Do you remember the last presentation that you attended? Answer these questions. What were the presenter’s main points? What did he or she want you to do at the conclusion of the presentation? If you can’t remember these core details, you are either terrible at paying attention or you sat through a presentation given by a speaker lacking a meaningful message. This doesn’t mean that they didn’t have anything valuable to say. It just means that they didn’t communicate their ideas in the most effective way. Only 50% of our presentation personas actually succeed at creating a durable and impactful message. If you’ve taken the online Badge assessment and received one of the following profiles, consider yourself a master of durability.
So, maybe you didn’t score as one of the above presentation personas. That’s no problem at all. Even experts need to constantly grow and hone their skills. Here are some ways you can drastically improve your message and increase its impact on your audience:
Thematic Foundation
A presenter should always ground their presentation message in a universal concept. You want your content to appeal to a diverse audience – so developing your narrative around a common theme will set you up for maximum message durability. For example, let’s say you are delivering your pitch deck to investors. Your startup is establishing a new spin on dating apps – basically, you are positioning yourself as the DoorDash of online dating (whatever that looks like). When many people think of online dating, they think of searching for love. Start your presentation by painting a vision of relationship bliss. Help your audience see the image of an old man and woman holding hands in their rocking chairs and staring at a mesmerizing sunset. Nearly everyone can identify with the concept of love.
Actionable Insights
Those presentation personas who excel at achieving durability are likely major bookworms. When you spot a durable presenter, they’ll have their head stuck in a book or be buried in the latest industry magazine. Because these presentation personas set aside time to digest the work and opinions of others, they are better able to add value to their presentation audiences. Not only will they provide comprehensive insight to any topic they are presenting about, but they will also present an actionable theory or method for audience members to employ themselves.
Application Reasoning
Finally, the presentation personas with the most impactful message are most likely ending their presentations with compelling call to actions. Compelling in the respect that they are not only telling their audience what they want them to do, but they are providing a reason or reasons for them to do so. Studies have shown that presenters who use the word “because” in their presentation call to action significantly improve the chances that their audience will act on the call – by 94%. Why should your audience members visit that website? Why should they buy your product? Why should they invest in your company? The more clearly you can make your reasoning, the more positive of response rates you will receive.
If you want to secure your place as one of the durable presentation personas, there are plenty of resources for you to review!
How to Make Your Presentation Message Stand the Test of Time
