We've all sat through endless, unfocused panel discussions. Here are my top 8 tips to running a tight panel:
- Get a strong moderator. Someone who isn't afraid to cut off a rambling speaker. A moderator's job is not to keep panelists happy — it is to serve the audience by managing the panelists.
- Provide a little structure. I always ask panelists to prepare exactly two slides: one story and three lessons. They each get exactly 5 minutes to talk about it. It's a great way to get a lot of ideas out fast and still leave time for discussion.
- Say NO. Don't humor the one panelist who wants to do a demo, show a video, etc. Guaranteed that this is the one that will go way too long with self-promotional babble. Enforce your format.
- Cut off anyone who tries to sell. The audience will love you. The panelist will understand.
- Make sure everyone can see a clock. Humans have a weak sense of time. Put clocks where everyone can see how long they've been talking.
- Everyone gets a microphone. Event planners save a buck by trying to share mics, but waiting for mics to be passed around kills any chance of natural conversation.
- Share a PC. Don't waste time switching between machines — this also kills the conversation flow.