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> >
> The problem with questions held to the end is that (a) sometimes
> questions
> are forgotten as more subject matter has been piled on, and (b) the
> questioners need to take extra time to place the question in context:
> reviewing the area of the presentation that the question stemmed from.
One of the problems with taking questins as they come is that often, the
question is answered during a later part of the presentation.
> I've been in presentations where presenters say that questions are
> welcome
> anytime. And I've been to presentations where presenters have asked that
> all
> questions be held to the end. In almost all cases, I found the former to
> be
> more useful, with the questions always relevant to the matter at hand,
> and
> the presenters always able tom complete their presentation within the
> allotted time. Such methods tend to be much more user friendly, rather
> than
> from the school of
>
I'm-the-expert-here-to-talk-and-you're-the-student-so-sit-there-and-listen.
If I may say so, I happen to be a very good speaker. Between 8 years of
debating and public speaking training, to 15 years of sales, I enjoy
addressing a group. During my presenation, I don't just stand up there
and babble. I ask questions of the audience, invite participation, and
incorporate a number of other techiques. I also don't use a mic since I'm
usualy presenting from inside the group rather than in front on a podium.
The problem I've had (and seen) with taking questions during the
presenation is that you loose control. How many times have you been in an
audience and had someone in the audience that thought the presenation was
only for them and insisted for whatever reason, to "bogart" the speaker's
time.
Another problem is that yer addressing several issues with the goal of
coming to a conclusion. Interruption will sidetrack that process and may
make the conclusion hazy.
Think of a technical presenation the same as a technical document. Throw
all kinds of tangents in the middle of the document and run the danger of
making the content less effective. Why shouldn't a technical speech be
handled any different than a technical document?
One technique I've used is to have an easel just for questions. Take the
question as it comes, but instead of answering it, write it down and go
back to the list afterwards. You find that a number of the questions got
answered at some point.
=====
John Posada
jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com
john -at- tdandw -dot- com
732-291-7811
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Benjamin Franklin
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