How to Avoid the #1 Facilitation Nightmare

How to Get Massive Audience Participation during Q&A

You’ve trained, prepared, trained, and prepared some more. You arrived early, scoped out the room, even got all your IT and microphone issues sorted. Water? Check. Timing? Solid. Hit all your main points? With aplomb.

You were so nervous preparing to facilitate this presentation and now everything seems to be going according to plan. You transition from presentation mode to Q&A, and ask,

“Does anyone have any questions?”

Silence. You look around. People avoid your gaze. You wait some more. Crickets. “Anyone? Anyone???”

With no takers, you thank the audience for their time, wrap up, and exit the stage with your tail tucked between your legs.

What happened?

Was there anything you could have done to prevent this ignominious ending?

It’s a nightmare for most presenters to invite the audience to participate and have no takers. If we are honest about what is happening, it is NOT that you did such a great job no one has any questions. The more likely explanation is the audience feels no connection with you or what you presented. They are either apathetic, confused, scared, or asleep.

While the presentation itself is the #1 reason no one in the audience asks a question, there are some things you can do to draw people out. How you handle the lead up to Q&A and even how you ask the question itself can make a big difference in people’s willingness to participate.

In the following video, the first of ten in my Five-star facilitation series, we cover “How to Deliver an Amazing Q&A.”

Don’t leave your Q&A to chance. Find out what you can do to turn your quiet Q&A into a Killer Q&A!

Joe Kwon, the Connection Counselor is a leadership coach and keynote speaker who helps elevate careers by unlocking the ability to better connect with yourself and others. Contact him if you'd like his help.

To find out more and to access free leadership videos, podcasts, and guides, go to www.connectioncounselor.com.