Transcript

During the Q&A, one of the things I see that entrepreneurs do a little bit too often is they railroad their audience. Imagine a train that’s flying by at 80 miles an hour. Somebody asks you a question, and then you quickly answer the question, “[Rarararara], next question,” and somebody asks you a question, “[Rarararara], next question.” That’s really no way to keep rapport with an audience. It’s their first time hearing what you have to say. You may have heard the question a thousand times before, but this is the first time they’re asking it of you, so relax, slow down a little bit. You don’t have to speed through your answer so you can get to the next question. The important thing is keeping that rapport that you have with an audience.

Another thing I see people do when they’re answering questions is what I call the “gunslinger.” It’s like you have two six-shooters on the hips, and the first question that comes up, boom! Answered. And then somebody asks another question, boom! Answered. And guess what? Now you’re not going to get any more questions. Nobody likes to be attacked or shot with an answer that fast. Just as in the speed of your answer, slow down on how quickly you start the answer. Give people a chance to think about the question that was just asked, and you might find that people will appreciate your answer a whole lot more, and you’ll get more questions.