaps even making it comical or relatable – makes for a good introduction to an educational seminar.
If you hit the ground running before giving your audience a chance to take any information in, they are not going to be able to focus properly. Thinking on and choosing the right wording for your initial question is important, so make sure to make the right choice!