sendsteps concept cards

01

No matter how interesting your story is, after

a certain amount of time your audience will

begin to lose focus. Engage your audience

right from the start by asking a question and

then keep the questions coming. The result

is two-fold: you keep your audience’s energy

up and you receive concrete input that allows

you to alter your presentation to suit your

audience’s interests.

Hanging on

your every word.

Involve your audience

during your

presentation.

Learn Involvement

Effect

By asking the controllers

questions about their own

work, their attention was

instantly peaked. And since

questions were asked

throughout the presentation,

they remained engaged. Both

the speaker and the controllers

benefited: The speaker gained

insight into the thoughts of his

team, which helped him during

the afternoon discussions.

The controllers became more

aware of how their fellow team

members experience actual

topics within the team.

During an annual KLM meeting of

financial controllers, the CFO discussed

the annual figures. Before he started

his presentation, he asked his audience

to answer a multiple-choice question

via mobile phone. During his

presentation he also asked them

questions about company culture. By

asking both substantial and practical

questions,

a fairly long presentation

remained engaging to listen to.

KLM CFO discusses the annual figures with the audience.

Best practice

Suggestions

Determine in advance the message you want to get across to your

audience. Help your audience connect to your message by posing

thought provoking questions during your presentation. Sendsteps can

help you with formulating your questions.

One of the questions was:

“How much free cash flow did the KLM

Group generate in the last five years?”

A) Less than € 500 million negative

B) Close to € 250 million negative

C) Close to breaking even

D) Close to € 250 million positive

E) More than € 500 million positive

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+3120 716 3656 or

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We love to think along

with you!

Inspiration02

A speaker’s story quickly raises questions.

How do you make sure those questions

are really asked rather than suppressed?

And how do you do this with a large group

of people? It’s impossible to discuss

everyone’s questions; still you can easily

facilitate the process by discussing a number

of anonymous questions.

Go ahead and ask.

The audience asks questions

to the speaker.

Learn

Effect

The audience, mainly

entrepreneurs, responded

enthusiastically and a lively

interplay ensued between the

Sidekick and the speaker.

Throughout her presentation,

provocative questions were

thrown out to her. This resulted

in some great new ideas for the

company. After the presentation,

the audience remarked how they

loved that they could participate

directly in the presentation. The

speaker stated that she would

use the responses to improve

her next presentation.

During the annual “Food Inspiration” event, the hospitality

industry is updated on the latest trends and developments in

the food sector. The audience was able to ask questions

and comment during the presentations. One of the speakers

was the founder of Shareyourmeal.net, Marieke Hart.

The audience could ask questions via mobile phone and

tablet throughout the presentation. “Questions or comments

for Marieke Hart?”

Founder of Shareyourmeal.net received great ideas from the audience.

Best practice

Suggestions

Create a presentation that consists solely of questions and answers.

Let the Sendsteps Sidekick represent the voice of the audience and create a

smart and contemporary Q & A session.


+3120 716 3656 or visit

sendsteps.com. We love

to think along with you!

03

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear how the audience

collectively views itself? In only a short

time frame, a series of questions will help

you sketch a profile of your audience. Ask

questions about the image of a profession

or reveal a different side of your audience

by asking them unexpected questions. It’s

a nice way to start the day, a rejuvenating

break during a long meeting and an exciting

finale to your presentation.

Mirror, mirror on the

wall. Get to know what the

audience thinks about

itself.

Learn Change

Effect

Although accountants have

an image of not being very

outspoken, it was nice to see

how many comments came

about from the questions.

The session brought up a

sense of belonging, not to

mention, a lot of laughs. At the

reception following the

presentation, there was an

extensive talk about

the findings. Van Riel said that

through the audience interaction

the study came to life.

During the 2013 NBA Accountant’s Day,

Cees van Riel, Professor of Corporate

Communications at Erasmus University

Rotterdam, presented a reputation study

on accountants for an audience of 1,300

accountants. Van Riel tested his findings

to the audience by asking them questions

about how they see themselves. These

questions could be answered via mobile

phone and tablet. Since the audience was

NBA live reputation study with 1,300 accountants.

Best practice

Suggestion

Let a Sendsteps Moderator prepare and guide your session.

the subject of the study, the response

rate was high. One of the questions was:

“If someone at a birthday party asks what

I do for work...”

A) I like to tell them that I’m

an accountant

B) I’d rather keep it a little vague

C) I suddenly remember that I

have to go home


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04

How do you create ownership over an

issue? And how do you make one person’s

issue relevant to the whole group? By

presenting the issue to the audience they

can discuss it as a group first to gain

a better understanding of the matter. The

comments that are sent in, give a broad

insight. Discussing the input during a plenary

discussion allows you to get the issue solved

together!

Many hands make light work. Let the audience work

together on a solution.

Involvement Inspiration

Effect

By using the input of the

morning session during the

plenary afternoon session, the

theme could be tackled from

different angles. “By discussing

the themes in smaller groups, I

noticed that it was much easier

for me to listen and respond with

more detail and nuance during

the follow-up session”, said one

of the managers. The audience

said that everything discussed

that day was actually used to

find solutions.

AHOLD HR managers determine the agenda.

Supermarket chain AHOLD invited its

European HR Managers to an annual

meeting. During this meeting the success

and challenges of the previous year were

discussed, as well as what to focus on

in the new year. The morning program

was planned, but the organization had

deliberately left the afternoon session open.

During sub sessions in the morning,

the discussion groups were each given

Best practice

three questions to discuss. The leader

summarized each answer in a brief text

message and sent it to the organization.

Based on those messages, the agenda

for the afternoon was created. This was

done by a separate team, supported by

Sendsteps. One of the questions was:

“What support do I need from the HR

Management Team?”


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Suggestions

During the presentation you can use the responses that you’ve

received from the audience to formulate relevant multiple-choice

questions about the problem.

These questions add a valuable dimension to the conversation.

05

You have a room full of people, but how do these

people relate to each other? Is there tension

within the group? If so, it might not be the best

environment to begin sharing and discussing.

However, there is an easy way to create a

safe and amicable atmosphere to get the ball

rolling. By dividing the audience into different

groups, and then have them answer questions

via mobile phone, you can clarify differentiating

opinions without having out individuals. By using

a professional, independent moderator, tensions

are released and problems become solvable.

Opening communications within departments.

Let the audience ask itself

questions to understand each

other better.

Involvement Change

Effect

The audience could clearly see

how the questions pointed out

the sore spots. The reason the

dialogue worked so well was

that they could see what the

issues were without pointing

out individuals. Equal time and

energy was spent on each

department, so contrasts

between the departments

became clear. After, a group

discussion ensued in a positive

atmosphere with a positive tone.

A number of challenges exist in the

cooperation between two different

departments. Prior to the meeting, ABN

AMRO created a number of provocative

statements to trigger existing feelings.

Each delegate was asked upon entrance,

to indicate which department he or she

is working for. Then per department, one

would answer questions about the other

department. The results were shown to the

audience and later discussed together.

ABN AMRO Finance and

Risk Management &

Strategy.

Best practice


“What best characterizes your opinions/

feelings about the Finance department?”

A) They are nitpickers.

B) They are whiners.

C) They don’t know the business or

the risks. They always complain

about the costs.

D) “We do not recognize the numbers”


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Suggestions

Spend some time and carefully formulate your

questions. Sendsteps can help you with this.

06

“What do you actually think about this?”

A debate can help to form a clearer opinion.

A subject can be fiercely defended, but

what does the audience actually think about

it?

Will they let themselves be convinced or

will it confirm what they already

thought? Comments from the audience

can help the debaters sharpen their points.

Follow suit.

Vote on

statements

during a debate.

Learn Involvement

Effect

The debates kept the students

engaged and thinking, partly

because their own questions

were constantly being

discussed. The participating

companies felt challenged

and were pleased with the

refreshing approach to the

career event.

After each debate, the

students became more

confident to approach, and

talk with,

the professionals. They also

expressed that the event

gave them a much better

picture of their future fields.

Ten student associations, along with

event agency Conjugo, organized a

career event. During brief debates,

proponents and opponents of various

companies discussed a statement.

After each debate, the same

statement was also presented

to the students. The speakers then

gave a brief response to the

audience with the outcome.

During the debate ongoing

questions and responses were

submitted from

IT students ask questions

to prospective employers.

Best practice

the audience. The input was

regularly delivered from the

audience to the stage by the

Sendsteps Sidekick. One of the

statements of the debate was:“My colleagues are also my friends”

A) Yes

B) No

The audience could respond to these

statements via SMS, internet and

Twitter.


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Suggestions

By letting the audience respond to a statement, both before and after

the debate, it allows you to measure a shift in the opinion. Note:

Sufficient time and input is necessary to genuinely change an

opinion.

07

An interview with several guests at a panel is

a common format for an audience to take in

information. But why limit the conversation to

the information coming from the panel, when

there is much more information to be had from the

audience? By allowing the audience to react to a

number of multiple-choice questions on a screen

throughout the panel, and then showing the

results, you can gain valuable input for the

discussion. The discussion can also be stimulated

by the Sendsteps Sidekick, who’ll regularly bring

up real-time audience comments.

Any other business?

The audience provides live

input during a panel

discussion.

Learn Involvement

Effect

By using this technique, the

interaction was focused and

directed, making space for

audience input. The audience

said that they liked being able

to influence the

conversation. “We were able

to determine the course of the

conversation to

a great extent, so I got notes

on topics that are particularly

relevant to me”, said one of the

guests. The app developers

spoke afterwards about a “co-

creation session”: “We received

honest input from our customers,

it was tremendously valuable!”.

During the FRESH Conference in

Copenhagen, an annual international

meeting for event managers, six app

developers gathered on a panel.

The developers, who develop apps for

the event industry, discussed the apps

with a moderator. The audience consisted

of app customers: event managers. The

guests took their places on the panel. The

Sendsteps Sidekick regularly interrupted

the discussion with input from the audience

App builders receive input from their customers during a panel interview.

Best practice

and a number of delegates introduced

statements to the rest of the audience.

The moderator asked the panel guests to

comment on the statements as well.

One of the statements was:

“Event apps are not sufficiently

user- friendly”

A) Agree

B) Disagree


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Suggestions

Decide in advance what topics you would like to be covered, and then

formulate multiple-choice questions based on those topics.

08

How do you find out what your audience really

thinks? Sure, you can walk through the audience

offering up a microphone for responses and

questions, but you never know what you’ll get -

not to mention you’ll lose out on valuable opinions

and questions from those that aren’t comfortable

enough to step up to the microphone. Instead,

you can give the audience an opportunity to

respond anonymously via mobile phone.

By openly discussing the responses with team

members or stakeholders together, you’ll quickly

get right to the heart of the matter.

Show all you’ve

got. Analyze and

answer questions

together.

InspirationChange

Effect

The employees felt encouraged

by the results on the screen.

After a while they began to

realize it was a safe

environment to discuss some

sensitive

topics. They shared, “Things

must change, but often there’s

so little acknowledgment paid

to the things that already work

well”. At the end of the session,

the board not only received the

voting results, but also gained

a valuable insight from the

employees. This allowed them

to adjust company policy and

communications, and create a

more supportive direction for the

organization.

Employees speak

out about

changes.

The Board of Directors of Libra

Rehabilitation & Audiology had already

spoken with their team about changes

within the organization. However, the board

wondered why the team wasn’t acting

like a cohesive team. Were the changes

clear? In alignment with the organization,

ten statements were presented to the team

and discussed under the guidance of an

independent moderator.

One of the statements was:

Best practice

“I welcome the developments / changes

within the organization”

A) Absolutely, we will benefit from this

B) Most of the time, I understand why

it is necessary

C) Sometimes, it is still very unsettling

D) Not really, I do not understand

why it is necessary

E) Not at all, I have no confidence in


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Suggestions

Have an independent moderator lead the conversation. Sendsteps

can help. We’ve developed some helpful suggestions for using this

technique.

09

Is it possible to involve your audience

before they come to your meeting? And

what about the day after your meeting? Will

everyone simply go back to their day to

day routine? During the meeting there are

several opportunities to connect with your

audience. However, by asking your audience

to think about a topic prior to, and after the

meeting, they become more engaged with

the message you are trying to get across.

From A to Z.

The audience is thinking

throughout: during, before, and

after.

Involvement Inspiration

Effect

There was a high response

rate and the responses were

useful and substantial. The

answers to the question that

was posed before the meeting

were used

by the speakers to prepare their

discussion. It was a great way

to kick off their meeting with

the content and get everyone

involved. The audience shared

that they felt involved during the

entire process.

The meeting “Achmea 2020 - Accelerating

and Refresh” was about the future of the

insurance company. Two days prior to the

meeting the audience was asked a question

by SMS. Then, during the meeting,

questions were asked again. Some of the

answers to the questions were summarized

in a word cloud - a dynamic image in which

the most common responses are displayed

largest and boldest. As such the audience

could visualize what topics were discussed

Achmea’s Top 300 are involved before, during and after the meeting.

Best practice

most. The morning after the meeting, the

audience was asked one last question:

“What am I going to do differently as a

result of yesterday?”. The reactions to this

question were used as input for a follow-

up meeting. The question that was asked,

prior to this meeting was:

“How do you see Achmea in 2020?”


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Suggestions

SMS is a useful tool to obtain responses prior to a meeting.

Make sure that you have access to your audience’s mobile numbers in advance.

10

“Name all of the countries our company

has offices in?” “How often has the Dutch

national soccer team lost the World Cup

finals?” During a meeting, playing a quiz

can offer up a nice break. While they are

answering, you can assess the audience’s

knowledge level of the subject and gain a

better understanding of what still needs to be

taught. At the end of the quiz, announce the

winner and put him or her in the spotlight!

Want to play a game?Let the audience think playfully.

InspirationLearn

Effect

The audience participated

enthusiastically and had fun

during the breaks. The lucky

winner went home with a travel

voucher for a weekend in

Barcelona!

During the break between tennis matches,

the audience was asked eight questions

by former professional tennis player Jacco

Eltingh. These questions were answered via

mobile phone via SMS, internet and Twitter.


“How many AFAS Tennis Classics

have there been?”

A) 11

B) 13

C) 16

Knowledge tested by the public during the AFAS Tennis Classics.

Best practice

After the audience answered all of the

questions, the one with the most correct

answers, and fastest response time, was

called on his mobile phone and could

be heard live in the stadium. He was

invited down to the tennis court where he

received an award from Jacco Eltingh.


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Suggestions

Make the last question one that the audience has to guess at.

For example: “How many followers does AFAS have on Twitter?”

This way, you prevent two people from finishing in first place.

sendsteps concept cards

Documents

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series of questions

practical questions

everyones questions

provocative questions

unexpected questions

audience interaction

number of anonymous