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Using Questions

Techniques > Public speaking > Speaking Tips > Using Questions

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Make good use of questions during presentations for maximum impact and communication. Ways you can do this include:

Opening question: To grab them from the beginning.
Loaded questions: That lead people to think in a certain way.
Probing questions: That get them to think more deeply.
Rhetorical questions: That do not need an answer.
Socratic questioning: That makes them think.
Tag questions: That snag agreement.

Example

Trains are a great convenience in this city of ours, but what if a disaster stopped them running? What would we all do? How would we get home? Trains are essential for the effective running of the city and without them, the city would grind to a standstill. But do we put enough into maintenance? Sadly not. This unthinkable disaster could be with us any day.

Discussion

Asking a person a question has a social norm attached to it whereby the person feels obliged to answer. Whilst asking questions in presentations may not require answers, they still trigger the response whereby the audience will be forced to think of an answer, thereby engaging them in the subject.

As with everything, questions can be over-done and they should be kept for key points where they are used to create emphasis and help the audience remember important facts or consider significant issues.