Table Topics

4 steps to Table Topic answers

Four-step approach for responding to Table Topic questions:

1. Planning: Think about recent conversations or events you've attended, which may be used as possible answers. When you read the topic, stay silent, breathe, and try to relate the question to one of the conversations or events.
2. Organization: Develop an opening, body, and closing. Many people open by repeating the question - this is a weak opening. Open as you would a speech, perhaps with a quote, statistic, or question. Then make your point (or tell a quick story), and use a close that ties to the opening.
3. Delivery: Don't forget your eye contact, body language, vocal variety, grammar, and pronunciation. Also, watch your filler words.
4. Timing: Most of us are unaware of how much (or little) we say in one or two minutes. This Table Topics exercise forces people to examine how much they say.