Engaging Speakers For Panels

If you’re speaking on a panel this month, read this first. I’ve spent 10+ years on panels and moderating them, one pattern is constant and costly. Most panelists don’t struggle with knowledge. They struggle with answering. So they ramble or they stay shallow. Here are three simple structures to answer like a pro, in under 90 seconds. (I teach this to CEOs who have to be on panels) Structure 1: PREP Perfect if you want to get to the point which your audience will appreciate. - P(oint): Answer the question directly with one key point - R(eason): Explain why you make that point - E(xample): Back it up with an example or a piece of evidence - P(oint): Recap the key point Structure 2: STORY-INSIGHT Perfect if you need to first set up some context and also stay memorable. Reply with a story (that you have prepared ahead of time preferably). Follow this structure to tell your story in an engaging way that is within time. - Setting: when and where did story happen - Hero: who was involved (usually someone your audience can relate) - Conflict: what was the big problem - Consequence: what will happen if this problem wasn't resolved (optional) - Sweet spot: what was the positive outcome the hero wish for - Resolution: how was the conflict resolved - Insight: what can we learn from this story Structure 3: ABCIO Perfect if you want to offer depth and spice up the panel discussion. A(cknowledge) - building on (panelist)'s point (a) B(ridge) - we all want (shared goal) C(counter) - but where i differ is (your point) I(llustrate) - in my case, (share story or present evidence) O(pen) - curious if anyone have similar observations/results Want to see this in action? Watch my 90-second response on a panel with the Minister of State at a business panel. This clip went viral on TikTok because my insight (inspired from gaming) resonated with the audience of founders. Any follow up questions on participating in a panel discussion? Ask away in the comment section below.

What does it take to make a great panel? I moderate and participate on an average of a panel each week, and sometimes as many as 3 panels per week, and afterward I often hear how much better our discussion was than the average panel. That's not coincidence: that's because a lot of hidden work goes into making a great panel. So what is the secret sauce? For starters: a compelling topic that offers the chance to explore multiple viewpoints. AI Ethics is top of mind, so our panel last Friday at Columbia University (1st pic) was sure to be intriguing. Another example was four years ago at UN COP25 (2nd pic), when I moderated a panel on how AI could help fight climate change — also highly intriguing! Make sure you start with a topic the audience wants to dig into from multiple angles. Next: a great speaker lineup. Diverse, thoughtful, warm, funny: these are all solid characteristics to design your panel around. You can see in that first photo that we're all laughing (or stifling laughter), but the comment we're laughing at is on-point and relevant. (Art Chang did a phenomenal job curating last Friday's crew.) Finally: preparation. It sometimes helps if the panelists can meet beforehand, but that isn't always necessary. The most critical piece is preparedness, and that mostly falls to the moderator: making sure the topic has been considered beforehand, and that some of the angles of approach have been shared with the speakers so they can think about their answers and viewpoints. Preparation also ensures that the moderator can ask follow up questions to points the speakers raise in the moment, and it's not just a rehearsed question and answer format — because the audience can feel it when it is. (You can, of course, hire me to moderate your panel. But you can absolutely also do this work yourself or within your team and get great results.) If you cover these bases, you are sure to have a much higher-quality panel discussion. Your audience will appreciate it. #aiethics #speaking #keynotespeaker #paneldiscussion #panels

I drove 4 hours through snow to speak on a panel. And said almost nothing. At one point I remember thinking: “Wow. She’s still going?!” One of the other speakers was smart with great ideas. But she just kept talking. And talking. And talking. Here’s what made the drive worth it: I went in with one goal. Share one big idea people would remember. For me, it was the 5&95 Rule from my second book. That was it. Afterwards, people came up and repeated it back to me, verbatim. Most people think panels are about saying as much as possible. Turns out, saying less was the reason people remembered me. Here’s how to make one idea stick on a panel: 1/ Story first, insight second ↳ Open with something real. Land it with a point worth writing down. 2/ Disagree out loud ↳ “I see this differently…” is where panels get interesting. 3/ Shape your answer ↳ “Short answer is X. Long answer is Y.” Structure signals authority. 4/ Build on what was just said ↳ Actually listen. Connect ideas. Don’t just wait your turn. 5/ Specific beats vague ↳ Name the rule. The number. The moment. 6/ Say less than everyone else ↳ If they take 3 minutes, take 45 seconds. Brevity stands out. 7/ Say the thing no one’s saying ↳ Every panel has an uncomfortable truth. Be the one who says it. And one more: Provoke the audience. Give them something to wrestle with on the way home. You can’t control who else is on the panel. But you can control whether anyone remembers you. Go in with one idea. Make sure it sticks. 💾 If this helped, save it before your next panel. ♻️ Repost this to make the panels at your next conference better 🔔 Follow Iona Holloway for more on communicating with impact.