As you prepare a presentation, there are several elements that are critical to your success.
• Your presentation must be strong on content.
• You need to establish yourself as someone with expertise in this area.
• You must engage your audience.
And how do you engage your audience? You have to know something absolutely critical about your audience. Your presentation will be a hit only if you know the answer to this question:
• What is the pain factor of your audience?
To get to the pain factor, you start with being very clear about your audience:
• Why would they be listening to you in the first place?
• Are they a captive audience?
• Did they come to hear the person scheduled before you and may have hung around to listen to you?
• Or, joy of joy, did they choose you?
That’s what you want, right?
• So how will they find you?
• What title will bring them to sit in front of you for 45 minutes?
To pull in an audience and to hold their interest, you have to give your audience something that they absolutely need.
• What do you have in common with your audience?
• If you have been at the same point where your audience is now, what is it that you know is true for them?
• What do they know?
• And what is missing for them?
• What pain or problem do they have?
What do you know that will solve that problem for them?
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not suggesting that you be sappy or corny or that you make a heart-rending appeal.
Consider how you might teach a class of undergraduates or middle-schoolers. If you don’t want them falling asleep and falling off their chairs, or worse yet, throwing their chairs, you have to convince them that there is something in the lesson for them. And humor can definitely be your friend.
The same is true for presenting to your peers. They will want to know “What is in this for me?”
To re-cap:
• Your presentation to be effective must be audience-based.
• To be a hit, you have to know the pain factor of your audience.
• Address the need.
• And do it with confidence.
If you are preparing for a presentation, I’d love to hear from you. What is the challenge you’re facing?
I have something that will be of help. Go to www.nwcoaching.com and get a free sign-up bonus when you subscribe to my Smart Tips for Writers e-newsletter.
Until next time,
Nancy
www.nwcoaching.com
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