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Many presenters, while accepting
need to sharpen delivery skills, reject idea of a Murder Board, confident they can anticipate difficult questions likely to be asked, and need not practice in front of others, especially their peers. These people may actually be displaying a false bravado to mask their discomfort at speaking in front of a group, perhaps exposing their lack of skill in presentation art, and/or their apprehension at giving a less than sterling performance in front of their colleaqgues.
They are also very mistaken. I have given more than 3000 presentations, and always find it beneficial to conduct a Murder Board before an important talk. No matter how hard we try to think of tough questions that may be asked, a little censor in our mind generally provides only questions to which we already have answers. In my executive training workshops, I always emphasize importance of a Murder Board, and practice presentations made by my clients are set up as Murder Boards to get them accustomed to this simulation.
I am in good company in believing that we need other minds to assist us in preparing for a sales or other presentation.. The man who possessed perhaps greatest mind of 20th Century, Albert Einstein, realized that even he needed help. He once said:
"What a person does on his own, without being stimulated by thoughts and experiences of others, is even in best cases rather paltry and monotonous."
The Murder Board is presenter's version of actor's dress rehearsal, what lawyers do in preparing a witness to face cross-examination in a trial, what flight simulator is to pilot.
Just as with actor, witness, and pilot, this simulation permits presenter to learn from his/her mistakes, so that actual presentation is (1) more responsive to informational needs of audience, (2) answers are developed for likely questions to be asked, and (3) overall speaking confidence and competence enhanced.
The Murder Board enables you to visualize presentation in advance. Not only is proficiency in speaking increased by such a meticulous practice, so too is self-confidence. Public speaking ranks high in pantheon of phobias because, in large measure, of apprehension that one is going to be embarrassed by not being able to answer questions from audience.
If you have been able to anticipate questions, then you can develop answers ahead of time. Think back to when you were in college or graduate school. Your GPA would probably have been higher if you could have seen questions before final exams. The Murder Board permits presenter a look at audience's probable "exam questions."
The only obstacle to developing a question-anticipating simulated presentation is your imagination and willingness to take hard hits in practice so you can be more effective in actual presentation.
