172: Using The Power Of Rhetorical Questions

<p>Questions in general are powerful tools for speakers.  They bring focus to key points we want to get across.  They are particularly useful in getting our audience engaged.  They also have danger within them.  Knowing when to use questions and what types of questions to use are things which must be worked out in the planning of the presentation and shouldn’t be done on the fly.  If you want to get yourself into trouble then ask the wrong question, at the wrong time, in the wrong way and brace yourself for the reaction.</p> <p> </p> <p>There is a cadence to any talk or presentation and in the planning phase we can break the delivery down to five minute blocks.  It doesn’t have to be five, it could be four or six, but five minutes is a long enough time to go deep with a thought, idea or imparting some information without losing the concentration of the audience.</p> <p> </p> <p>Actually, audience concentration spans are a nightmare today.  They have become so short and everyone has become addicted to multitasking.  Even if they are enjoying the presentation, they are scrolling through their screens right in front of you anyway, without any hint of shame.   This is the new normal folks.  We will face this problem forever and we are never going back to the good old days of people politely listening to us right through our presentations.</p> <p> </p> <p>This is why we need to be switching up the presentation every five minutes or so, to keep the audience intrigued with what we are presenting.  This is where great information or insights really help.  The audience access to something new or valuable will pry them away from their phone screens for a few minutes longer.  We will need to be using the full range of our vocal delivery skills to keep them with us.  Any hint of a monotone delivery and the hand held screens will light up and be blazing throughout the room.</p> <p> </p> <p>Questions are an additional assist to break through the competing focus for audience attention.  By simply asking a well constructed quest