If you are in a panel discussion on stage, it may be good to know how to behave. Here are six quick tips:
- Find out if this is a debate or discussion. Debate is about winning or losing. A discussion has no winner. Instead everyone contributes and listens.
- Ask yourself two questions before you join the panel:
- What do you want the audience to know, feel and do with what you say?
- What would you like to know from the audience? It is almost always possible to get at least a raise-of-hands to create engagement.
- Have a contact with the moderator in advance so that he/she knows what you want, where you stand and what questions that could be appropriate.
- Look at the one who is speaking. If you look at a different direction, the audience will not know what to focus on. If you instead look at the speaker, the audience will do that too.
- When answering the moderator: Look at the moderator first, then go out to the audience and to your fellow panel members, and when you’re finished, return to the moderator. It will be great!
- Associate, reflect, join. Be active. It will be so much more fun and dynamic for the audience than if the moderator has to fight for each answer.
Best of luck with your panel discussions!
//Antoni
