During the presentations, the questions and answers are used to find out to what extent people know or understand the concepts that you are interested in sharing with them. It is also a good opportunity to show them that you also have a good sense of humor. This stage is one more means to allow your audience to participate in it.
The most commonly used, or perhaps the most boring, way is when it comes to opening this session by saying is there a question to ask? Or "now let's listen to the questions the audience has for me."
To make a presentation more fun, both for them and for you, it would be interesting to show them that you enjoy talking to them and that you are a fun person. Why don't you try to open the question stage with a touch of humor, like for example, the last time I had a presentation about 10 years ago…. One of the first questions they asked me was do you have time to ask…? And limit something fun in your life.
If you want to captivate your audience, try within your possibilities to do something different from what others do, break the ice with a funny phrase or explain something that has something amusing in between.
Spend some of your time thinking about possible questions they might ask you and the answers you want to give them. If you already have an idea of what the possible topics will be covered in the questions, write something that is humorous, something that has happened to you, anecdotes are a good recipe for cutting the ice of a very formal presentation.
If you make ingenious comments, the public will feel less pressure when they have to ask you, they can share their opinions with a certain degree of spontaneity.
What if no one dares ask the first question? This problem can be solved very easily. You stand in the middle of the stage or wherever you are and start talking to your audience, ask them questions, for example, if they would like to be part of a survey that will take place at the end of the presentation or that you are investigating the profile of the different audiences where you have performed and would like to be part of the group to share their impressions of the talk, and when they start to raise their hands, it is the right time for you to say something related to humor, or that these questions were for try to break that atmosphere of such seriousness or whatever you can think of to write so as not to be formal all the time.
To turn your presentation into a great event, it is important that you combine your text with some humorous anecdotes, which allow you to relax and enjoy what you are doing. Beyond that your purpose is to publicize your position, knowledge or techniques on certain topics, it is essential that you connect with your audience, it is they who will give you the success you want as a public speaker.
