Ah, rhetorical questions. They are a favorite tool of public speakers. But are they useful?
(Don’t answer that!)
Rhetorical questions are asked not for the answer, but for the effect. But the truth is, your audience wants answers, not questions. In your next speech, avoid a barrage of rhetorical questions. Instead, flip the narrative and express your point using clearly worded statements.
In this episode of Talk Like Someone’s Listening,we see why rhetorical questions are not the answer.
If you like these tips, there’s more where that came from. Register for our December 7 Content Framing and Storytelling class. It’s a full-day, highly interactive session in Columbus, Ohio.
And if you missed our previous Talk Like Someone’s Listening videos, you can watch Take a Breath, Three Is the Magic Number, Translate Your Science, The Joke Will Be On You, Short Words, Big Impact, Watch the Clock and Death by Bullet Point now.
About Talk Like Someone’s Listening
Public speakers tend to make the same mistakes over and over. We decided to have a little fun with them. “They Want Answers, Not Questions” is the eighth video in Articulation’s “Talk Like Someone’s Listening” video series. Watch for the final episode in this comedic series soon.
Co-Produced by Brant Jones and Articulation /Milligan Communications LLC
Directed and Written by Joel Levinson