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Do Your Own PR has gathered together a team of experienced business authorities to bring you their expert tips on getting publicity for and growing your business.
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3 Killer Ways To Grab the Attention Of Any Audience
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by Professional Speaker Paul McGee.
I’ve some good and bad news. The good news is, we can all speak. The bad news? The hard part is getting people to listen.
In over twenty years addressing audiences around the globe, I have developed and seen used a number of strategies to ensure that your audience is not simply hearing words, but listening to your message.
Here are three of the most powerful:
1. Focus on their W.I.I.F.M. not yours.
What’s In It For Me? is a question every audience members ask themselves as they listen to your message at either a subconscious or conscious level. If you fail to address the audience’s WIIFM there can only be one of two reasons. Either you are speaking to the wrong audience and no matter who delivered your presentation, it would fail to make an impact, or you are failing to make your message relevant to their needs. So before you speak, ask yourself the following two simple yet crucial questions: a) What are the needs of my audience? b) How does my message address those needs? If your answers are ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I’m not sure’ then you’ve got plenty of homework left to do.
2. Remember the 90/90 Rule.
Within 90 second of starting your presentation, 90% of the impact you are going to make on your audience has been made. So how are you going to start your presentation? A lack of energy or a stream of Powerpoint slides will soon switch people off. Be enthusiastic (if you don’t seem interested in what you have got to say, why should your audience?) Make eye contact and determine to enjoy the opportunity to share your insights with others. The most persuasive presenters I’ve ever heard make an immediate impact and communicate their message with passion.
3. Tell Sticky Stories.
My son was reminiscing about a school trip he went on three years ago. “What do you remember most about the trip?” I enquired. “The story Mr. Hankey read to us before we went to bed”. (In case you were wondering he was nine at the time, not sixteen!) Stories will engage an audience no matter what the culture. They can be memorable, moving and engage the listener at a level no powerpoint slide or lists of data could ever do. Work at how to tell your story. Practise on your family and friends. How can you tell if it’s a good story? When you’re re-telling it, stop telling the story before you reach the conclusion. If your listener practically begs you to finish it you know you’ve got a good one. A story that is memorable is a story that sticks.
Speaking to any audience is both a privilege and a responsibility. Don’t waste it or abuse it, but determine to make the most of it.
Paul McGee is a professional speaker who helps individuals and organisations wrestle with change. For more information check out www.paulmcgee.com
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| Posted: 04/04/2005 14:06:42
Last Updated: 04/04/2005 14:16:42
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