How to Answer Questions...or Not?

How to answer questions or not?

Many presentations include time for questions from your audience. This offers the opportunity to clarify key points and nurture trust.

There might be questions that are irrelevant. Naturally, you don’t need to answer that type of question. But what happens when the question is valid and the answer from the speaker is irrelevant?

In this video, Anderson Cooper points out the ridiculous response from Florida Governor, Rick Scott.

Watch this video to see how ridiculous a speaker looks and feels when he persistently avoids the question.

Does this man feel slimy?

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Body Language from your hands?

Body language is the combination of messages conveyed by all parts of your body. Your hands are certainly a noticeable and powerful channel for your body messages. Study this video of Allan Pease speaking at the TEDx Macquarie University. 

What might your hands say about you?



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Sloppy TEDx Presentation Opening

"Hi Everyone, ah, Thank you for your time today. It’s, ah, very daunting to get up here after those wonderful talks this afternoon. Ah, I’m here to talk to you about the next generation of the Internet, the way we see it, ah, in particular, the mobile internet, um, I have mobile internet here with my notes, (held up his phone) hopefully the mobile internet keeps working …"

He continued his talk with many more ums and aahs. I wondered if he had prepared and rehearsed his presentation. He cleared up that question by admitting that he had created his presentation on his phone while on the plane. Clearly, he didn’t rehearse.

He seemed proud of that lack of preparation and yet the TEDx organizers still let him speak.

Naturally, I couldn’t stand listening to anymore. I quit that TEDx video after 2 minutes…

There was nothing in his opening to grab our attention, demonstrate that we should listen to him or even respect him.

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Casey Brown at TEDx Columbus Women

"Know Your Worth and then Ask for It"

In an eight-minute presentation, you need to grab the attention of your audience, establish rapport and deliver your message clearly.

Casey Brown succeeded in meeting those three criteria in this presentation. Watch her presentation and notice these powerful techniques in action.

Grab Attention

Notice how she grabbed attention with the first words of her opening. “No one will ever pay you what you’re worth.” (pause) Then she repeats the phrase. After another pause, “They’ll only pay you what they think you’re worth.”

All of that was delivered with a calm and clear manner with a (I’ve got a secret) smile.

That opening grabbed attention, and piqued the curiosity of the audience to listen for more. That’s the purpose of an effective opening. There were no wasted words in her opening.

Establish Rapport

The best ways to connect with your audience are to demonstrate that you understand them and that you are like them.

She was speaking to a predominantly female audience. She pointed out that women are generally underpaid compared to men. She quoted statistics to back up that statement. She identified herself as a female business owner and single parent of two beautiful daughters. Those statements are likely to connect with the women in the audience and many of the men.

Most importantly she used the one powerful technique to connect with the audience – she confessed that she was flawed and afraid. She was hesitant to take her own advice. Many of us appear wiser when we give advice but we often seem to ignore our own advice.

Deliver the Message Clearly

Her message was “You’ll only be paid what they think you’re worth. That was in her opening statement and repeated in her close.

She illustrated that concept in her personal story and in a story from one of her clients.

Casey Brown delivered on these three presentation criteria. Watch the video below.

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