How to Be the Panelist Everyone Remembers

Most people view a conference panel as a low-stakes speaking engagement. They think they can show up, sit in a comfortable chair, and wait for their turn to talk about their business. Because they haven't prepared a script, they assume they can just wing it.

The result is usually a "zombie panel." Four people sitting in a row, staring at the middle distance, waiting for the moderator to throw them a bone so they can recite their bio one more time.

If you want to be the panelist that people line up to talk to during the coffee break, you have to change your approach. You aren't there to give a mini-keynote. You are there to contribute to a contiguous story.

1. The "Call-Back" Power Move

The single most effective way to stand out is to prove you are actually listening. Most panelists are so busy rehearsing their next answer in their head that they don't hear a word their colleagues say.

The "Call-Back" is when you start your response by referencing a previous comment: "I want to build on what Marcus said about the supply chain, because we saw that same friction in our logistics hub." This simple bridge turns a disjointed series of interviews into a unified conversation.

It makes the panel feel like a contiguous whole rather than a collection of random parts. It also makes you look like the smartest person on the stage because you are the one connecting the dots.

2. Kill the "I Agree" Reflex

Politeness is the enemy of a good panel. When the moderator asks a question and the first three people all say, "I agree with what's been said," the audience reaches for their phones.

If you agree, keep it brief and pivot immediately to a new angle. Better yet, find the friction. If a colleague offers an opinion that doesn't align with your experience, say so. "I see it differently, and here is why."

You don't have to be combative, but you should be distinct. Conflict is the engine of narrative. Without it, you are just a group of people agreeing with a white paper.

3. Manage Your Focus (The Spotlight Effect)

Your job doesn't end when you stop talking. In fact, what you do while others are speaking is just as important. The audience's focus follows yours. If you are looking at your notes, checking your watch, or staring at the floor while a fellow panelist is talking, you are telling the audience that the speaker isn't worth their time.

Keep your attention locked on the person speaking or on the audience. By acting as a "spotlight" for your colleagues, you help the audience focus. This collective attention creates an intensity in the room that makes it impossible for people to disengage.

4. The "Sixty-Second Story"

When a moderator asks a question, do not respond with a list of abstract concepts. "We focus on synergy, scalability, and integration." Nobody remembers a list.

Instead, give them a sixty-second story. "We had a client last month who was facing exactly that problem. Here is what they did, and here is what we learned." A story provides a "mental coat hook" for the audience to hang your expertise on. If you give them a concept, they might nod. If you give them a story, they will remember you.

5. Own Your Energy

On a stage, your natural energy is diluted by about thirty percent. If you feel like you are being normally expressive, you probably look bored. You have to "turn it up" just a notch. Lean in. Use your hands. Show the audience that you actually care about the topic.

If you aren't excited to be there, why should they be excited to listen to you?

-BZ