Have you ever sat through a presentation that felt disjointed or unorganized? The message was difficult to grasp and you walked 
away without a clear understanding of what you needed to do next. It has happened to me a time or two, and it’s frustrating, isn’t it?
As a speaker, you have a passion for sharing your message. Sharing that message with a captive audience of people with similar passions is a privilege, so you want to make sure that your message is clear and compelling, interesting and inspiring.
There are several of aspects of your presentation that need to be addressed as you prepare it. You have to capture the attention of your audience early on, and then keep them engaged throughout your time with them. The following tips will help you prepare your message so that you grab their attention from the very beginning, and cause them to leave wanting more, and remembering you long after the event is over.
- Know your audience. Who are they? What qualities about them are unique or relevant? Why are they there – to listen, to learn, to transform? Learn as much as you can about the attending group and what their needs are.
- Have a purpose to your presentation. Once you know your audience, you can better define the purpose to your presentation. What’s the message? Is it to inform or persuade? Inspire and motivate? Instruct or Stimulate? Design it to be specific and personal enough that the audience leaves feeling better in some way than they did before they arrived.
- Know your material. Give yourself ample time to prepare prior to the event. Once you’ve written your presentation, practice it until you can speak to it, rather than read it. Be the expert; let them see that your message comes from the heart. Nothing will let your audience down faster than reading from a script or stumbling through the “uh” “umm” and “er” traps. You should also time your presentation to make sure that if fits nicely within the length of time allotted for you.
- Engage your audience. Get them interested and give them a reason to listen. Make eye contact with the audience so they know you are interested in them. Engage them by asking questions, hold group activities, provide worksheets to fill out; tell a story or share a personal experience; give them cause to think about what you’re saying.
- Be organized in your presentation. Does it flow; have a beginning and an end? Every great message begins with a great title. Draw your audience to you with a title that they will connect with and makes them want to know more, and then capture their complete attention with your opening remarks that will spell out their relatable problem. Make sure the message is clear and thought-provoking throughout, and don’t be afraid to throw in a little whimsy if the topic is appropriate.
- Leave the audience with a clear call to action. This is extremely important. What do you want them to do or feel as a result of your presentation? Many speakers assume their audience knows what they should do next. That’s not always true. If you don’t tell them exactly what you want them to do, you can assume they won’t do it. The audience is waiting for you to tell them what to do next so help them by giving them a clear call to action. Frame it around their needs, fears, hopes and desires – not yours. This is an opportunity to move them into one of your programs or services to offer them more support along the way – someone to hold their hand on their journey.
My challenge to you this week is to incorporate these tips into the presentation you are working on right now. After you’ve presented, make notes and compare it to your last presentation, and see if you can tell a difference. Did you connect better with your audience? Were they more engaged? Did they leave with a clear understanding of what they need to do next? Let me know how it goes!
If you are finding that incorporating speaking into your business is overwhelming and you just don’t know where to start, give us a call and let’s discuss how we can help you. We can help you accomplish your goals, share your brilliance, and elevate your business to new heights that will create incredible results. Contact us today and let’s get started
