https://unsplash.com/@climatereality
If you’re like me when you go to talks, panels or book readings, you’re thinking of questions to ask the speaker but rarely get up and actually ask them. Maybe you hate public speaking, maybe you fear others judging you, or maybe you’d prefer to see what other people ask first. In any event, even if asking questions during the Q & A is not your thing, there are other ways to make a memorable impact on the speaker and others at the event.
A few months ago I went to an evening panel talk (about Drugs and the Darknet if you must know) at Open Society Foundations. During the talk the speakers asked if any audience members would volunteer for a role-play. Without knowing what the role-play would be or what would be demanded of me, I volunteered. I usually don’t do things like that. But I quickly calculated—this was an event that attracted many prominent people in my field. I had the goal of meeting as many of them as possible and trying to be memorable. I planned on asking a question at the end, but I fall into that “fear of others judging you” category that I mentioned above. So I knew that there was a good chance that I would chicken out of asking my question. For a role-play, I trusted that I’d be given specific instructions, I’d get my face up there, and after the talk I could easily introduce myself to the speakers as someone who had helped them out when they needed volunteers. By saying yes to the volunteering I was establishing myself as a somebody at the event. It provided me the opportunity of being more than just a random attendee who didn’t contribute much beyond her presence.
So, if you’re someone who is likely not to ask a question at an event but who is interested in strengthening her network, shake things up. Say yes to role-playing or whatever other volunteering the speaker needs. You then become someone who is contributing value to the event. The speaker is looking to you to communicate her point effectively. Try it out and report back in the comments below!