One of my favorite presenters once said, “Words change worlds.” This phrase drives home the power of our words and the way they affect our daily lives. But in today’s political climate, I think this quote becomes especially poignant for anyone who finds themselves presenting. Whether you are presenting keynote addresses in front of thousands of people or sharing your passion with a room full of friends, your words have the ability to change the world we live in.
As a presenter, you must learn to own the power of your words and use them to make a lasting impact on your audience. To do this effectively, start by finding clarity in your message. Author Donald Miller, in his book Creating a Storybrand, explains clarity by saying “The more simple and predictable the information is, the easier it is for the brain to digest.”
A clearly communicated message is the key to unlocking your audience’s potential and inspiring them to action. However, in order to communicate a message with clarity, you must first hone in what your message actually is.
The reality is that for some presenters, our message has been handed to us by someone else, and it’s our job to repeat it. If that’s you, don’t tune out just yet, because the following principles will help you bring that message to life through the lens of what you are passionate about.
On the flip side, if you are just starting out and trying to figure out what your message is or should be, we want to give you 3 questions to help clarify your message and inspire your audience.
1. What makes you come alive?
As a leader and presenter, asking this question will help you clarify your passions. We all have different areas in our lives that make us the best version of ourselves. Identifying those areas will help you to understand how you are wired as a thought leader.
These passion areas should be the jumping off point when crafting your message. Use them to inspire your audience through stories and paint powerful metaphors that will bring your content to life. By leading out of these passion areas, your true self will bleed through and your passion will come across as authentic.
2. Where do I want to lead them?
Your message will not inspire anyone if there is not a clear call to action or ending point. When crafting your message, begin by thinking about that point. Think about where you would like to lead your audience on the journey. Once you have established where you want to lead your audience, you can reverse engineer your content to get them to that point.
Be sure to use stories and authenticity when leading your audience to your call to action. This will bring your data to life and leave them with inspiration rather than just information.
3. How can I wow them visually?
Studies show that visual data leads to a 42% increase in information retention. Visualizing your content is a powerful way to create clarity in your message. There are many built-in features and free online sources to help you do just this in today’s software programs. Consider opting out of bullets and text and replacing them with icons and infographics. This will create an inspiring visual format for delivering your content.
By thinking about your design ahead of time, you ensure that you won’t find yourself scrambling at the last minute and settling for the same ole option of boring words on a screen. Don’t have time to worry about design? Contact the team at Ethos3 to find out how we can take care of it for you.
Clarity is a powerful tool to inspire your audience and leave them on the edge of their seats. Whether you are just getting started or have been presenting for years, clarity is your friend, and it is crucial that you learn to embrace it today!
Looking to learn more about how to present with excellence? Check out the Presentation Mentor online course today!
