Perfecting Your Panel Presence

With the spring conference season winding down and months before the autumn season, it may feel like a time for spokespeople to go into hibernation. But as any top athlete knows, championships are won due to the practice in the off-season. Similarly for spokespeople, much of what ensures an impactful panel appearance is the preparation that happens in the weeks and months before taking the stage again.

We all know that speaking slots at the major conferences – SuperReturn, Davos, Milken, among others – are highly coveted. Getting a spot is an affirmation of you and your firm’s expertise, but more so, it’s an opportunity to engage with potential partners.

But too often, between the time a speaking slot is secured and the time to take the stage, life, work, and other responsibilities get in the way of training and practice. While top athletes and spokespeople can often deliver a solid performance on short notice, preparation is what guarantees a winning appearance.

Here are some best practices that will help you ace your next panel.

Know your purpose – While getting a speaking spot is a great achievement, your purpose goes beyond just showing up on stage. Every conference has an audience, and within the audience, there is likely a more niche group that you and your firm would like to engage, whether it be potential investors, new talent, or other potential partners.

Your panel topic will be set by conference organisers, but it is up to you to determine two to three key messages that you want your niche audience to hear. Within that, there should be some sort of call to action. You may be speaking about macroeconomic topics, but the underlying message you want to deliver is that your audience needs to be reading your research, for example. References to research as well as your role within your industry peppered throughout your remarks are a subtle way to encourage your audience to engage with you after the panel.

Be precise – There is no doubt that by virtue of being on a panel that you’re a seasoned representative in your field. But it’s important to remember that your co-panellists can also say the same. What sets panellists apart is the details. The panellists that own the stage are the ones who can go beyond generalities and deliver compelling anecdotes and datapoints that help the audience not only hear what you’re saying, but visualise it as well.

Practice – Even with key messages and datapoints mapped out, they are of little value without practicing aloud. Most conferences provide prep calls with the moderator and other panellists. Use this time to get a sense of what will be asked on the panel and the points of view your panellists may share. You may find that you all have a similar viewpoint, in which case you will need to work to differentiate your messaging. Alternatively, if you have a contrarian point of view, you’ll want to look for ways to respectfully disagree.

Even if the panel topics are mapped out, things may not go as planned on stage. The questions may be different than what you assumed, a co-panellist may talk over you, or a sudden news development may make your points feel obsolete. By practicing your key messages in the days before the panel, you’ll be better equipped to deftly navigate back to your planned remarks if the conversation veers off course.

Stay on point – This is always tricky when you must travel to appear on a panel. Not only are you taken away from your daily routine but, if you’re maximising your conference time, your schedule is likely packed with meetings, lunches, dinners, and — let’s be honest — some late nights.

For the evening before and morning of the panel it is important to maintain good habits. What does that mean? Meals that are easy on the stomach, a good night of sleep, and a few moments of peace 10 – 15 minutes before you’re due to arrive. Athletes live by these routines to get their mind and body “game ready.” There is no reason the same can’t work for spokespeople!