Audiences often have unspoken questions in their minds and become frustrated if the speaker neglects to answer them. You don’t have to be a mind-reader to make a calculated guess at these questions and build in the responses without waiting to be asked:
- Unspoken questions about YOU: audiences want basic facts about the speaker that will build their confidence in your credibility. Give them appropriate information and tell them what makes you uniquely qualified to talk about your subject.
- Unspoken questions about the topic: audiences don’t just want endless information, they want to be drawn in. Tell them why the topic is important for them and what makes it especially relevant for THEIR goals.
- Unspoken questions about what happens next: audience hate to be left in the dark or confused. Always be clear about what you are asking them to do or in outlining the next steps i.e. who will do what/when.