Presentation Skills: Never Wing It—Part 1 of Presenting as a Panelist
I don’t know which is worse: being trapped in an audience listening to panelists who sound as though they were recruited in the hallway five minutes before the program began . . . or being a panelist asked to “fill in” for a no-show and then doubly doomed with an unprepared moderator.
Disaster. Look for the nearest exit.
To make your panel performance a positive and pleasurable experience, consider these tips.
Ask the moderator for any prepared questions or topics ahead of time so that you can organize your thoughts and have supporting data or illustrations at your fingertips. Although you may be an expert on the assigned topic, most people don’t think as clearly and express themselves as well “spur of the moment” as they do when given a few moments to consider the question or issue. Specific illustrations, anecdotes, or statistics drive home your points and make them memorable. Why talk in generalities when you can be specific and authoritative?
Prepare talking points. Just because you are “sharing the stage” in an informal setting, don’t try to “wing it.” Know what you plan to cover and how much time you have to speak in any prepared opening comments or responses. Some people consider an invitation to be part of a panel a “low-key” assignment that requires no time or prep. Wrong. Don’t just open your mouth and babble when it’s your turn to enlighten the group on your topic. Make a point—or three.
Develop some sound bites to capture your key points. Picture the local TV stations replaying parts of your panel discussion on the morning news programs the following morning. What 10-second or 20-second clips would they lift from your comments? Create short, pithy statements that your audience will remember next week or next month. Clever trumps mundane.
For tips on how to interact with other panelists, read “Holding Your Own with Other Experts” in Part 2 of this series on Presenting as a Panelist.
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