This Flow Structure may be the ultimate form of Audience Advocacy. It takes the audience’s point of view, immediately involving them by saying, "You might be wondering … " and then answering the question for them. Of course, it’s best if the questions are ones that your audience members are likely to have in their minds rather than ones that you strain to devise. The use of the Rhetorical Questions option is not effective if the questions are forced.
An entire presentation could be built around the Rhetorical Questions Flow Structure. Each of your idea clusters could be linked to a particular question, which you would then answer.
Here’s an example:
Cyrix, a company that designed, developed, and marketed semiconductors, went public in 1993. (Cyrix was later acquired by National Semiconductor and then by Via Technologies.) For the IPO road show, Cyrix CEO and co-founder Jerry Rogers decided to use the Rhetorical Questions Flow Structure.
In Jerry’s opening statement, he said: "Cyrix competes against the established giants Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), as well as two other large, well-funded companies. So as a tiny startup trying to establish itself, I have to respond to some challenging questions from potential new customers about the IBM-compatible microprocessors that Cyrix designs. Three questions keep recurring: ‘Will Cyrix microprocessors run all software applications?’ ‘How will Cyrix compete with Intel?’ and ‘Does Cyrix have the financial stability to succeed?’"
Jerry continued, "Cyrix has already begun shipments of the first commercially available 486 microprocessors not produced by Intel. But those same three questions about compatibility, competition, and finances remain important to potential investors like you. In my presentation today, I’ll provide you the answers to those questions to demonstrate that Cyrix is indeed a sound investment."
Jerry showed the three questions on a slide. Then he spent a few moments and a few slides providing an answer to each question. His final slide showed three declarative sentences, answers to the three questions.
In the course of answering the three questions, Jerry covered diverse topics such as chip architecture, manufacturing strategy, average selling prices, intellectual property rights, the prospect of litigation, and the competitive landscape. But he tied all these topics together in three Roman columns, and then tied the Roman columns together in the Rhetorical Questions Flow Structure.