Perhaps you've been asked to serve as a panelist in an upcoming panel discussion...and you may be wondering, "What do I have to do to be prepared?"

That's a GREAT question, as I have seen too many panelists do absolutely NO preparation.  Okay, they might have read the descriptive email on the flight into the city or briefly chatted with the panel moderator.  I affectionally call this the "show up and throw up strategy," where the panelists think they can get by with sheer brilliance.

Unfortunately, it rarely works that way.  A brilliant, D.E.E.P. panelist is willing to do the work.  And it's really not a huge lift, but can make a huge difference to the audience and their perceived value. Here's what you need to know.