Preparing thoughtful questions for guest speakers can make or break your event’s success. As an event planner, knowing how to craft engaging questions for guest speakers is a crucial skill that often gets overlooked in the planning process.
Picture this: You’ve booked an incredible keynote speaker for your upcoming conference. The stage is set, the audience is buzzing with anticipation, and then… crickets during the Q&A. Your well-intended “Any questions?” is met with awkward silence and shuffling feet.
Every event planner has been there, and it’s a sinking feeling. But what if you could spark a lively, insightful discussion that leaves attendees raving long after the lights go down?
Lets jump into the nitty-gritty of asking compelling questions for guest speakers. When you ask the right questions, you create space for speakers to share their unique insights, anecdotes, and hard-won wisdom. You enable lightbulb moments that shift perspectives and catalyze change.
In this ultimate guide, we’re not just sharing our favorite questions to ask speakers. We’re equipping you with a framework to:
- Thoroughly vet speakers and align their expertise with your audience’s needs
- Elicit stories and sound bites that make your event memorable and shareable
- Navigate sensitive topics and off-limits subjects with finesse
- Keep the conversation flowing and on time during a live Q&A
- Build authentic connections with speakers that pave the way for future collaborations
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time planner, mastering the art of questioning will take your events to new heights. Grab a notepad, and let’s dive in!
Start with Empathy: Understand Your Speaker’s Perspective
Imagine being in your speaker’s shoes. You’ve poured your heart into a presentation, shared stories that left you vulnerable, and now you’re standing at the front of the room, awaiting questions. What would make you feel heard, respected, and excited to engage?
Before brainstorming questions, put empathy at the forefront by:
- Researching your speaker’s background, personality, and communication style
- Reviewing their past presentations or interviews to understand common themes
- Considering any sensitivities or off-limits topics based on their experiences
- Reflecting on how you can create a warm, welcoming Q&A environment
This empathetic approach lays the foundation for crafting questions that resonate and building authentic connections between your speaker and audience.
Tailor Your Questions to the Speaker’s Unique Insights
No two speakers are alike – that’s what makes them so fascinating! To draw out your guest’s one-of-a-kind perspective, tailor your questions to their distinct experience and expertise.
For example, instead of asking a generic question like “What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?”, you might ask a VC-turned-CEO:
“You’ve sat on both sides of the table, first funding startups and now leading one. What are the top traits you looked for in founders then, and how has that informed your own leadership style now?”
See how that question invites a much richer, more personal response?
To craft tailored questions:
- Jot down the key themes, accomplishments, and turning points from the speaker’s bio
- Note any recent news, projects, or accolades that you could weave in
- Look for intriguing paradoxes or juxtapositions in their background (like the VC/CEO example)
- Connect the dots between their experiences and your audience’s interests
The more specific your questions, the more valuable the answers will be for your audience.
Empower Vulnerable Sharing Through Open-Ended Questions
The most memorable speaker sessions are those where the audience feels like they’re getting a backstage pass to the unfiltered truth behind a polished facade. As the interviewer, you hold the key to creating this sense of vulnerability and authenticity.
Your secret weapon? Open-ended questions. Unlike yes/no questions, open-ended questions empower the speaker to share their experiences, stories, and opinions in their own words.
Some of our favorite open-ended question starters:
- “Tell us about a time when…”
- “What’s one thing you wish you had known…”
- “How has [experience] shaped your approach to…”
- “In what ways has [challenge] been a blessing in disguise for you or your business?”
Also, don’t shy away from the tough stuff. Asking about failures, setbacks, and hard-won lessons can yield some of the most powerful insights. Just be sure to frame them sensitively, like:
“We often hear about your wins – and there are plenty of those! But I’m curious, can you share a failure or challenge that ultimately made you stronger as a leader?”
Lean into Emotion and Storytelling
Maya Angelou put it perfectly: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The same goes for speaker sessions. Attendees may not remember every data point, but they’ll definitely remember the goosebump-inducing story or the aha moment that shifted their entire perspective.
To draw out these memorable moments, lean into emotion and storytelling in your questions:
- “Paint us a picture of the moment you realized…”
- “How did it feel when you first…”
- “If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice…”
- “What’s the proudest moment of your career so far?”
Speakers are natural storytellers. Give them the opportunity to flex that muscle, and watch your audience get swept up in the narrative.
Give Speakers the Spotlight (But Keep Things on Track)
As the interviewer, you play a key role in setting the tone and pace of the Q&A. Your job is to give speakers the space to share their insights while also keeping the conversation on topic and on time.
Here are a few techniques to strike that balance:
- Listen actively: Make eye contact, nod, and give verbal cues like “mm-hmm” to show you’re engaged. This encourages the speaker to keep sharing.
- Embrace the pause: Don’t rush to fill every silence. Give speakers a moment to collect their thoughts, and often they’ll dive deeper into the topic.
- Have follow-ups ready: If a speaker gives a short answer or veers off-topic, have a related follow-up question ready to get things back on track.
- Be mindful of the clock: If you’re running low on time, it’s okay to gently interrupt and say something like, “I want to be respectful of our time, so let’s move on to…”
- Prepare a closing question: Have a thought-provoking final question ready to wrap up the session on a high note and leave the audience buzzing.
Remember, your role is to be a conduit for the speaker’s insights and the audience’s curiosity. When you strike the right balance, magic happens.
Leverage Diversity & Representation for Powerful Conversations
At IconEleven, we believe that diversity and representation are key to creating experiences that resonate with all attendees. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the questions we ask our speakers.
When crafting your questions, consider:
- How can you amplify diverse voices and perspectives?
- In what ways can you challenge assumptions or biases?
- How will you create an inclusive environment where all speakers feel heard and respected?
Some of the most powerful moments we’ve witnessed on stage came from asking speakers to share how their unique background has shaped their leadership style, or what challenges they’ve faced as an underrepresented voice in their field.
Remember, your questions set the tone for the entire conversation. Use them to promote the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Keep the Momentum Going After the Event
Crafting compelling questions is just the beginning. To keep the momentum going after your event, consider:
- Sending a post-event survey to gather attendee feedback and additional questions
- Sharing key quotes or insights from the Q&A on social media (with the speaker’s permission)
- Following up with the speaker to thank them and explore future collaborations
- Creating a blog post or video recap highlighting the top takeaways from the session
At IconEleven, we’re committed to helping you build authentic, long-lasting relationships with your speakers. Our concierge approach means we’re with you every step of the way, from finding the perfect voice for your stage to ensuring a smooth and successful event.
Conclusion: Questions Are Your Event’s Superpower
In a world where attendees are inundated with information, it’s the moments of genuine connection and aha insights that make an event unforgettable. And those moments often come from the questions we ask.
By crafting compelling, tailored questions for your guest speakers, you create space for vulnerability, storytelling, and game-changing conversations. You bring out the best in your speakers and leave your audience inspired to take action.
As you plan your next event, remember: your questions are your superpower. Wield them wisely, and watch as you create an experience that resonates long after the final applause.
Ready to take your events to the next level? Let IconEleven be your partner in finding and amplifying the voices that will captivate your audience. Contact us today to start the conversation →
