HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am kicking off 2024 with a series of Thursday LinkedIn posts on some short thoughts about what I'm calling the "Unarticulated Question." These are the concerns our audience members or our prospects have—questions that are critical to them, yet they don't actually come out and tell us!
For example, have you ever sat through a meeting or presentation thinking, "When is this person going to talk about ____?" This kind of thinking and questioning can dominate our involvement (or non-involvement) in what could otherwise be a great experience. On the other hand, imagine how you would feel if you knew the presenter had YOUR question in mind. We, the audience, would be reassured that they would address our question with the answer we are seeking.
So, consider this for your next presentation: As the leader, frame the topic and then immediately (within the first 5 minutes) put the audience into small groups of three. Ask them what question they had for this meeting. This lets them articulate their question, and it only takes 3-5 minutes, which you can then debrief with them using a paper chart…which becomes your new agenda!
When’s the last time a presenter did that for you? Have you ever tried it yourself?