Because I’m in training and development and I’m a business coach, public speaking is one promotional strategy I use to build my visibility – whether in person or in a virtual setting. It’s easy to fall into a rut with the way we present ourselves and our content to others.
Every time you speak, write an email, post a blog, or use social media – you’re in fact making a presentation. That directly relates to how you and your message are received, and your credibility. And as a business owner, I believe your ability to attract clients and close business. So I chose to talk about simple ways to recharge presentations and selected 3 tips that could be applied in most any situation.
While these tips are specifically geared toward presentations – whether live or virtual – they can also apply to other aspects of your communication with others.
Create a compelling introduction. Your audience will make judgments about you, your message, and your credibility within the first couple minutes (maybe even less). That impression tends to last throughout their experience with you. Make the most of that time by creating a compelling introduction. Before you even get to that opening content, you want to pique curiosity, create surprise, and grab your audience. A simple way to do that is with a poll question. Formulate a question that is relevant to your audience and the content, and also creates conversation.
Stir emotions and improve engagement with stories. Our brains simply can’t remember boring things! We are programmed for stories. Why? Because stories attach meaning to the details, making them more memorable. Look for places in your content where storytelling may better convey your point, rather than just pure information telling.
Switch it up every 10 minutes. No matter how engaging you are, or how interesting your content – it’s human nature for people to tune out after about 10 minutes. Solve that by introducing a change at 10-minute intervals. That could be a poll question, a story, or simply a transition to a new topic. This keeps your audience with you and looking forward to what’s next.
Just implementing one of these techniques in your next presentation, virtual meeting, or informal interactions will make a difference in how your listener perceives you and your message – you’ll be credible and memorable.