Tuesday, February 28, 2017

How moderators can draw out panelists to get more content

Smart panel moderators would do well to listen to journalists who do great on-air interviews in live settings, to learn how to frame questions, how to interject, and how to get the most out of your panelists. It's why I spend a lot of time listening to podcasted interviews, and one of my favorite interviewers is John Dickerson, host of Face the Nation on CBS.

On a recent Face the Nation (audio link), Dickerson interviewed Ohio Governor John Kasich about health care and reform of the Affordable Care Act, and Kasich said, "There's going to be a problem in the House of getting anything out of there that still provides coverage to people, and that's why the Republicans have to reach out to the Democrats."

"Explain that problem to me," Dickerson interjected, and got a more specific, more nuanced answer out of the governor, one that got to the conflicts in Congress that might get in the way of reform.

Here's why it works:
  • It's a simple declarative request: Not "would you like to explain" but "Explain that..." The shorter form helps it work as an interjection, and the language is neutral, allowing the answer to be whatever the speaker wants.
  • Including "to me" keeps the circle of connection seemingly small, almost as if you are asking the speaker to ignore the audience for a moment. That's fun for the audience, and may get you a better answer, one that is more specific and personal.
  • Most of all, asking someone to explain the problem keeps the content from skimming over some important nuances. Instead of letting his interviewee (or your panelist) get away with simply saying, "There's a problem!" you are there to ask what the problem is. It avoids assumptions and prompts the speaker to be more specific.
Steal that tactic for your next panel, moderators...


(Creative Commons licensed photo by Donkey Hotey)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Logistics and the panel moderator: 8 types of questions to ask

I'd love to tell you that moderating panels is all about how you look and sound on stage, and to some extent, that's true. But the smart moderator starts her interviewing with the event organizers, to learn the answers to these 8 categories of questions, at a minimum.

Each of the answers will have an impact on your time management, speaker interaction, and audience approval:
  1. Food service and noise: Is there a meal going on while we're speaking? Before? After? When does the meal service begin and end?
  2. Announcements: Does someone from the organization need to make announcements at the beginning or end? How much time will you need?
  3. Gifts: Are you compensating the speakers or presenting them with a gift? Do we need to work presentation of the gift into the panel time, or will you do that offline?
  4. Registration: What do the speakers need to do about registering? What do you need to do?
  5. Audio-visual needs (AV): Do you want to let the speakers use slides, video, audio or other media? Who is handling the logistics and equipment? If you won't have any equipment, will we be making that clear in advance? Who will let me know the AV needs and the sequence (if any) in which they need to be incorporated?
  6. Introduction info: Who's in charge of collecting the speakers' bios and photos or other advance material? When will I have access to their bios?
  7. My introduction info: Do you need a bio and photo for me? When do you need it?
  8. In-room support: Can someone meet me a half-hour before the session to go over setup and AV?

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Municipal Art Society)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

When your moderation gig is a seated, on-stage celebrity interview

Once a novelty, the seated on-stage interview with a high-profile speaker has come back into vogue, particularly in the high-tech world.

Here's how it works: Both speaker and moderator are seated in comfortable, overstuffed leather chairs set at an angle to each other and facing the audience. The speaker may be a genuine celebrity, in which case, the interviewer often is as well. But more commonly, the speaker is a celebrity in your field, and as the moderator, you're considered an expert who can hold her own in interviewing a leading light in your industry.

Why do we see so many of these on-stage interviews? This format is preferred for celebrity or high-profile speakers who do not wish to prepare remarks in advance. Instead, the moderator-interviewer poses questions. Typically far from contentious, these interviews generally avoid challenging the speaker's statements. That means you may wind up sounding ridiculous, as if all of your questions are a variant on the theme of "Tell us again how wonderful you are!"

Depending on the situation, this format may not include taking audience questions at all, particularly when the audience is very large. Another option may involve receiving and screening audience questions in advance or on the spot. As a moderator, you'll look smart if you can come up with semi-challenging questions that the speaker can answer without risk, and that's a true balancing act.

I think the biggest trip-up for these interviews lies in the lack of danger: When both speakers are seated and live-audience questions are not included, the moderator needs to work even harder to be engaging and to help the speaker do the same, while fighting the body's natural inclination to get less energetic while seated. A challenging moderation task, particularly if the speaker expects you to merely introduce her and stay out of the way.

My ebook, available at the links below, shares all the types of moderation gigs with what you should consider before you say yes--including question to ask the conference organizers.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Matthew Hurst)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The all-in-one on introductions: For panel moderators

You can make the argument that introducing the panel is the main job of the moderator (although it's more complex than that). Introductions set the stage, establish the theme, and lead to clearer understanding between speakers and audience members. If you're just reading someone's bio, there's much more to learn about proper panel introductions in these 8 posts loaded with help and perspective:
  1. Toward better panel introductions shares my most important do's and don'ts for this key task. Start here for intros that will delight speakers and audiences.
  2. Your introductions should *not* steal the speakers' best content, and I have 3 good reasons why, tempted though you may be.
  3. Using a three-speaker limit to keep panels on time works to reduce time for introductions, always an important part of your time calculations.
  4. Does the moderator need a script? Yes, she probably does, and the introductions are a major part of the reason why I recommend it.
  5. Embracing your inner housekeeper as a moderator will help you avoid common complaints like intros that take almost as long as the panel itself. (Yes, audiences notice those.)
  6. 3 rhetorical devices even moderators can use include some that fit nicely into your introductions back-pocket.
  7. Should the moderator introduce herself? may sound like an obvious question with an obvious answer. But many moderators miss this opportunity.
  8. Does your pronunciation of panelists' names matter? Yes, but not for the reasons you may be thinking. It has less to do with offending and more with comprehension and connection.
You'll find much more about introductions in my ebook at the link below. Enjoy expanding your range with this critical skill.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by UN Women)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.