How to Test Knowledge During a Townhall Meeting

Opening Phase

As you start your town hall meeting, it is important that you have an opening phase. This will give people the chance to ask questions and give your audience context for the rest of your presentation. You should always try and make sure that there is a live Q&A in this phase. Doing so will help you find out what topics are most important to them, as well as allow you to address any misconceptions or misinformation they may have heard elsewhere. It also gives them a voice at the beginning of the meeting before they see all your slides.

Why do a live Q&A

A live Q&A is a useful tool for any townhall meeting in which people want to test their knowledge and create a sense of openness with the public. It's a way of bringing people closer by taking them into the workings of your company from the inside. The opening phase is usually the time when you speak about general concepts, but it can also be used for a live Q&A if that's what you choose. People may have more questions at this point, or they may feel more comfortable asking them out in the open instead of waiting for an opportunity later on in your speech. Opening with a live Q&A is a great way to get feedback and gauge how well you're doing as you go through your presentation.

The Closing: did testing knowledge go well?

Reflect on how the townhall meeting went and if the live Q&A was a useful tool to improve this meeting. Also, it it was useful for the process of testing knowledge during the meeting.