How to Formulate a Relevant question after a Speaking Event
By Michael Simonton
I recently listened to a live talk from a CEO on running his business. It was a great speech, and I learned a lot from his first 30 minutes of monologue.
However, once the floor opened up, I quickly realized that there would be little to no more useful information.
See, I enjoyed the speaker. But, I did not have a question prepared, and was counting on the others to ask relevant, thought-provoking ones.
This is where I messed up as the floor quickly filled with “bright” individuals asking their significant signaling questions — you know, the ones that say, “Look at me! I’m here and I was paying attention. I hope you’ll remember me afterward.”
First off, I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing that. I get it. We all want to be seen, and this is an excellent opportunity.
But please, next time, ask a question that the speaker hasn’t already answered a million times on their social media, podcast, or blog.
Thank you.
1. Do some research
If you don’t already regularly consume the speaker’s content, then spend a few minutes perusing their social media.
If they have a podcast, then listen to an episode or two.
Your goal here is not just to become aware of their content but also to discover what questions they usually get… and then avoid these at all costs.
2. Take notes during their speech.
When its time for the event, bring a note-taking device. Whether that is a pen and paper, or your phone is entirely up to you — just bring something to write on.
During the event, take some notes. These dont have to be anything extravagant, just write down anything that sparks your interest.
If a specific question comes up, jot it down and add what it was in reference to.
3. Formulate a theme.
Once the speaker is done, go through your notes and look for the common theme behind what caught your interest.
Connect those dots and formulate a relevant question based off that.
4. Ask your question.
The floor is now open for discussion, and you want to ask a question. Not necessarily because you have a specific one in mind, but because you know the benefits of signaling through a question.
However, you don’t want to be that guy who asks the same question that the speaker always answers (which you know because you did a little basic research.) So you run your question through what you already know of the speaker, and if it’s relevant and useful, then ask away.
Some questions to ask yourself beforehand are:
Is my question relevant to the speaker?
Ex: Don’t ask a motivational speaker or an actor about their politics. No one there cares, and they are there merely for the topic of their expertise. Stay in their lane.
Does the speaker regularly address a similar question?
Ex: If your speaker talks about writing a fair amount. Don’t ask a generic question about how to improve your writing. If you knew anything about them or listened to their podcast/videos, then you know they have answered this question countless times, and it would be such a waste for them to use this precious time on that question.
Does my question need context?
If you have a question specific to you then consider the context needed. Ask what info they need to know about your situation to answer it and then ONLY give that info.
We don’t need to know your life story — just the surrounding RELEVANT details.
They say there is no such thing as a dumb question.
I would say you’re right. However, there is such a thing as a dumbass’ question.
Don’t be that dumbass.
