Are you planning a virtual event and hoping to spice it up with a guest speaker?
Don’t settle with any old speaker.
Prepare someone who can spark the attention of your target audience, offer insights, and motivate them.
32% of attendees say that an engaging speaker is the most attractive part of the webinar.
Yet, before you can bask in the glory of a successful event, you must ensure that you have the appropriate questions to ask a guest speaker.
Because, let’s face it, no one likes listening to a Q&A when the same old questions are asked repeatedly.
By asking your guest speaker the right questions—those that will get your audience to sit up and pay attention—we can promote an engaging learning experience for both the speaker and the attendees.
What Makes a Good Question to Ask a Guest Speaker at a Webinar?
Make sure you prepare a good question that will initiate an informative response before you ask a guest speaker a question during a webinar. An excellent question should be precise and will focus on the webinar’s subject.
Asking a question that has already been addressed or that is unrelated to the topic at hand will only tend to waste the speaker’s time. An excellent question should also be concise and simple to comprehend. Do not ask a complicated or drawn-out question that could confuse the speaker or other audience members.
Finally, a good question ought to be polite and respectful. Keep your language professional, avoid conflict, and keep it pleasant.
Do Your Homework - What Are Your Guest Speaker’s Passions?
You should spend some time learning about a guest’s background and interests before attending a webinar or event that features them. Knowing what the guest speaker is passionate about can help you ask more meaningful and engaging questions.
Look for information about their professional experience, published works, and any interviews they may have given. To learn more about their personalities and hobbies, you may also look through their social media pages.
You may show to the guest speaker that you are really interested in their work and respect their ideas by completing your homework. You could also be able to find points of connection or shared interests that will make it easier for you to communicate with the speaker.
Do Your Homework - What Are Your Guest Speaker’s Current Challenges?
In addition to learning about a guest speaker’s interests, it might be good to be aware of any of their present challenges or obstacles. By doing this, you will be able to ask timely and relevant questions that will demonstrate to the speaker that you are knowledgeable about their work.
Search for recent press coverage or interviews that mention the speaker’s ongoing activities or projects. For information on their work, you may also check out their websites or social media pages. You can demonstrate your knowledge of the subject and your desire to learn more by asking questions concerning the guest speaker’s current challenges.
Great guest speakers are often very busy, so you should schedule the webinar months ahead. This also gives you some time to prepare the webinar landing page and promote your webinar.
Furthermore, you might be able to provide the guest speaker with insights or recommendations they find useful, which can result in a more effective and interesting session.
80+ Best Questions to Ask Guest Speakers During a Virtual Event
If you’re hosting or attending a virtual event with a guest speaker, you’ll want to make the most of your time by asking engaging and thought-provoking questions that spark discussion and provide valuable insights. Engaging questions will definitely create an interactive webinar environment.
Additionally, you want to listen carefully to what your guest speakers are saying. They might leave breadcrumbs to valuable information that would give you hints where to delve deeper. It might be a fantastic opportunity to uncover something about themselves.
These are the top 80+ most intelligent questions to put to guest speakers at a virtual event in order to get the most out of your time and learn insightful things.
Icebreaker Questions to Get a Guest Speaker Talking
- What inspired you to pursue your current career or area of expertise?
- Can you share a moment in your career that was a turning point for you?
- What challenges have you faced in your work, and how have you overcome them?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
- Can you tell us about a project or initiative that you're particularly proud of?
- What are some trends or developments in your field that you find particularly exciting or interesting?
- What is the strangest question someone’s asked you?
Questions to Ask Your Guest Speaker About Their Career and Industry
- How did you get started in your current career, and what led you to your current position?
- What are some of the biggest changes or trends you've seen in your industry over the course of your career?
- Can you share any specific challenges you've faced in your career, and how you overcame them?
- What advice would you give to someone looking to break into your industry?
- How do you stay current and continue to learn in your field?
- What do you see as the future of your industry, and how do you think it will continue to evolve in the coming years?
- Which earlier career choices lead you to where you are now?
- What is the best career advice you would give your younger self?
Questions to Ask Your Guest Speaker on Leadership
- What are the top skills or attributes you believe are necessary for great leadership?
- How do you create and communicate a clear vision for your team or organization?
- What is your approach to delegating tasks and responsibilities within your team?
- How do you handle conflict or difficult conversations within your team or organization?
- Can you share an example of a difficult decision you had to make as a leader, and how you navigated that situation?
- How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and growth within your team or organization?
- What are the day-to-day challenges that leaders face in your organization?
- What is the most important thing about being a leader?
Follow-up Questions to Dig Deeper
- Can you give me an example of what you mean by that?
- How did you come to that conclusion?
- What factors do you think contributed to that outcome?
- Can you share more about your experience in that particular situation?
- How did you handle any challenges that arose during that project or initiative?
- Can you tell me more about your approach to that particular issue or problem?
- What was the thought process behind that decision?
Fun Questions to Ask During the Webinar
- If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
- What was the last TV show or movie you binge-watched?
- If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
- If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you bring?
- If you could instantly become an expert in any field, what would it be?
- If you could invite anyone to a fantasy dinner party, who would you invite?
- If you could switch lives with any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
Best Questions to Ask Based on the Guest Speaker’s Expertise
Asking the right questions can help you and your audience get the most out of a guest speaker’s presentation. In addition to general questions, it’s important to ask specific questions based on the speaker’s expertise. Whether they are a motivational speaker, CEO, author, or mentor, tailored questions can provide valuable insights and spark engaging discussions.
We’ve compiled a list of the best questions to ask based on the guest speaker’s profession, so you can prepare for a productive and informative event.
Best Questions to Ask a Motivational Speaker
- What inspired you to become a motivational speaker, and what keeps you motivated to continue speaking?
- Can you share a personal story or experience that has taught you an important lesson about overcoming obstacles or adversity?
- How do you stay positive and motivated in challenging times, and what advice would you give to others facing similar difficulties?
- What strategies do you use to help individuals and teams set and achieve their goals?
- Can you share any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance while pursuing personal and professional goals?
- What are some common barriers or limiting beliefs that can hold people back from achieving their full potential, and how can they overcome them?
- What are the qualities that make a great speaker?
Best Questions to Ask a CEO or a Founder
- What inspired you to start your company, and what motivated you to stay committed to your vision?
- How have you navigated challenges or early setbacks as a leader, and what lessons have you learned along the way?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and creativity within your organization?
- Can you share any strategies or initiatives your company is taking to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace?
- How do you balance short-term goals and long-term objectives when making business decisions?
- How do you see your industry evolving in the next five years?
- What do you think sets your company apart from competitors, and how do you plan to continue innovating and growing in the future?
- Is it possible to have a positive work-life balance as a founder
- What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a founder?
- What is the biggest risk you’ve taken as a founder? What did your decision making process look like for that risk?
Best Questions to Ask an Author
- What inspired you to become a writer, and what motivated you to pursue a career in writing?
- What does your typical day look like?
- What is the biggest challenge about being an author?
- Can you share a little bit about your writing process, from idea generation to publication?
- What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from your writing?
- Can you discuss any challenges you faced while writing your latest book, and how you overcame them?
- How do you handle criticism or negative reviews of your work, and what advice would you give to aspiring writers who face similar challenges?
- Can you share any tips or insights for aspiring writers who want to improve their craft and get published?
- What are some of the biggest misconceptions about being an author?
Best Questions to Ask a Mentor
- What do you consider to be the most important qualities for success in your field?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
- How do you stay motivated and maintain a work-life balance in your career?
- Can you share any experiences where you faced a major challenge and how you overcame it?
- What are some strategies you use to maintain a positive and productive mindset when faced with difficult situations?
- How do you define success for yourself?
- How do you approach risk-taking and decision-making in your career, and can you share any examples of how this approach has led to success?
- What is the single most important quality in a mentor? What about a mentee?
- Who are your biggest role models?
Best Questions to Ask a Potential Keynote Speaker
- What is your area of expertise and how does it relate to the event's theme?
- Can you share an example of a recent keynote speech you delivered and its impact on the audience?
- How do you customize your message to fit the specific needs of an audience or event?
- What are some innovative approaches you use to engage audiences and keep their attention throughout a keynote speech?
- What are the biggest challenges facing organizations or individuals in your area of expertise, and how do you address these challenges in your speeches?
- How do you measure the success of a keynote speech, and what metrics do you use to evaluate your impact on an audience?
- How do you leave a lasting impression on your audience?
FAQ - Questions to Ask Your Guest Speaker
What to Avoid When Questioning Your Guest Speaker During a Virtual Event?
There are a few mistakes to avoid when asking your guest speaker during a virtual event in order to have a productive and interesting discussion. First, avoid asking questions that are too broad or generic, as they can be difficult for your guest speaker to answer in a meaningful way.
Instead, concentrate on particular subjects or experiences connected to their area of expertise or business. Moreover, try to refrain from asking intrusive or overly personal questions since this may make your guest speaker feel uncomfortable and perhaps cause the conversation to fail.
Finally, avoid interrupting your guest speaker or dominating the conversation, as this can come across as rude or disrespectful. Keep in mind that the objective is to lead a fruitful and informative conversation that benefits both you, the other audience members and your guest speaker.
How do I Find a Guest Speaker for my Virtual Event?
There are a few measures you may take to discover the best speaker for your virtual event if you’re searching for a guest speaker.
Consider first asking for suggestions from your professional network or sector groups. These sources frequently include insightful information on possible speakers who could be a good fit for your event. In addition, you may look for speakers online through speaker bureaus or directories, which let you filter results based on factors like availability and skill level.
Once you’ve created a list of possible speakers, spend some time carefully researching each one, checking out their previous lectures, client recommendations, and internet presence to make sure they complement the topic and objectives of your event.
Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out directly to your top choices, providing a clear and compelling pitch for why they should speak at your virtual event.
Key Takeaways for Questions to Ask a Guest Speaker
Asking questions during virtual events is an effective way to engage with your guest speakers.
To make the most out of the Q&A session, it is important to ask relevant and concise questions that have not already been addressed during the presentation.
This may be accomplished by paying close attention and conducting some preliminary background and interest research on the speaker.
That’s how you’ll get insightful and informative answers.
Also, it’s crucial to refrain from posing improper or off-topic questions that could ruin everyone’s experience as a whole.
By keeping these tips in mind and preparing a thoughtful list of questions to ask a guest speaker, you can make your virtual event a more engaging and enriching experience for all participants.
So go ahead and start brainstorming those questions to ask a guest speaker!
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