Speaker FAQs

Q. Is it true the presentation doesn't begin until the presentation begins? A. No, that is not true. As the person sponsoring the seminar or meeting – and probably the person paying for everyone's meal – the presentation begins when the first attendee arrives. It's all part of building rapport. "Know that you are ?on' before you give your presentation," says Stephanie Scotti, owner of Professionally Speaking, New Providence, N.J. "Greet the attendees and build rapport as they enter. You can find good tidbits to throw into the presentation."
Q. Do I have to answer every question during the Q&A period? A. No. Scotti says it is OK to sideline questions that would be better dealt with after the session or during a face-to-face meeting at the advisor's office. Doing so helps the advisor stay in control.
Q. Technology is here to make my life easier. Shouldn't I use it as much as possible? A. No. Quentin Steele says an endless procession of PowerPoint slides is an audience turnoff. Fred Knapp, owner of Frederick Knapp Associates in New York, agrees. "The more information there is on the screen to look at the less likely they are to listen." Keep tech use to a moderate level, says Quentin Steele, owner of Quentin Steele Communications in Roseville, Calif., especially since advisors are really selling themselves at the seminar, not products.