Adam Boggs

Simple polls and quizzes are great to take the pulse of the audience; but are very shallow and encourage surface level participation rather than deep thoughtful engagement. A more sophisticated and user friendly platform is Meahana.io, which emphasizes structured, goal-oriented activities that link to one another and integrate seamlessly into the narrative of your presentation. The result is maximum engagement that highlights even hybrid attendees just the same as those in the live audience. For us as speakers - we also capture tremendous amounts of valuable data.

It may feel awkward at first, but before I go on a big stage - or high stakes pitch, and my heart starts racing (it always does), I breath in 2, out 4, then in 3 then out 6, then in 4 and out 8. On the exhales out I say out loud (yes, out loud) "You're in control". Breath in 2, "you're in control." Breath in 3, "you'rrree in controll." Breathe in 4, "yooouu'reee innn connnnntrollllll"

Trust in your preparation and don't overthink. A good pitch as an element of a flow state - being adaptable and ready to improvise. In the movie 'For the Love of the Game', Kevin Costner plays a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. At a crucial moment in the story, he’s on the mound facing down a batter. People in the crowd are telling insults, a nearby train blows its horn, and there are a million other distractions. In that moment, he knows he has to focus on the most important thing at hand: pitching his best game. He says one of my favorite lines to himself: Clear the mechanism. He knows he’s got to step away from the thinking part of his brain and let his instincts take over. He’s got to perform, but his thinking is getting in the way.

Broaden your response, especially when responding to a tough question, it's essential to go wider with your response to include insights that may be relevant to others in the room. This approach makes your answer more inclusive and ensures that the entire audience benefits from the exchange. It turns a potentially intimidating moment into an opportunity for shared learning and growth.

Summarize in your own words is great, even better, if the question is too dense of complicated, simplify it or use a metaphor to translate it to the audience. Whoever asked the question, use their name if your response.

While thorough preparation is often seen as the key to handling tough questions, there's another perspective worth considering. As a Business Artist, I advocate for a balance between preparation and the freedom to improvise and innovate in the moment. Over-preparation can stifle creativity: One of the greatest strengths of a Business Artist is the ability to improvise and adapt in real-time. Over-preparation can lead to rigid thinking, where you are so focused on delivering a pre-formulated response that you miss the opportunity to connect authentically with your audience. The most successful people in business often improvise, going with the flow rather than sticking strictly to a script​​.