100+ Questions to Ask After a Presentation

After a presentation, asking the right questions is key. It can help clarify what was shared, spark more discussion, and ensure everyone’s on the same page. Whether you’re the presenter or an audience member, knowing what to ask can make a big difference.

But how do you know which questions are worth asking? Not all questions are helpful or relevant, and you don’t want to miss out on a chance to gain more insight. So, what are the best questions to ask?

Don’t worry, though. I’ve got some simple yet powerful questions you can ask that will leave a great impression.

Table of Contents

If You Are the Presenter

If you are an audience member, frequently asked questions, final thoughts, questions to build audience connection.

  • Which part of the presentation resonated with you the most?
  • Did anything in the presentation inspire you to take action?
  • How do you feel this information could benefit you personally?
  • Were there any parts that reminded you of your own experiences?
  • Did you find any particular section especially interesting or relatable?
  • What emotions did the presentation evoke for you?
  • How do you see this information fitting into your daily life?
  • Did anything surprise you about the presentation’s content?
  • How did the information challenge your existing knowledge or beliefs?
  • What was your favorite takeaway from today’s presentation?
  • Is there a topic you’d like me to explore further in the future?
  • Did you feel the presentation style encouraged interaction?
  • What question do you think I should have asked the audience during the presentation?
  • How did the content align with your expectations of the topic?
  • Was there a specific part that you felt connected to on a personal level?

Questions to Address Uncertainties

  • Was there any part of the presentation that you didn’t fully understand?
  • Are there any terms I used that need further explanation?
  • Did the data or statistics seem clear, or would more context help?
  • Were there any concepts that felt too complex or confusing?
  • Should I go over any part of the presentation again to clarify?
  • Was there enough background information for you to grasp the topic?
  • Did any section feel rushed, making it hard to follow?
  • Is there anything I can explain in more detail to make it clearer?
  • Were the examples I used helpful, or should I include different ones?
  • Is there anything you were hoping to learn that I didn’t cover?
  • Would you like me to break down any specific points further?
  • Were there any moments where you lost track of the main idea?
  • Did any slide or visual aid need more explanation?
  • Were there any conflicting ideas in the presentation that needed clearing up?
  • Do you feel confident about the main takeaways, or should I revisit them?

Understanding and Retention Questions

  • Can someone summarize the key points I made today?
  • What is the one takeaway you’ll remember most from this presentation?
  • How would you explain the main concept of this presentation to someone else?
  • What are the three most important things you learned today?
  • If I were to ask you about this topic in a week, what would you still remember?
  • What part of the presentation do you think will stick with you the longest?
  • Can you recall the first major point I made?
  • How does the information I presented align with your current understanding of the topic?
  • What new idea or concept did you learn that you didn’t know before?
  • How would you apply the information presented to a real-life situation?
  • Can someone point out the main takeaway from the second section of the presentation?
  • What question do you think I should ask to test people’s understanding of the content?
  • Can someone recall an example I used to explain a key concept?
  • Which part of the presentation helped reinforce what you already knew?
  • What information do you think you’ll need to review to grasp the content fully?

Questions for Self-Improvement

  • What part of the presentation did you find least engaging?
  • Were the visuals helpful or distracting?
  • Did I pace the presentation well, or was it too fast/slow?
  • Was there enough detail to make the content clear?
  • Did the presentation feel too long or just right?
  • How could I make the content more relatable?
  • Was my tone appropriate for the topic?
  • Did I make the main points clear and easy to follow?
  • Were the transitions between topics smooth enough?
  • How could I improve my delivery in future presentations?
  • Was there anything in the presentation that felt unnecessary?
  • Did the examples I used help explain the concepts?
  • How could I make the presentation more engaging for the audience?
  • Was my body language effective in keeping your attention?
  • What suggestions do you have for improving this presentation?

Follow-Up Questions to the Topic

  • Can you explain more about the key points you mentioned?
  • Could you provide more examples to clarify your ideas?
  • How does this information compare to other views on the subject?
  • Could you expand on the background of this topic?
  • What research or sources support your presentation?
  • How does your perspective differ from other common approaches?
  • Could you explain your thought process behind these conclusions?
  • Can you talk more about how this information applies in broader contexts?
  • What are some challenges in applying this concept?
  • Could you provide more context regarding some of the data presented?
  • How did you decide which aspects of the topic to focus on?
  • Could you explore further how this impacts different fields or industries?
  • How has this subject evolved over time?
  • What additional resources would you recommend for further understanding?
  • How do you see this topic developing in the future?

Challenging Questions for Critical Thinking

  • What are the limitations of this approach?
  • Have you considered alternative viewpoints or methods?
  • What would critics of this approach say?
  • Is there evidence that challenges your conclusions?
  • How do you address situations where this idea doesn’t work as expected?
  • What risks could arise if this idea is applied incorrectly?
  • What factors might limit the success of this approach?
  • Are there any ethical concerns related to this?
  • What if the opposite of what you suggest is true?
  • How would you adapt this idea to different scenarios?
  • Are there exceptions where this concept wouldn’t apply?
  • What external factors could influence the success of this idea?
  • How does this fit into the larger conversation about this topic?
  • If you had to critique your own ideas, what would you say?
  • What should we consider before fully accepting this concept?

Application and Practicality Questions

  • How can I apply what you’ve shared in practical situations?
  • What are some first steps to putting this into action?
  • Can you provide real-life examples of this being applied successfully?
  • What should we consider when trying to implement this?
  • What obstacles might arise when applying this information?
  • How does this concept apply in different situations?
  • How can this information be useful in everyday life?
  • What tools or resources would help in applying these ideas?
  • How do you recommend starting to use this information?
  • How does this work for teams or individuals?
  • Can you give an example of this working well in challenging conditions?
  • How long does it usually take to see results from applying this?
  • What are common mistakes to avoid when using this information?
  • Are there real-world examples that show the success of this approach?
  • What should someone know before trying to apply these ideas?

Should you end a presentation with any questions?

Yes, ending a presentation with a Q&A segment is a common and effective practice. It allows the audience to clarify any doubts and provides a chance for interaction. It shows that you are open to feedback and willing to engage further, which can strengthen your connection with the audience.

How do you start a Q&A session after a presentation?

Transition smoothly by inviting the audience to ask their questions. You can say something like , “Thank you for listening. Now, I’d be happy to take any questions you have.” Make eye contact, stay relaxed, and give the audience time to formulate their questions before jumping in to answer.

What should you avoid when asking questions after a presentation?

Avoid overly personal questions or those that might seem confrontational. The goal is to enhance understanding and discussion, not to challenge the presenter in a negative way.

How should a presenter handle questions they cannot answer?

It’s important for presenters to be honest if they don’t have an answer. They can offer to find the information and follow up or suggest resources where the audience might find the answer themselves.

Is there a limit to how many questions one should ask after a presentation?

While there is no set limit, it’s respectful to be mindful of time and the number of other audience members who might also have questions. Asking one or two thoughtful questions is generally appropriate.

Asking the right questions after a presentation can open the door to better understanding and stronger connections. Whether you’re presenting or listening, thoughtful questions help everyone learn more and keep the conversation going.

So, next time you’re in a presentation, don’t hesitate to speak up. Your questions could make all the difference in how well the message is understood and remembered.

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Bea Mariel Saulo

Bea is an editor and writer with a passion for literature and self-improvement. Her ability to combine these two interests enables her to write informative and thought-provoking articles that positively impact society. She enjoys reading stories and listening to music in her spare time.

90 Questions to Ask After a Presentation

Have you ever found yourself mulling over a presentation, wishing you had a treasure trove of questions to uncover the speaker’s insights and wisdom fully?

The right question isn’t just a follow-up; it’s a key that unlocks a deeper connection with the topic. This guide is designed to arm you with a curated collection of inquiries that will enhance your understanding, invite valuable discourse, and help you to apply what you’ve learned.

Let’s dive into the art of the post-presentation conversation and transform every ending slide into an opportunity for continued learning and engagement.

Table of Contents

Clarifying Understanding

  • Could you elaborate on the main thesis of your presentation?
  • What inspired the topic of your presentation?
  • Can you summarize the key points you’d like us to take away?
  • Is there an aspect of your presentation you think deserves deeper understanding?
  • How does your presentation relate to current trends or issues in the field?
  • Were there any counterarguments or challenges to your points that you didn’t mention?
  • In what way does your presentation build on or differ from existing research?
  • Could you clarify the methodology behind your study or findings?
  • How would you explain the significance of your findings to a layman?
  • Is there a particular slide or section you can revisit for further clarification?
  • Could you give an example that illustrates your point about [specific detail]?
  • What were the assumptions underlying your analysis or argument?
  • How do definitions used in your presentation compare to industry-standard ones?
  • Can you clarify the statistical significance of your data?
  • Where might we find more information on this topic if we wish to understand it better?

Digging Deeper into Content

  • Can you expand on how your findings compare to similar studies?
  • How might emerging technologies impact the relevance of your findings in the future?
  • Are there ethical considerations linked to your presentation topic?
  • What are the limitations of your research, and how can they be addressed in the future?
  • How can your research be applied in other fields or industries?
  • In what ways do your findings challenge conventional wisdom?
  • Could you walk us through the process of how you collected your data?
  • How would different theoretical frameworks affect the interpretation of your results?
  • What unanswered questions remain after your presentation?
  • How do you expect the discussion on this topic to evolve in the next five years?
  • What are the implications of your findings for policy or practice?
  • How does cultural context play into the outcomes of your research?
  • Can you discuss any relevant case studies that connect to your presentation?
  • What follow-up research would you recommend based on your work?
  • In your research, what was the most surprising discovery you made?

Gathering Practical Applications

  • How can we apply your research findings in our everyday work?
  • What steps can organizations take to implement your recommendations?
  • Can you suggest tools or resources for applying the insights from your presentation?
  • How might your research influence day-to-day decision-making?
  • Could you provide a real-world example where your findings have been put into practice?
  • What are the short-term and long-term benefits of applying your findings?
  • Who stands to benefit most from the practical applications of your research?
  • Are there certain industries or sectors where your findings are particularly relevant?
  • How will applying your findings change existing systems or processes?
  • What are some common obstacles to implementing your research, and how can they be overcome?
  • How do you recommend staying up-to-date on applications in your research area?
  • Can you suggest partner organizations or groups that are working on applying these concepts?
  • What measures can be put in place to evaluate the efficacy of applying your research?
  • How do you foresee your findings impacting future innovations?
  • What action can individuals take to support the practical application of your research?

Providing Constructive Feedback

  • I found [specific point] very compelling; have you considered expanding on this?
  • Your presentation makes a strong case for [topic]; how could it be enhanced with additional data?
  • I noticed [aspect] during your presentation; could this be a point for further refinement?
  • The visual aids were helpful; have you thought about using more interactive elements?
  • The section on [specific area] was very informative; how can it be made more accessible for beginners in the field?
  • In terms of delivery, would you be open to exploring other formats for your presentation?
  • Your research draws important conclusions; how else might you support them?
  • The pacing of your presentation was effective; could you use a similar approach to emphasize other key points?
  • Given the complexity of your topic, have you considered a follow-up session or workshop?
  • What additional resources or readings would you recommend to enhance our understanding of your topic?
  • Your narrative was engaging; might there be a way to incorporate more storytelling?
  • How might audience participation be facilitated in future presentations to enhance understanding?
  • Were there alternative viewpoints you debated including in your presentation?
  • How did you decide on the structure of your presentation, and what could be changed to improve it?
  • Is there a component of your research that you feel requires more visibility or discussion?

Fostering Engagement and Discussion

  • What questions do you have for the audience that might help further the discussion?
  • How can the audience keep the conversation going outside of this presentation?
  • Are there forums or networks where this topic is actively discussed?
  • Could you propose a thought experiment or hypothetical scenario for us to consider?
  • How can we encourage more interdisciplinary dialogue on this subject?
  • What common misconceptions should we address to clear up understanding?
  • In your opinion, what are the most controversial aspects of your topic?
  • How can we contribute to the body of research or thought around this subject?
  • What role can non-experts play in the discussion of these findings?
  • Can you suggest a way to create a community or collective around this area of research?
  • How would you like to see this information shared or disseminated?
  • What would be an ideal outcome of the discussions that stem from this presentation?
  • Are there collaborative projects or initiatives we could start as a result of your findings?
  • Would you be interested in hosting a series of discussions to delve deeper into certain aspects?
  • How do you suggest we handle differing opinions or debates that arise from your topic?

Exploring Next Steps and Actions

  • Based on your research, what should be our immediate action?
  • What are the first steps to be taken for those who want to delve deeper into this topic?
  • Who should be contacted or involved in further development of this topic?
  • Are there upcoming events or conferences where this topic will be featured?
  • What can we do as individuals to further the research or findings you presented?
  • How can we best track the progress and development in this area?
  • What practical steps would you recommend for a follow-up study or project?
  • Could you outline potential obstacles we might face in advancing this topic and how to overcome them?
  • Are there policy changes or advocacy needed to move this conversation forward?
  • How can the general public be engaged in the action steps related to your findings?
  • What are the most critical areas for immediate exploration or action?
  • Is there a need for collaboration with other disciplines to advance this topic?
  • How can educators integrate your findings into their curriculum or teaching?
  • What funding opportunities should be looked into to support further research?
  • How can we measure the impact of the actions taken as a result of your presentation?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i provide feedback on the presentation style as well as the content.

Yes, but always aim to be constructive and polite. Feedback on presentation style can be as valuable as feedback on content.

What should I do if my question isn’t answered during the Q&A session?

If time runs out, try approaching the presenter afterward or sending a follow-up email with your question.

How can I encourage a discussion rather than just a Q&A session?

Ask open-ended questions that invite the presenter or audience members to share thoughts and perspectives, thus fostering a more interactive dialogue.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it—a comprehensive guide to quenching your intellectual curiosity and contributing valuable insights after a presentation. From uncovering the nuances of presented content to setting the stage for future collaboration, asking these questions ensures that no stone is left unturned.

Remember, the journey of understanding and exploration doesn’t end with the closing slide; it’s merely the beginning. Now, go forth and turn those questions into conversations that matter!

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Tress Academic

Conference speaker answering questions from audience.

#30: Questions from the audience you should be prepared to answer

November 5, 2019 by Tress Academic

You can never know the exact questions that the audience will ask after you have finished a conference presentation. This uncertainty can cause additional stress for you, and put you on edge during your presentation. There are, however, a few questions you can assume that someone from your audience might ask. So why not prepare yourself for these questions just in case? We’ll tell you which type of questions these are, and how you can easily prepare yourself for them. Having answers ready for these standard questions will make the Q&A part so much easier for you and alleviate unnecessary stress on the big day.

When we recently held our course “How to present at international scientific conferences” at a Swiss university, we discussed the Q&A part that comes right after a conference presentation with the participants. They spoke about their experiences at conferences where they presented their research, and everything that made it especially difficult for them. The presentations were always a big cause of stress and anxiety for them – is it for you as well? If so, we have another post from the Smart Academics Blog that will help you to deal with being nervous, see #3: “How to cope with stage fright?” .

If you are not an experienced presenter, it is a pretty big thing to go out and stand in front of a large crowd of colleagues from your field and tell them about your work. What our course participants were most scared of – even more than giving the talk – was the moment after they had delivered their presentation and the session chair opened the floor for questions. This was the moment where the unexpected could happen because they didn’t know what the questions would be. The biggest fear in the moment was to receive questions that they cannot answer or that make them look inexperienced, ignorant or worse! 

We totally understand this fear. Imagine you were well-prepared for a talk and had a good feeling throughout the presentation,  but the questions from the audience could spoil the good impression. Just imagine if you would have no idea how to answer relatively simple questions – this would be a waste of!

Do you have the same fears? We’d love to help you overcome them! There are actually a handful of questions that are very likely to be asked. These are the type of questions that so often come up at conferences, especially when early-career researchers are presenting. You should be prepared for these questions, with an answer in hand, which is not difficult to do! It should be a part of your preparation for the conference talk to think about these questions. You will see, it takes a lot of stress off your shoulders! 

Let us tell you about the most common audience questions at conferences below. If you want to prepare yourself for the next talk, download our free worksheet “Questions I should be ready to answer” . 

Typical audience questions you should have an answer for

1. what’s next … .

Of all the questions that people from the audience could ask you, this is for sure one of the most friendly and helpful ones. This question offers no critique of your work, and it does not ask for clarification of anything you said in your talk. The questioner simply wants to know what your next research steps are. They are interested in your research and express curiosity of how it might go on. 

So, make sure you have an idea about which follow-up steps you want to take with your research. Be prepared to tell the audience a little bit about how you might progress. Think about what you want to say before the question is asked and make a structure of the points you want to say, so you don’t leave out anything important. Use our free worksheet “Questions I should be ready to answer” to help you. 

2. Why should we know more about this?  

If you hear this question right after finishing your talk, you might feel a bit frustrated, or even threatened. Why is the audience asking this at the end? Wasn’t your talk clear enough? Have they not listened to you? It can sound as if the questioner doubts the value or necessity of your work. Or it could feel as if you were not clear enough when describing why you research what you do. 

In fact, this is again a very friendly and helpful question. It has no negative connotation and the questioner has no intention of criticising you or your work. He or she may just want to know more explicitly from you why you did this research and why it is worth doing in such detail. It is a question about the relevance of your work. 

So, what do you do? Tell the audience why you did your research, what you expect as its outcome and give some examples or applications to help them better understand why your work is needed. Use our free worksheet “Questions I should be ready to answer” .  

3. How have you done this …? 

This is a question about your methods or the overall approach you’ve applied. You will probably be surprised to get this question because you’ll think you had explained everything very clearly in your talk. Obviously, this was not the case for the person asking. 

Don’t be scared! You have most likely not failed to talk about your methods, but in presentations, the reporting on the scientific methods that were applied to address a certain question is often the most difficult part for the audience to comprehend. Thus, it is not surprising that questions arise on the matter. 

Properly describing the methods you applied in your research in a conference presentation is challenging. You hardly have the time to go into such detail in order to make the audience fully understand it. In a typical 15-minute presentation slot, which requires time for questions and discussion, so it is really more like a  10-12 minute talk, you have only a few minutes available to explain your approach. 

For this reason, we advise participants in our courses to always keep the methods part of your presentation short, by reducing it to the main steps and avoiding too much detail. You should give only a rough outline of the steps because it is difficult, tiring, and sometimes also a bit boring for the audience to listen to a specific set-up of a workflow or a project when you have not been part of the project.

Instead, spend time in your talk presenting your problem, your findings, your examples, and your take-home message. This is what the audience needs to understand! But of course, it might then trigger a question about HOW have you done it, which again, you can prepare yourself for. It is really a friendly and helpful question from an interested person. The audience shows that they want to better understand how your work was done. 

In your preparation phase, determine which methods or method steps could be unclear to your audience and what kind of information they would need to have for a quick understanding of a complex issue. Use our f ree worksheet “Questions I should be ready to answer” to help you prepare for this step.  

4. What do you mean by …? 

The fourth most common question that you can expect to receive is probably the easiest one to answer. It is a clarifying question where the questioner has not understood a specific term, a process, or an aspect of your presentation that you referred to. 

Questions like this pose no threat but are necessary for your audience to fully get your talk. Don’t forget, you will also have some listeners in your audience that come from other fields and they might not be familiar with your specialist terminology. We can never know what the exact level of knowledge of our audience is, therefore, you will sometimes be surprised to get questions about aspects you think are common knowledge – they probably are not. 

If you follow our rule to only include what you can explain yourself in your presentation, you will never have a problem with this question. If you fully comprehend what you talk about, you will always be able to address this question professionally. If you try to illustrate your vast knowledge by alluding to processes that you do not fully comprehend, you run the risk of not being able to further explain to them when asked by the audience. Keep your presentation air-tight to what you know you know!

You can prepare yourself with an overview of topics and aspects that probably somebody in the audience who isn’t from your field wouldn’t know and potentially need a clear explanation. Our free worksheet “Questions I should be ready to answer” will help you to prepare for this. 

questions to ask after watching a presentation

Naturally, the Q&A part of a conference presentation is the part that you can’t prepare for as precisely as the actual delivery of your presentation. There will always be an element of surprise for you and this is of course also the purpose of this interaction with the audience. They want to experience you off the cuff, where you have to show a bit of spontaneity. They are not coming to see a well-rehearsed play, but a glimpse of the scientists who are conducting this cutting edge work. 

That does not mean everything taking place during the Q&A is random and you have to give yourself over to fate. An audience can feel when you are nervous and they feel for you when you are a less-experienced presenter. Therefore, they sometimes deliberately ask some of the questions above, because they know these are ‘soft-ball’ questions that you can answer. So, make sure you are prepared for them and show your audience that you have done the work and deserve their attention. We wish you best of luck with your next Q&A session! 

Relevant resources:  

  • Worksheet “Questions, I should be ready to answer”  
  • Presentations course “How to present at international scientific conferences”  
  • Smart Academics Blog #03: How to cope with stage fright?  
  • Smart Academics Blog #24: New to the PhD? – 5 tips for a great start! 
  • Smart Academics Blog #26: First conference presentation? 17 life-saving tips
  • Smart Academics Blog #95: Apply these 5 tips to improve any presentation

Relevant courses and services:

  • 1-day course: Presenting successfully at virtual conferences
  • 3-day course: How to present at international conferences
  • 1-to-1 advice: Presentation Check

More information:  

Do you want to present successfully at conferences? If so, please sign up to receive our free guides.  

© 2019 Tress Academic

#ConferencePresentations #ConferenceTalk #QA #QuestionsAndAnswers, #AudienceQuestions

50+ Questions to Generate Audience Participation

50+ Questions to Generate Audience Participation

When it comes to presentations, one of the most important things you can do is get your audience engaged and participating. This can be a challenge, but with the right questions, it can be easy!

In this post, we will provide you with over 50 different questions you can use in your next presentation. These questions are broken down into different types, so you can easily find the ones that will work best for your needs, as well as slide deck recs for each type of question.

Introduction Questions

Using questions in an introduction to a meeting or presentation sets the tone for the rest of your time together. These questions can also give the speaker an idea of the expectations and wants of those in the audience.

While asking some of these questions to a group can quickly devolve into side conversations or serve as distractions, picking one or two of them and having the group answer on their phones can provide real insight. We suggest using the Meeting Kickoff slide deck to quickly ask the questions, get the audience participating, and set the tone for the rest of the meeting.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. Who here has ever been to a meeting where they were completely lost within the first five minutes?

2. How many of you have some knowledge about the topic we're discussing today?

3. What is something you're hoping to come away with after this presentation?

4. What are you tired of hearing about on this topic?

5. What motivates you most to learn about this topic?

6. What can I do to make this presentation valuable to you?

7. If you aren't here due to work obligations, would you still want to be here?

8. How do you prefer to consume information on this topic?

9. Do you prefer presentations/meetings in-person or virtually?

10. What would help you focus for the rest of this presentation?

Word Cloud Questions

Another fantastic way to gauge what your audience feels or thinks about certain topics (while keeping them engaged and entertained) is through the use of word clouds. Unlike open-ended questions, word clouds allow an audience to answer a prompt and give a visual representation to the group on which answer is the most prevalent.

Word clouds are an excellent way to draw a group back in mid-meeting and gauge the mindset of your audience. Slides with Friends has a fantastic Word Cloud Game you can put together in a few moments to boost the participation in your next presentation.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. How are you feeling right now?

2. Who has had the biggest influence on your life?

3. What person in our industry has had the biggest impact on your career?

4. What's something you're worried about professionally today?

5. What's something you're excited about professionally today?

6. What's one of the best ideas our company/group has come up with?

7. How would you describe our last month in one word?

Ice Breaker Questions

If you’re hosting a meeting with a smaller group that’s already comfortable with each other, meeting icebreakers can loosen tongues and generate conversation. These questions are also a bit more fun, perfect for easing into a heavier presentation.

Use our Meeting Icebreaker slide deck to start your meetings with a little bit of sharing and laughter. Setting the tone at the beginning of your meeting will keep the audience engaged throughout.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. What’s your favorite tradition or holiday?

2. What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

3. What is your favorite time of the day? Why?

4. What's one routine that has changed how you work?

5. What's something about the co-worker/person next to you that you appreciate?

6. What's your biggest non-work goal right now?

7. What's something you're willing to share that we don't know about you?

This or That Questions

With larger groups, it can be even more difficult to grab and keep everyone’s attention, much less get the group to participate. The key to using questions with larger audiences is to keep the answers simple and easy to share.

One of our favorite ways of keeping an audience engaged with questions is with this or that questions. Or, as we call them at Slides with Friends, tea vs coffee questions. Our slide deck Tea vs Coffee was created to make engaging with big groups easier, but still fun.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. Coffee or tea?

2. Hot or cold climate?

3. Pager or fax machine?

4. Train or plane?

5. Staycation or vacation?

6. Netflix or Amazon Prime?

7. Mountains or beach?

8. Macs or PCs?

9. Beer or wine?

10. Work from home or in the office?

Discussion Questions

Sometimes to generate audience participation, you need to let them do the talking. This is the concept that inspired the discussion questions we’ve put together. What are things people want to talk about while still staying on topic? What can you ask to get the group involved and engaged without derailing the purpose of the gathering?

With the Brainstorming Session Template slide deck, you can present your questions to the group and either have them answer aloud or through their phones. The key here is taking a step back and letting them lead the conversation.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. What is the best advice you've ever gotten about your career?

2. What was your first job? How has it influenced your career now?

3. How have you seen your industry change in the past 10 years?

4. What is your favorite thing about your job?

5. What is the hardest thing about your job?

6. What are some of the biggest challenges you see in your industry right now?

7. What's one thing you wish was more efficient about your job?

8. What small change can we make today that will shift how we work long-term?

Exit Questions

We’d all love to think every single one of our presentations was a slam dunk, but we know that’s not true. One way to finish up strong and with appreciated audience participation is to ask how you did.

Use the questions below in our Project Wrap Up slide deck to find out how you did and what you can change for the next time you meet. The best way to improve audience participation is to give the group what they want. These questions will help you figure out what that ‘want’ is.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. What was your favorite part of the presentation?

2. What are you going to do with what you learned today?

3. Who is going to help you implement what you learned today?

4. When are you going to start using what you learned today?

5. What's your plan for continuing to learn about this topic?

6. How would you rate the overall quality of the presentation?

7. What could we have done better?

8. Was the pace too fast, too slow, or just right?

9. Did you feel like you learned something new?

Silly Questions

And finally, just for the fun of it, here are a few of our favorite silly questions to ask the crew at your next Happy Hour Hang . Sure, these questions might devolve into laughter, but that still counts as participation!

questions to ask after watching a presentation

1. How would you describe your job to a preschooler?

2. What would your entrance song be if you were coming out on stage?

3. What place in time do you think you'd fit in the most?

4. What do you think is the most overrated show or movie right now?

5. What fictional team (X-Men, Avengers, Justice League) is the best?

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How to Nail the Q&A After Your Presentation

  • Caroline Webb

questions to ask after watching a presentation

You can’t rehearse it, but you can be prepared.

When preparing to give a presentation, most professionals focus their energy on the main portion of their talk — their key messages, slides, and takeaways. And far too few people think through how you’ll answer questions at the end of the presentation can be a big mistake. If you’re worried about how to hand the Q&A, there are several things you can do. Change your mindset. Rather than dreading this part of the talk, develop an appreciation for the conversation. It’s a good thing that people have follow-up questions and want to further engage with your content. Beforehand, think through the types of questions audience members might ask. Put yourself in your shoes and ask yourself what concerns they might have about how your message impacts their job. Then, when you’re asked a question, especially one that might be contentious, start your answer by focusing on where you and the person asking it agree. This makes the person feel seen and connected to you. And if you’re asked a question out of left field, be curious. Ask follow-up questions that help you understand what they’re getting at and where they’re coming from.

If you’re not a huge fan of public speaking , you’re in good company. It’s such a widely shared source of anxiety that when psychologists want to induce unpleasant stress in a person for experimental purposes, they often use a public speaking task called the Trier Social Stress Test . The test requires people to give a talk and do sums in front of a panel of impassive listeners, and it reliably generates stress markers such as a faster heart rate, raised cortisol levels, and “enhanced skin conductance,” which is the polite way of saying sweaty palms.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

  • Caroline Webb is the author of How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life . She is also CEO of coaching firm Sevenshift , and a senior adviser to McKinsey & Company. Follow her on Facebook or Google + . caroline_webb_

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18 common audience questions at academic conferences (+ how to react)

While you can practice your conference presentation a hundred times, audience questions are more difficult to prepare for. Nonetheless, several typical audience questions are frequently asked at academic conferences. Be aware of these questions and know how to react!

Common audience questions about your key contribution

What is your main argument.

Carving out your presentation’s core argument is not an easy task, so it is good to prepare this in advance.

How do your insights differ from previous studies?

You can also criticise previous studies in your answer. However, do this respectfully. Don’t say “ previous studies are useless because they don’t look at…”. Instead, say “ one aspect that previous studies have not considered is …” or “ one element that has been under-researched so far is … “.

What is your theoretical contribution?

To prepare a good answer, think about several dimensions. Does your research confirm or contradict a specific aspect of a theoretical relationship? Does your research highlight the importance of a specific aspect that should be considered in theories related to your topic? Does your research uniquely combine different theories?

Common audience questions about research relevance

What is the scientific relevance of your research, what is the societal relevance of your research.

How to react: Academic research increasingly focuses on societal impact: the impact that research can have beyond the confines of universities and beyond abstract, theoretical knowledge.

Common audience questions about literature and theory

How do you define … .

Furthermore, be prepared to embed your understanding or definitions of keywords and concepts within the existing literature. Did you follow a definition of a certain scholar? Or does your understanding of a term differ from the way it is commonly understood in scientific work on the topic?

What is your theoretical framework?

What is your conceptual framework.

How to react: Your conceptual framework is embedded in your theoretical framework, but concretely describes the variables (and their relationships) that you address in your study. In a way, a conceptual framework provides a roadmap for your research.

Common audience questions about the research process

How did you collect your data.

The question on data collection can be answered skillfully if you can provide information on your data sources and data gathering. You can also share some of the challenges you experienced when collecting data, and how you overcame them.

What did you do to prevent research biases?

Common audience questions about research avenues not taken, have you considered the work of … .

How to react: When doing research, you simply cannot incorporate everything and everyone. At some point, you need to make a decision. However, many presenters at academic conferences are asked whether they considered incorporating the work of specific scholars working on similar topics.

Why did you not use the method of … ?

When you react to this question, you can be completely honest. Maybe you did not use a specific method because of time or budgetary constraints. Maybe you are not familiar with the named method. Or maybe you simply don’t believe that the suggested method would have generated any valuable findings.

If you could start over, what would you do differently?

Common audience questions about research limitations, what are the limitations of your research.

How to react: Every research has limitations. And being able to be explicit about your research limitations is a sign of strength, not weakness!

Are you able to generalise your findings?

For quantitative research, you can more easily refer to numeric criteria that indicate whether you can generalise findings or not. For qualitative research, generalisation may not have been the objective, to begin with. Nonetheless, we can learn from the insights. Be prepared to explain your stance on generalising your findings.

Common audience questions about future research

How will you continue your research.

For instance, which elements would you like to explore that were not covered in your research yet? Which relationship do you plan to investigate further? What is your next research step, building upon your current findings?

What are your suggestions for future research?

How to react: Individual researchers cannot cover everything about an interesting topic on their own. Therefore, a common audience question focuses on research suggestions for other scholars.

What is your advice for people studying a similar phenomenon?

How to react: This is a fun question! It asks you to share your wisdom. Yes, yours! Having conducted your research means you have valuable lessons to share with others embarking on a similar journey.

It can be difficult to come up with good advice on the spot, so make sure to have a few answers up your sleeve. You can, for instance, advise people to start the data collection earlier, to work closely with external partners, or to be open about changes in the research process.

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75 Questions to Ask Guest Speakers During a Virtual Event

Written by Molly Hocutt

Increase attendance with these virtual event email templates.

Whether you’re hosting or attending, a virtual event is a fantastic opportunity to engage with an expert and learn about their experience and insight. For hosts, it’s also a great chance to promote speaking and presenting skills.

To make the most of your event and position your organization in the best possible light, you need to carry out careful research and develop a body of thoughtful questions.

So what are some good questions to ask a guest speaker for an entertaining, enlightening discussion? In this article, we’ll cover the best questions to ask presenters, including topics to avoid and tips to ensure a successful virtual event?

6 Email Templates for Successful Virtual Events

Access these 6 email templates to drive attendance to your virtual events.

Best questions to ask a presenter at a virtual event

Here are five of the best questions to ask guest speakers at your next online event:

  • What’s the best feedback you’ve ever received at work?
  • Do you foresee (trending technology) influencing your field in the near future?
  • What does great leadership look like?
  • What early setbacks later gave you an advantage?
  • What one piece of advice would you have given yourself 10 years ago?

Below, we’ll explore top ice breakers, deep dives, follow-ups, and closing questions.

15 ice breaker questions to get a guest speaker talking

You’ll want your guest speaker relaxed and forthcoming, which is why good ice breaker questions can be so important to set the tone of your webinar presentation .

One good way to put your guest at ease is to find some common ground. This could be a light chat about where you’re from or where you’ve lived. It could also be a story about your family, or it might be a shared interest or hobby.

Getting your guest talking about something lighthearted and personal can be a great springboard for further conversation. But the real value here is in getting you, your guest speaker, and the audience settled in and engaged.

So be expressive when showing your interest, and responsive to what your guest says. Remember, no matter how many people are viewing, you are your guest's most important audience member.

Note: these questions will give you some great ideas. But you’ll want to adapt many of them to your guest’s experience, which we discuss further below.

  • Who are your role models?
  • When was the last time you were surprised or shocked?
  • Tell us something no one in our audience knows about you.
  • What song or album did you listen to most last year?
  • What superstitions do you have?
  • What movie have you seen the most times?
  • What three superpowers would you choose to have?
  • Who would you invite to your ideal dinner party?
  • Who’s someone in your profession you really admire?
  • What qualities do you most admire in others?
  • If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
  • What period in time would you love to have experienced first-hand?
  • What would be the title of your memoir?
  • What’s the number one thing that inspires you?

30 deep-dive questions to get value from your guest speaker

Once you’ve got the ball rolling with a few icebreakers or areas of common ground, you can start probing more deeply into your guest’s experience.

If you can, find a surprising or curious fact about their work or past , such as an early success or hurdle. See if you can home in on this to glean something substantial and unique from your conversation.

On their career and industry

  • What are the biggest decisions you’ve made over the last year?
  • How has your role changed in the last 12 months?
  • How do you see the industry evolving over the next five years?
  • Do you foresee [trending technology] influencing your field in the near future?
  • What’s your secret to dealing with disappointment?
  • What’s the most important thing for you to concentrate on in the months ahead?
  • What are the biggest misconceptions about your work?
  • What would you say makes you different from others in your field?
  • How do you stay competitive in your field?
  • What makes your job exciting?
  • What are the biggest opportunities in the industry out there at the moment?
  • What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the last year in your industry?
  • What’s the best decision you’ve ever made in a professional context?
  • What’s a piece of advice you wish you’d heard at the beginning of your career?
  • What could candidates do to stand out in your field today?

On leadership

  • Can anyone be a leader?
  • In your experience, what’s the most effective leadership style?
  • What’s the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned?
  • What challenges do leaders face when working together?
  • What’s the single most important quality a leader can have?
  • What would make you a better leader?
  • How important are mentors in developing better leaders?
  • How have you improved your emotional intelligence as a leader?
  • How do you resolve conflict within a team?
  • How do you bring about change?
  • How can you get a team to come up with unique solutions?
  • How do you develop a strong culture within a team?
  • How do you get teams to collaborate effectively when working remotely?
  • How do you take steps to improve your leadership skills?

20 follow-up questions to dig deeper

The best follow-up questions help the conversation flow naturally while bringing further insight for the audience. Ask questions like the ones below to keep the conversation going.

  • How did you use your experience to influence your decision-making?
  • What other factors made a difference in your choices?
  • What strategies have had the biggest impact on your success?
  • How well have you maintained a positive work-life balance throughout it all?
  • Would you make the same decisions again?
  • Can you explain your strategy for making informed decisions?
  • How do you get stakeholders on board with your decisions and initiatives?
  • What’s the one thing you’ve learned from your experience?
  • What could have made a difference to how things worked out?
  • What’s the most important skill you’ve developed?
  • How much has luck played a part in your success?
  • How much do your emotions play a role in your choices?
  • Has [current trend] made a difference in how you approach this topic?
  • How do you stay informed about industry trends?
  • What’s one thing you’d change about your field or industry?
  • When did you first realize you’d chosen the right career path?
  • Can you recommend resources for someone who wants to get started in your field?
  • What kind of timeline can someone expect to advance in your field
  • What mistakes did you make then that you wouldn’t make now?

But a great way to get even more value out of your discussion is to involve the audience. One way you can do this is with question upvotes .

With Livestorm you can invite audience members to add their own questions to the Questions Tab. Encourage attendees to upvote their preferred questions. Then, ask your guest whichever ones receive the most upvotes.

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10 fun questions to end your virtual event

What are good questions to ask a presenter after a presentation? A few fun questions can be useful to end your talk on a fun, lighthearted note. You could also use a short video, gif, or image to wrap up the event on a positive note.

  • What three things would go in your room 101?
  • What’s your best tip for balancing work and life?
  • Which app would you most miss on a desert island?
  • What’s the best book on [event topic] you’ve read recently?
  • Why do you love what you do?
  • What’s the best way for someone to get started in your field?
  • What’s the strangest question someone’s asked you in an interview?
  • What’s your perfect evening after a busy week?
  • What’s a motto you live by?

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What makes a good question to ask a guest speaker at a virtual event?

The better you know your guest, the better you’ll craft original, relevant questions that will give real value to your viewing audience.

Even with limited knowledge of your guest’s background or expertise, you can still get your guest talking at length with open questions that consider their struggles, skills, and hopes.

Many of our most meaningful concerns are in fact universal issues. **Use your own experiences to help you formulate thoughtful questions., **

Whenever possible put yourself in your guest’s shoes to consider what obstacles they’ve faced. You may find that you’ve come up against similar challenges yourself.

During your webinar and as your discussion progresses, listen carefully and respond naturally to what they’ve said. Of course, remaining natural and spontaneous isn’t always easy when you have an audience, but with a prepared list of questions, you’ll have lots of good ideas to draw from.

Use this simple checklist to make sure you ask great guest speaker questions:

  • Raise questions that relate directly to the speaker’s presentation
  • Personalize questions by putting yourself in the speaker’s shoes
  • Invite the audience to ask questions from their own perspective
  • Respond naturally with follow-up questions
  • Avoid yes or no questions and provide open-ended prompts instead

Align guest speaker questions with the presenter’s expertise

Having a long list of fantastic questions is vital to hosting a successful conversation with your guest speaker during your marketing event . But even more important is doing background preparation that allows you to best tap into their concerns, passions, and challenges.

Before the event, take time to:

  • Read what your guest has written
  • Listen to what they’ve said
  • Study what they’ve accomplished

Their LinkedIn profile will be a great place to start to find links to published work and interviews. Alternatively, you can simply send them a friendly email and ask them to point you in the right direction.

With a strong understanding of your guest’s professional journey, you’ll be in a good position to guide the conversation through the most interesting and relevant areas of discussion.

How to modify questions for guest speakers

Now that you have a strong body of questions to work with, you can use your interview research to really get the most out of them. Let’s look at some examples of how you can adapt questions to a specific guest.

For our example adapted questions, we’ll imagine the guest speaker is Jenny Stewart, an edtech CEO who’s founded and grown a website providing online lesson resources for teachers.






How do you see the industry evolving over the next five years?

Obviously, we’ve seen a huge amount of growth in online business especially over the last couple of years. You’ve already talked about how that’s affected EdTech to date, but how do you see it evolving further over the next few years?

What are the biggest misconceptions about your work?

You mentioned that as a CEO, people always seem to assume you have all the answers or that you’re an expert in every field. What other misconceptions do you think people have about what you do?

What makes your job exciting?

I think we can all tell you love your job, Jenny, so let’s get into that a bit more – what makes building a website for teachers so exciting? Where does that passion come from?

What mistakes did you make then that you wouldn’t now?

What you said Jenny about being naive seems very understandable for someone starting out. Were there any specific lessons you learned – what mistakes wouldn’t you make now, or what would you know to avoid?

What other factors made a difference to your choices?

So having a pool of expert teachers was crucial to building the resources, but what influenced your choices on resources to create, or how to develop the platform?

Would you make the same decision again?

Even though your decision there was clearly a good one, would you make that same choice now? Has your decision-making process changed since then?

What to avoid when questioning your guest speaker for a virtual event

There are no concrete rules on what not to do or ask during a virtual event. However, it’s usually best to avoid religion and politics. It’s also a good idea to tread carefully when it comes to potentially personal or sensitive subjects.

To be sure you’re on safe ground, consider connecting with your guest before the event starts. Ask if they prefer to avoid any areas of discussion.

During the event, don’t feel you have to urgently fill any pauses with your own thoughts or further questions. Instead, give your speaker the chance to think and reflect before giving you a response.

Also, don’t forget that the success of any virtual event depends on engaging your audience . While your speaker’s presentation will likely do a great job of that, you can also encourage audience participation wherever possible.

Question upvotes and multimedia shares are both great ways to encourage video engagement . With Livestorm you can also create polls to get the audience talking and see how much they agree or disagree with your guest on a particular subject.

Livestorm also supports reaction emojis during live events. Ask attendees to use them to express their support for or thoughts about webinar topics in real time.

Engage your guest and your audience

Your goal with a guest speaker should be a relevant, engaging, and unique conversation. So the importance of careful guest research and interview preparation can’t be overstated.

Where possible, explore their professional history and see if you have any shared experiences you could touch on. You might uncover a surprising fact or opinion that serves as the starting point for your entire discussion.

To make the event more memorable for your audience, involve them in the Q&A process. Livestorm’s question upvotes, polls, and emoji reactions make it easy to involve attendees.

With thorough research, great questions, and audience participation you can host a successful, engaging virtual event.

Frequently asked questions about guest speakers for virtual events

What questions should i ask a guest speaker.

Ask your guest speaker open questions about their career choices, the hurdles they overcame, and their plans for the future. You can also ask fun questions as icebreakers or to break up the conversation. Always listen carefully to your guest speaker, and ask follow-up questions that delve deeper into subjects they’ve raised.

What are good questions to ask a speaker?

Craft questions that directly relate to the speaker’s experience and topic of discussion. Invite the audience to suggest questions so they can engage directly with the presenter.

Avoid asking questions the presenter can answer with one word. Instead, raise open-ended questions that allow for deeper discussion.

How many questions should you ask a speaker?

Ask enough questions to fill the allotted discussion time. Depending on the length of the presentation and the amount of extra time, anywhere from five to 10 questions may be appropriate.

What are good questions to ask a successful person?

Most successful people have had to work hard and negotiate struggles or failure, so ask them questions about those challenges, what key moments made a difference to their fortunes, and what advice they’d give to their younger selves.

How do I find a guest speaker for my virtual event?

Build a network of contacts through work, forums, and social media – especially LinkedIn, where many professionals are also looking to grow their contacts and find partnership marketing opportunities.

When you identify a subject you’d like to discuss, search out specialists within those networks, and consider podcast hosts, influencers, and friends of friends. The best guests are experienced speakers, so also work out your budget and schedules before making contact with a potential guest.

Drive attendance

We share tips to write emails for every step of your event to drive attendance.

About the author

Molly Hocutt - Content Manager

Molly joined Livestorm in 2019 as a Content Manager and manages written content production. Her work focuses on lead generation and organic website traffic.

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  • 7 Tips to Encourage Audience Questions in Your Presentation Q&A

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September 19, 2017

Ever seen a presenter ask “Any questions?” at the end of their presentation, and heard only crickets from the audience?

In my work as a professional emcee and trade show presenter , I see it often, and it always makes me cringe because it’s so awkward, and so completely avoidable.

Asking for questions and getting none kills a presentation’s momentum. It usually goes like this:

  • The presenter, having run out of content, asks “Any questions?”
  • The audience, having no questions, freezes in place.
  • Everyone thinks they hear crickets, though there are none in the room.
  • The presenter, getting no questions, says, “OK, I guess I’m done.”

OUCH. How’d that happen?

Chances are, you caught your audience by surprise. They didn’t know you’d take questions, so they didn’t think of any. When you asked, you caught them off guard.

I want your next presentation to end with a bang, not a whimper. So try these tips to encourage questions:

1. PREPPING YOUR Q&A: PRIME YOUR AUDIENCE

> TIP THEM OFF EARLY:  As you start your presentation, tell your audience: “I’ll take all your questions at the end, so write down your questions as you think of them along the way.”  That’ll get them active thinking of questions throughout your presentation.

> REMIND THEM:  A few minutes before you take questions, say: “I’ve got one more slide to cover, then I’ll take your questions.” That’ll remind them to think of some questions if they haven’t yet.

2. STARTING YOUR Q&A: GIVE THEM A NUDGE

> LEAVE ROOM: Starting a Q&A with little or no time left discourages questions; your audience wants to leave on time too! Instead, carve out 5-10 minutes or more for questions (and cut some content to make room if needed; your audience prioritizes the information they want to get over the information you want to share).

> USE A PLANT: Have a “plant” in the audience who’ll ask the first question (one you’re comfortable answering), which encourages other audience members to ask (and saves them the awkwardness of going first) and gives them time to think of something to ask.

> CHANGE YOUR PHRASING: Your audience may interpret the phrase “Any questions?” as a sign that you don’t expect or even want questions, which discourages them from asking. Instead, encourage questions by phrasing your question with a more upbeat, expectant tone:  “Who’s got a question?” or  “Who’d like to go first?”

> ASK IT YOURSELF: Ask yourself a common question:  “One question I get often is…” Then answer it. Again, this encourages the audience to follow suit, and gives them more time to think of a question.

3. ENDING YOUR Q&A: ADD THAT BANG!

Q&A or not, ending your presentation by saying you’re ending your presentation (“OK, I guess I’m done”) will end your presentation with a whimper. You can easily replace that whimper with a “bang” by restating your main takeaway and thanking your audience:

“Folks, I hope my presentation has shown you that when it’s raining and you want to stay dry outside, use an umbrella! You won’t regret it. Thanks so much for your time.”

And thank you so much for your time!

by Andy Saks

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6 questioning tactics to use in your next presentation that maximise audience engagement

Sophie Thomas

The famous scientific philosopher Thomas Kuhn said, “the answers you get depend on the questions you ask,” so if you’re not getting the answers, or audience engagement you want, maybe it’s time to take a look at the questions you’re asking.

The art of asking the right questions helps you to gain deep insights, support informed decision making and develop effective solutions to any challenges or plug information gaps. You might ask questions for data collection, tests or research, but it’s important to note that the questions you ask can have a huge impact on the results you get.

When it comes to asking your audience questions with a view to increasing engagement, there's several questioning tactics and question styles you can use, and we’ve detailed some below.

Build rapport and warm up with Icebreakers

Icebreakers should be easy questions that don't require too much thinking capacity. They might not be important from an informational point of view, but they have an important function for engagement. Our brain is highly social and thrives on interaction.

By starting a formalised meeting with light-hearted questioning, dopamine is released which lights up the sense of reward in the brain, encouraging this positive behaviour. Using a live polling tool to ask your icebreaker ramps up the interaction and excitement, increasing audience engagement even further.

Kick things off with:  

  • Who will win the match at the weekend?
  • What is your favourite movie?
  • How did you get here today?

Why not download our ready to use PowerPoint icebreakers to poll your audience with?

Ask open questions

Questioning, with a view to increasing engagement, becomes even more effective when you use open questions - especially good if you’re using a word cloud polling tool . Open questions prompt your audience to consider their personal opinions and beliefs in their response, bringing them closer to the subject matter and naturally increasing interest and audience engagement.

Get your audience to open up by asking:

  • What has been your most memorable part of the day/session?
  • What will you do differently as a result of this session?
  • Describe your feelings about the proposed changes in one word... 

Try the 5 W's

Basic though they may be, asking questions that begin with one of the five ‘W's will almost guarantee you an answer that isn't too taxing for the audience to come up with, perfect if you’re looking for data. Combine one of the 'W's with one of these other techniques and you'll amplify the effectiveness.

Why not try...

  • Who, do you find inspirational?
  • What, is your biggest challenge?
  • When, do you feel most productive?
  • Where, should we hold the next event?
  • Why do you think (this resource/product/book/technique) is so popular?

You don't need to get too deep and meaningful with your audience but prompting them to reflect can be a powerful engagement tool for both you and them. Often, we all spend so much time looking forward, that we can forget to take a look back to find lessons or inspiration to help us acknowledge, grow, progress and continue to engage.

Ask your audience to ponder on these...  

  • What has held you back?
  • Who has helped you the most with this project?
  • What would you tell your younger self?
  • How would you approach this differently now you have experience?

Make a statement, provoke a reaction

Rhetorical questions are often used by coaches or public speakers for effect, to get the audience thinking. Why do they work? Typically, rhetorical questions can be blunt or provocative, they can stop the audience in their tracks and prompt them to pay attention or re-engage if asked midway through a presentation or speech.

Rhetorical questions can also resonate strongly, as each audience member ponders the question in the context of their own reality, increasing the poignancy of the question.

How about asking...  

  • Why does this even matter?
  • How do we overcome this?
  • What does this say about who we are?
  • Where do we go next?

Democratic decision making 

We're huge fans of democracy (current politics aside) and nothing engages an audience more than the knowledge that their contribution affects the outcome. Whether you're hunting answers from your audience for the sake of data, to gauge opinion, or to actually make a real-life decision, the use of live-polling will get the crowds engaging.

Multi-choice polling is really effective and increases engagement by giving your audience a sense of autonomy over the decision at hand by providing them with the answers to choose between.   Poll the audience with…

  • How often should we hold these sessions? Weekly, monthly, annually?
  • Where should we go for our next social outing? Pub/restaurant, mini golf, bowling?
  • How is the room temperature? Too hot, Too cold, Just right?

So, now you’ve got 6 question types to try out and engage with your next audience. As a last piece of advice, an engaged audience is a natural bi-product if the information you’re sharing is interesting, relevant and the audience can learn something from you, or about themselves.

questions to ask after watching a presentation

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