Tuesday, April 14, 2015

TIP: Craft a Strategy for Audience Input During a Presentation (HBR)

From: Harvard Business Review 

Craft a Strategy for Audience Input During a Presentation


Asking audience members what they think during a presentation is a great way to heed the pleasure principle. When people feel their voices and ideas are being heard, they're happy and therefore more likely to open their minds to what you're proposing.


But you need to decide in advance when you'll ask people for input. Maybe you want to ensure that people are following along as you make your argument. Or perhaps you want to draw on their knowledge to support your message. Either can be useful.


Just avoid empty questions aimed at the whole room: "Is everyone following? Good." Those don't captivate anyone – people will just nod. Instead, directly address individuals: "Does that seem like the biggest problem with customer satisfaction, Mary, given your front-line perspective?"

Adapted from "Presentations (20-Minute Manager)."

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