Talk Tip: Answer to Everyone

Q: I like a good discussion after I present, but sometimes people want to focus on their little slice of the project, and while I’m answering them everyone else starts reaching for their cell phones. How do I nip that in the bud?

It’s always a balance. On one hand, if you’re in the right meeting, everyone in your audience should have their own vested interest in what you're presenting. On the other hand, as the dreaded “cell phone index” shows you, you risk losing your audience if you get into it too much with just one person.

There’s more you can do besides the reactive, “Let’s take that offline.” Here are three things to bake into your presentations:

1. Set the agenda
2. Start with definitions
3. Bring everyone along

Set the agenda

We shouldn’t attend meetings with vague titles and no agenda, but too often we do. Be a role model. Embed an agenda and statement of purpose into your meeting invitations. Goals are good, too. These common courtesies help you influence your audience before the meeting even starts.

Start with definitions

Begin your presentation by briefly defining what you will cover, why, and your goals. This sounds basic… and it is. Basics are important. Everyone in your audience has a nuanced view of the topic, and even experts can disagree; some would say experts disagree more! So, give everyone common starting points.

Try saying...

• For the purposes of this presentation, we are defining this as…
• Let’s remind ourselves of how we narrowed down this problem to this…
• Great minds disagree, so let’s agree for this presentation to look at it from this angle…
• See more presentation structure tips in Pick 3

Bring everyone along

When someone asks you a question, respond to the room and not just the person. As the presenter, it’s on you to know your audience. Use this knowledge to help everyone connect to the conversation.?

Try signaling this with eye contact:

1. Acknowledge the question while making eye contact with the questioner
2. As you answer, make eye contact with the room as you normally would during your presentation. This helps everyone feel included, keeps you connected to the full group, and reminds the questioner that you’re having a group discussion.?

?Read more Talk Tips?here