Presentations – Five Irresistible Principles
by Loraine Antrim
Most of us need tips for communication. Improve yours by following some of this great advice provided by Loraine Antrim and you’ll have better public speaking skills. Whether you’re giving a presentation to a few or to a few dozen, knowing what to do before you get up in front of the group will help you win over your audience.
There is a lot of presentation advice out there. Books, articles, videos and speakers all of which offer great words of wisdom and insights into how to make your presentations better. Amid all the great advice, are there any “must have” elements for a presentation: elements you can control to make your speech irresistible to an audience? Whether you are delivering a business presentation or a speech at a social event, here are five proven principles that will ensure your audiences will want to listen to your ideas.
First Irresistible Principle: Be Audience-Centered
The very first words out of your mouth should pull the audience in and engage them. Many presenters begin with thank you’s and introductions and background information. Get audience-centered right away. All of the “chit chat” can come a little later in your opening. Audiences don’t really care about the presenter; they care about themselves. Think about solving their problems, inspiring them, and opening up new ideas to help them. Make it all about them!
One way to bond with the audience is to ask an intriguing question. Not a superficial question like, ‘”How many of you are enjoying the conference so far?” Pose a question that addresses a concern they have, or a problem they will soon be facing. By asking this audience-centered question at the top of your presentation, your listeners have a reason to keep tuning in to the rest of your speech.
Second Irresistible Principle: Create a “Hook”
Very few audiences can resist a good “hook.” Hooks are very simple: like a hook on a fishing pole that attracts and pulls in a fish, a presentation hook pulls in the audience. It teases them, gets their attention, makes them interested and forces them to get involved.
The opening question you ask can be the hook, or you can create the hook after your question. Get creative and be different. A hook is NOT simply stating, “For the next 20 minutes we’ll be looking at innovative selling techniques.” A hook might be a relevant and compelling story, or an irresistible proposition: “Let’s start off with a quiz: what does selling to enterprise customers have to do with Steven Spielberg movies?” or “What does an iPod have in common with your customer’s objections?”
Third Irresistible Principle: Turn Your Passion On
It’s hard to resist speakers who are excited and passionate about their topics. Audiences feed off your energy. Especially in the first few minutes, find a way to “turn yourself on.” Put all your efforts into demonstrating your passion for the topic. That means your voice, hand gestures, how you walk and move and even your facial expressions. The total you. If you are not passionate about your topic, change it or don’t speak at all.
Fourth Irresistible Principle: Tell a Story
Very few people can resist a really good story. Think of it. Most of us can remember almost all of the fairy tales and stories from our childhood. Why? Because stories captivate us. If you want your audience to bond with you, feel connected and remember your presentation, tell them a story. You can open with a story, build in stories as examples throughout your presentation or create one large meta-story that frames your whole presentation. A well-crafted and well-told story is irresistible for any audience.
Fifth Irresistible Principle: End With Emotion
Begin strong and end strong. If you made your opening all about the audience, do the same for your ending. Reach out to them with an emotional pull. Get inspirational. Challenge the audience to go beyond the norm. Offer them hope or make them feel good about what they do and who they are. Even in business presentations on somewhat technical topics, you can still pull your audience in. Leave the audience feeling uplifted and they’ll remember you as a very powerful speaker.
About the Author: Loraine Antrim is co-founding partner of Core Ideas Communication, a PR and marketing communications firm serving corporate clients around the globe. We specialize in presentation development, media/analyst training and leadership strategies. Find us on the web at Core Ideas Communication. Loraine’s blog on executive presence can be found at The CXO Mindset.
Article Source: EzineArticles
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