By Adam Turteltaub

Most every SCCE or HCCA conference has panel discussions led by a moderator.  Done well, they can bring tremendous insights.  Done poorly, and the audience may walk out or, even worse, doze off.

Richard Bistrong is a veteran speaker and moderator.  He advises that it’s important for moderators to think of themselves as supporting actors and not stars.  They are there to stimulate engagement with the audience and bring out the best in the presenters.  That means making sure that the conversation covers the key points, moves along deliberately and that there is ample time for questions at the end.

In this podcast he also shares his advice for selecting panelists, scripting out questions, building rapport among panel members, and the role of slides:  use them to support the conversation not serve as a script.  Finally, he discusses the importance of the final question for every panel discussion.

Listen in to benefit from his expertise.  And, if you want to learn more, he recommends a recent article in The Atlantic.  You can also find additional advice at the bottom of the Call for Speakers page on the SCCE and HCCA websites.