Get Your Audience Interested
Denise Brouillette
Have you presented lately only to have your audience look bored and uninterested or just dismiss you altogether? As much as their reaction may have to do with the content and timing of your presentation, that's not the whole story. How you orient your presentation is what's most important.
I was in a meeting recently where an individual was pitching something he wanted buy-in on. And although I was interested in the content of what he was talking about, I had to fight falling asleep because he said too much, talked too slowly, and had no passion or animation in his voice. In short, he was presenting his case in a style that wasn't getting the audience engaged.
About Your Audience. Researchers have amassed a large body of knowledge on how we take in and process information in our environment. I've drawn together some basics to be aware of that are based on that research. There are four general types of people who you might be presenting to:
- Those who are influenced by cold, hard data
- Those who are influenced by the short-range, practical application today of what you're proposing
- Those who are influenced by the big picture, long-range benefits of what you're pitching to them
- Those who are influenced by the impact your proposal has on the people in the organization
Most people are a combination of two styles; remember this as you prepare to influence them.
Data-driven individuals want you to influence them using logic.
- Be brief, direct and to the point. No side conversations or long-winded elaborations on your topic unless you're asked. These data-driven people want the bottom line and will ask you if they want more. So be prepared, just in case.
- Add data-based charts where you can, but don't overload with information. And make sure those charts are technically accurate. If they're not, you'll not be taken seriously (at best) and you'll be dismissed as someone who's not careful enough with her work (at worst)
- Focus on the benefits to the company but not necessarily to the people in it. If you mention the people benefits, they should come after the company benefits.
- Have back-up data ready should your audience request it.
When influencing practically-minded audiences...
- Present your proposal in a step-wise manner. It's like fitting the pieces of a puzzle together.
- Show the relevance to the business today, not some far-off prospects for the future.
- Document how your proposal relates to what has already been done; that is, link your proposal to something that has been successful in the past.
- Be sure to have a plan to manage the risk involved.
When presenting to future-oriented, big-picture thinkers...
- Present a short overview citing the long-range perspective.
- Don't flood them with lots of details; wait until you're asked, but have them on hand.
- Show the relevance to the business tomorrow -- the future.
- Discuss the long-term objectives.
Finally, when presenting to the more people-focused audience...
- Show how your proposal/request impacts people in the organization.
- Show how the participation and expertise of the people involved will lead to the proposal's overall success.
- Show how your proposal adds value both to the organization and to the individuals in it.
Research shows that over 70% of the general population have a practically-minded orientation, and that nearly 80% of leaders have the data-driven/practically-minded combination. So when you're influencing to an audience or person you don't know, be sure to be ready to talk in those two languages!
(C) 2009 Denise Brouillette, San Francisco, CA. All Rights Reserved.
Denise Brouillette is the president of The Innovative Edge LLC.
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