By Navigator member Walter Blackburn, Managing Director and Founder, PeopleTrack
At the end of a presentation or teleseminar, what do you do when you ask “Any questions?”, and no-one answers?
Try saying this: “I’m sure that many of you have questions you’d like to ask – so who’s first?” or even more simply: “Who has the first question?” If no one answers, then I suggest that you ask yourself a question to get things going:
“One of the questions that I’m often asked is……….” and then you answer it and follow that with “so who has the next question?”. In other words you’re demanding questions, not simply asking for them.
You could prompt them as you give your presentation to think of and write down the questions that theywould like to have the answers to, so that they have something to work with at the end.
And if, before you start the presentation, you’re not at all confident that anyone will ask a question prime a friendly audience member to ask a first question.
Walter Blackburn
Managing Director and Founder
PeopleTrack Limited
Tel: 0845 122 7117
www.peopletrack.co.uk
Discover your Empathy profile at www.empathystyles.com/questionnaire.htm