Engage Audiences in Your Idea With This Strategy

An idea is defined as “a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.” So why is it that more often than not when a presenter outlines his or her idea to an audience, the perception is that there are no other alternatives? According to Switzerland researchers, visual representations in an unfinished façade encouraged more audience engagement. During the experiment, the researchers studied the participation in the creative process among individuals presented with a highly-designed icon and those presented with a rough icon sketch. The highly-designed icon increased the level of “perceived finishedness,” thereby decreasing audience participation. The rough sketch, on the other hand, received a lower level of “perceived finishedness” and higher participation. Throughout the course of your presentations, consider mitigating the effects of “perceived finishedness” in these ways:

Physical activities

Let’s say you are doing a presentation about the need for a new strategy for a particular department within your company. Instead of framing the presentation as a roll out for the strategy, use language that implies the brainstorming nature of the event. Advertise an agenda that clearly indicates the inclusion of interactive elements and activities – whether it’s through social media, your website, or some other avenue.

Engage Audiences in Your Idea With This Strategy

Questioning title

When crafting the title of your presentation, structure it as a question instead of a declaration. For example, change this title: The New Marketing Strategy for Success to this title: What if we could develop the best marketing strategy for X department? The use of the pronoun “we” signifies the collaborative effort involved throughout the talk. And the questioning title implies that a solution has not been found or settled on just yet.

Custom vision

Instead of relaying the vision of how the future could look for your company after implementing the strategy, include a Q&A or discussion section at the conclusion of your presentation. This will allow attendees to participate in the outcome of not only the presentation, but also the strategy.

Don’t let “perceived finishedness” kill the creativity of your presentation audience. Formulate physical activities, create a questioning title, and encourage a custom vision to engage audiences in your ideas and concepts. For more information about rallying individuals around your thoughts and causes, review the following resources:

How Presenters Can Cultivate Open Intelligence
Create a Mood for Positive Perception of Presentation Messages
Diagnosing a Distracted Audience

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