Spring conference season is here. Are you leading a breakout? You’ll want to encourage and engage with questions from the people who chose to come to your session. A user conference is about building a deeper relationship with your audiences, making each person who attends feel like an insider and an evangelist for your community. That’s even more true in a breakout session – they chose yours! You can empower your audience’s curiosity with your responses:
- “That’s a key question. Thanks for giving me a chance to dive into more detail.”
- “I love that question – it’s exactly what we need to focus on.”
- “We were talking about that just last week. Really appreciate your question.”
What if someone asks a question that’s outside of your wheelhouse? That’s FINE.
- “That’s not a question for us in this session, but we can find the right team to help you.”
- “Wow, I have no idea about that, but if you want to ask about widget replication, I’m here for you!”
You don’t have to act like a game show host to lead a breakout. You do you. Be the you that sees and values your audience in whatever way feels right.
Not sure how to crush your next presentation? Navigate tough questions? Need some pragmatic, actionable communications advice? There are tons of resources in poseycorp’s newsletter – subscribe here. Get some skills! Because it’s the great communicators who create the change they want to see in the world!
