How can you get more audience participation in Q&A sessions?

Excellent idea to have a few questions ready to go. We will often share memorable questions that other audiences have asked. Or, we will turn the tables and throw scenarios out to the audience and ask how they would handle them.

I like to have Q&A towards the end, but not at the end so that it becomes a conversation instead. I normally start the question to my audience. For example- now I have shared these tools with you, what are ways you can see yourself using them in your work and life? I ask them this because normally that’s their question to me, and I want them to reflect on it The other way I engage in Q&A is making it after the Keynote as a separate panel conversation with certain individuals that have been chosen in advance. They share their experiences and questions from the audience which I can use as another teaching moment. It becomes very engaging and a quite lovely way to hone in on how to use and implement what I have shared in my keynote.

One of my moderator-mantra's that I teach to my students is: When you want interaction, start with it! When you talk first and only at the end ask for questions, the code is 'sit down, shut up and listen'. When you pick up a few questions or insights from the room first, the code is 'we are in a conversation/you role is active'. This will automatically lead to more questions/engagement. Also, consider making Q&A's less traditional, there's a ton of great Q&A formats out there! Use tech, have small groups prepare questions, crowdsource the most important questions etc.

Along with encouraging questions throughout the talk, consider putting the formal Q&A in the middle of the talk as opposed to at the end. This way, people are more likely to participate since they know that they are not about to pack up and leave. Also, it enables the speaker to pivot the final portion of the talk to address key themes that surfaced in the Q&A.

When speaking to smaller groups, inviting Q&A throughout your presentation and engaging with the audience will make the session more interactive, and likely help the attendees to get more out of the program. If attendees are not volunteering questions, you can call on a few people, and make them feel appreciated and valued for sharing their thoughts with the group. By demonstrating to the audience that you value questions, and you make the process easy, they'll warm up, and more people will participate.

Setting a tone and expectation that you want questions is key. In fact I will ask them if I am clear or if they have questions during the talk.

If I think the audience might be less likely to ask questions, I bribe them. Offering free copies of my book for the "best" question, or a T-Shirt seems to always get them going. Once someone asks the first question, it is hard to stop them.

As a speaker, you can acknowledge audience questions by saying things like "Great question!" or "I'm glad you brought that up." You can also use non-verbal cues, like smiling, nodding, and maintaining eye contact, with the person asking the question. It's also important to repeat or summarizing questions that are asked to ensure that you have understood the question, and also to make sure that the inquirer feels heard. By creating a safe and inclusive environment, where all questions are treated as valuable, it will likely reduce hesitation, and go a long way in making attendees feel comfortable, which will likely encourage further participation.

I agree that positive reinforcement goes a long way. However, I avoid saying, Good question. If you say this to one person and not to others, it can make people feel too insecure to ask a question for fear that they will not receive a compliment. Also, some phrases such as Good question, are more often then not time buying tactics for the speaker.

It can also help to offer multiple perspectives. People want to know the answer more than they want my opinion. So, I often tell them what I would do, and what I have seen others do in a successful way.

Yes! It's always more powerful to leave an audience hungry rather than feeling overstuffed with information. Short stories make the most memorable answers.

To effectively involve the entire audience when addressing a question posed by an individual, you can repeat the question asked back for the entire audience to hear and understand, then ask open-ended prompts, like "How many of you have wondered the same?" or "Who here has experienced something similar?" From there, you can call on someone who either nods their head or raises their hand, or ask someone to share their experience as well. By asking other audience members for their perspectives or examples, you'll be able to foster an interactive dialogue, which invites more people to participate.

I use a QR code that sends them to my Link Tree. There they can choose what resource they need. I also offer to email anyone that asks, a PDF of my deck (so they don't have to take terrible phone pics). Usually encouraging them to connect on LinkedIn is the most popular and appropriate.

To foster audience participation in Q&A sessions: Set Expectations: Begin your talk by mentioning that there will be a Q&A at the end and encourage audience members to think of questions. Pause: After covering significant points, briefly pause and ask if anyone has clarifying questions. Engaging Slides: Incorporate interactive elements or thought-provoking questions in your presentation to stimulate curiosity. Open-Ended Questions: Frame your content using open-ended questions, leading attendees to think deeper about the subject. Comfortable Environment: Create a non-intimidating atmosphere. Remind the audience that no question is a bad one. Gratitude: Smile and openly express appreciation to those who ask questions.

Usually the Q&A will be at the end of a presentation. To get more audience participation in Q&A sessions, you have to motivate people to stick around. Especially during highly attended conference events where there may be multiple sessions at one time, or when it is a virtual event. Keep people in their seats by offering a bonus to people that stay until the end. During your presentation, during topics where they may want extra details, say that, "there will be a bonus that covers this," OR "your bonus page has a link that includes these XX number of free items." Be sure to do this 2-3 times. Create a bonus page on your website that includes value-forward information *just for them* and use a customized link on a slide at the end.