TOP TEN PUBLIC MEETINGS TIPS

The ability to persuasively express ideas that generate trust and confidence in others is a trait common to all successful professionals. Particularly, during a townhall meeting.

Understanding how to develop concise messages for a controversial issue that will be presented to a group that may include upset, angry or frustrated people is vitally important. WPNT offers its Top Ten Townhall Meeting Tips gained from nearly 15 years of townhall meetings. These guidelines are especially relevant when the communications environment is punctuated with hostility, suspicion, concern, lack of trust, or lack of credibility.

BE CLEAR

Make the purpose of the meeting absolutely clear. If you are genuinely seeking public input, then show people you are listening by taking lots of notes. Explain the format for the meeting and the expected outcome. Review how notification of the meeting was handled and apologize in advance for not notifying some potentially interested groups or individuals. Highlight the additional forums, vehicles and methods that will be used to solicit input.

BE CANDID

Candor builds credibility; credibility builds trust; trust builds acceptance. Be candid about the affect of your project or proposal and your vested self-interest. Don't beat around the bushes. Admit it if you'll create a traffic nuisance, loss of use of land, odors, or whatever. Tell the truth, tell it well, tell it early, and tell it yourself. Let the bad news come from you, not your adversaries.

SHORT ANSWERS

A straight question deserves a straight answer. The audience welcomes phrases such as, “The simple answer is ” or“The short answer to your question is...” Most presentations are too long. Seldom does anyone leave a meeting wishing that the speech or presentation were longer. Say less, and say it better. And in a tense or difficult setting, very few audience members will be won over by being talked into submission. Conversely, it is possible to score points by listening an audience into submission.

BRIDGE

Bridge to your key messages again and again. Make the bottom-line of your presentation unmistakably clear.

EMPATHIZE

Listen closely to the intent of the question. What emotions are driving their query? Anger? Fear? Distrust? Victimization? Make certain your answer begins with an acknowledgment of their feelings. Many times a person will ask a technical question driven by an emotional concern. Address the emotion first. Then tackle the technical aspect. Most people who have taken time out of their busy schedule to sit through your presentation simply want to be heard. They want to know their concerns are being registered. Seldom do they appreciate you “straightening them out on their facts and data.” Rather, they want to know, “Do you care?” Show them you understand (or respect) their feelings. Be a good listener.

AVOID DEBATING

During the Q&A session don't debate audience members. There's a skill to taking questions in such a manner as to not end up in a back and forth with individual audience members. After three or four questions it is acceptable to limit the participant to one more question in the interest of using everyone's time wisely. Another option acknowledge that the interrogator seems to have a number of detailed questions and invite them to meet with you at the break or after the meeting to enable you to give them the in depth answers their questions deserve.

USE OF EXPERTS

If you are using a table of experts to help field questions and comments in the Q&A, create openings for them to showcase their knowledge and their different approach or style. But make sure they are trained in public dialogue and know how to deliver the team's key messages. If a panelist wishes to intervene or offer a comment, they should signal their intent to the moderator or lead speaker through eye contact or a small gesture. Panelists must avoid the temptation to over-answer a question or to give multiple answers. Keep it short and simple.

AIM FOR THE MIDDLE

Remember to aim for the audience in the middle. You will not win over everyone. You cannot please some people. Acknowledge that there will be differing opinions. It's okay to disagree. When you press your point, put it in terms that are meaningful to the center audience; those who have yet to make up their minds are the fence sitters.

ANECDOTES & STORIES

Demonstrate your awareness of who is in the audience and what is on their minds. Call them by name if possible. Mention discussions you'sve had with audience members before the meeting or at a break. Use anecdotes and stories to reflect to the audience that you have given serious consideration to who they are, how your project or presentation affects them, and what's on their minds.

LISTEN

When you fail to listen, to empathize, and to bridge to your key messages you begin to lose. By losing you may in fact be certifying an “anti-you” union among those present at the meeting. Failure to listen and care can make a difficult situation much worse. You may energize and activate a constituency who will make it their business to fight you at every turn, to test your pain threshold.