poseycorp helps innovators become great communicators. (Sometimes by sending out helpful stuff in a newsletter.)
ISSUE 164
Yay for industry panels!
“The rules of improvisation apply beautifully to life. Never say no - you have to be
interested to be interesting, and your job is to support your partners.”
-- Scott Adsit
Fall conference season is here. You are invited to speak on not one, but a few industry panels. How can you be the panelist that everyone remembers? You can be gracious to your fellow panelists and make the whole conversation better!
The famous rule of improvisational comedy, “YES, AND” applies perfectly to participation in a panel. For example, your fellow panelist Gretchen says something about weather patterns and supply chains. You can add, “Gretchen’s exactly right, weather can be so disruptive to any supply chain. That’s why our AI solution is essential for companies who want to gather and
interpret all of the world’s weather data to ensure their products can be delivered on time.”
Or your fellow panelist Don says, “We don’t believe that manufacturing companies are ready for AI” and you can say, “Don is correct that there’s resistance and misunderstanding. And yet, we are seeing some companies achieve real gains as they embrace the technologies that are right for them.”
You need two skills to be a great panelist: Listening and pivoting.
You actively engage in listening as the moderator asks questions, whether they are directed to you or not. You listen to what your fellow panelists say. An idea sparks. Then you use your second skill, pivoting.
A pivot is a graceful transition from point A (what you are hearing) to point B (what you want to say). It’s vital that you have clarity on your point B - your message. You cannot build a bridge to nowhere. If you speak up and pivot and don’t deliver anything worth saying, you’ve wasted the audience’s time!
In a way, a panel is a hybrid between a
speech (you create and deliver compelling content) and a media interview (you actively listen and pivot). Bring both skills to the table and you will be a great panelist!
“It feels good every time I talk to you,” said a client who needed (and got) a lot of support and encouragement.
If you’d like great results, schedule a conversation with me! It’s easy! Reach me at inquiries@poseycorp.com.
Not sure how to crush your next presentation? Persuade that difficult customer or team member? Navigate tough questions from regulators, press, your boss? How about some pragmatic, actionable communications advice?
If you are a startup founder, an intrapreneur at a company, or a leader looking to grow, consider Office Hours with Lisa, a great way to get bite-sized, personalized communications coaching. Because your business must scale and you must scale with it. Because it’s the great communicators who create change!
