Professional panel moderator, Kristin Arnold asked this question of Jeffrey Hayzlett, a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of C-Suite Network, how to handle a panelist who just won’t shut up during a panel discussion at meetings, conferences, and conventions.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Jeffrey, what do you do with a panelist who just won’t shut up?
Jeffrey: I cut them off. “John, John, I’ve heard this point already. Well, we’re moving on. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. But we’re moving on now, John. Again, you’ve said it. This is the third time you say it. We don’t need to hear it four times, John.”
You know, I, you have to be that person. All right. And that’s okay. As the interviewee or interviewer to be that you’re the head of the panel to do that. It’s okay to be that way now. And by the way, they, they don’t, they won’t yell at the organization. They’ll yell at you. That’s okay, that’s fine. Again, that’s my job, my job. That’s the ground rules. Those are the things we’re going to do. I’ll be respectful. It doesn’t mean I have to always be polite, especially, and we’ve all been at least, if you’ve been in that seat, you’ve been there before where someone dominates the entire thing or, or you know, is trying to speak on every point or two thirds or whatever. And, and what, I don’t, I don’t always point that out, but what I do is go to the other people and never go back to that person.
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Kristin Arnold, professional panel moderator, and high stakes meeting facilitator is on a crusade to make all panel discussions informative, interactive, and interesting. Specifically, she wants to help YOU become a better panel moderator. Why? Because 95% of annual meetings have panel discussions – and according to the 2014 Panel Report, it’s a fifty-fifty proposition they are any good at all! Expectations decrease dramatically when your attendees walk in and see the traditional draped head-table with microphones on short stands. There are sooooo many other ways to have a stimulating conversation! So let’s increase the probability of success for your next panel discussion with these resources.
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