Lessons Learned from Serving as a Panelist at the Under 25 and Ready to Thrive Conference

A long time ago, I learned that it is important to take advantage of everything that comes your way because you just don’t know where it could lead. Last month, I received an email from Next Gen email list about upcoming opportunities for speaking, funding, and startup marketing. On the email was an opportunity to apply to talk on a panel about entrepreneurship at Johnson and Wales University’s Under 25 and Ready to Thrive Conference. The conference intrigued me, essentially the premise was that many alumni 40+ come back to the university to speak, yet students don’t often hear from the younger alumni or people to learn from. The organizer of this conference wanted to change that and give students an opportunity to see and hear from young successful entrepreneurs who were around their own age.

Thus, I decided to apply and went through the interview process. After some time, I was selected to participate in the panel discussion with 4 other exceptional entrepreneurs. Each entrepreneur brought something different to the table from starting an Airbnb for storage to reliving women of menstrual pain. The crazy part was that everyone selected on the panel was under 25, 2 people were just 18 years old, 1 person was 21 and 2 of us were 24. I was very excited for the event, not only to travel to Rhode Island for the first time but to participate on the panel.

Sitting in the airport, I realized that I had no idea how to be on a panel. I had spoken at conferences and for students before, where the topic and outline is all me, but this was different. So I started looking into the steps needed to prepare for a panel and how to standout from the other panelists. Instead of keeping it all for myself, I decided to share my learnings.

After doing some research this is what I found:

• Serving as a panelist not only provides great exposure for you and your company, but it automatically designates you as a subject matter expert.
• The panelists who often ramble on and on are the ones who just show up and wing it. The ones who shine are the ones who prepare.

Pre-Planning

• Learn from the panel moderator
  • Topic of the panel and how she envisions your role
  • The names of the other panelists
    • Gain an understanding of what each of them will discuss to ensure you are not all covering the same ground
    • Describe the key messages that you want to communicate, be flexible to other panelists if they want to discuss the same topic
  • Who will publicize the panel and if the panelists are expected to do their own PR
  • If the panelists will be seated at a table or asked to present at a standing lectern
  • If there will be a panel twitter hashtag so that members of the audience and your team can tweet your comments to their twitter accounts
  • Whether questions will be permitted during and/or after the panelists speak.
• Once you gain this understanding and the content is set, then practice your key messages. Practice until you feel comfortable.

 

During the Seminar

• Distinguish yourself by wearing color – a memorable color
  • Females – red, yellow, bright pink or blue (best to wear pants)
  • Men – bright colors or colored shirt and colored socks (best to wear a tie, and long socks to cover your bare calf)
  • Polished shoes
• If one of the panelists is talking a lot and the moderator doesn’t jump in, you can step in when she is taking a breath and say “I’d like to elaborate on your point, Susan.”
• Don’t strive to be a “yes” person, different points of view excite the discussion and generate audience questions
• Build your case by using stats, case studies, and magic words like “For example…”
• Audience members are often aware of panelists before the formal panel even begins. Be sure to smile or greet people. Your demeanor should generate warmth rather than being perceived as distracted, impersonal, neutral or even aloof
• As other panelists talk, stay engaged in listening and matching the speaker with occasional facial expressions.
  • Even though you are not talking, you are still “on”
• Use names of the other panelists when possible and thank whoever put the event on

 

Follow Up

• Have handouts for the audience with your bio, contact information (and social media), and a resource list for the audience to find more information
• If you talk about a lot of resources, you can provide a handout afterwards with the main points and contact information
• Have double the amount of business cards you think you need
• Respond to each email with a personal thank-you.
  • Have a quick phone call or personal meeting if appropriate
• Continue the discussion with followers on social media using the panel Twitter hashtag or on your blog
• Send thank you notes to the other panelists and the moderator
  • This gives you the opportunity to build the relationships and other engagements

 

Majority of the information came from:

https://www.presenting-yourself.com/business-presentation-skills/how-to-distinguish-yourself-in-a-panel-discussion/

http://www.dom.edu/sites/default/files/documents/TIPS_FOR_PANEL_PRESENTATIONS_STANDARD_FORMAT.pdf