Remember your presentation is about your audience, not about you. Be committed to serving them.
Research your subject to make sure you have the facts, figures, and background information to support your case. Only use information that directly supports your main point.
The emotional side of any benefit is often more important because, days after your presentation was delivered, people will not remember exactly what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.
Don ’ t say, “ My action item is to empower the client to bring to the table any appropriate data relevant to the project in question. ” Say, “ I need to get information from the client. ” Don ’ t say, “ Which individual should I be interfacing with to ascertain the appropriate information? ” Say, “ Whom should I speak to? ”
Some presenters hide behind corporate jargon when they want to: - Make what they say sound important or impressive - Hide a lack of knowledge - Avoid committing to a solid opinion or plan for action - Be a happy messenger and avoid hard truths
Good research takes time. You might spend ten times more time researching information than developing content; however, it’s a good investment because research results teach you the language of your subject matter. You’ll be in a much better position to use the right words, in the right context.
When you quote from newspapers or magazines, choose those that your audience may be familiar with — The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, or Newsweek. If you know that your audience prefers a specific journal or periodical, read a copy before the presentation and see if you can relate some of your material to one of the articles. Your audience will be impressed.
Replace the weak words with affirmative ones. I can ’ t becomes I won ’ t I ought to becomes I could I have to becomes I get to I want to becomes I will should becomes could
Assuming that you already have a topic of interest, here’s one approach to delivering a persuasive presentation: Grab participants’ attention immediately with a surprising statistic or emotional appeal that illustrates your point clearly and simply. Present your argument and back it up with authoritative sources to lend credibility. Speak with passion and conviction. Offer a solution to the problem that the participants can both relate to and can achieve. Describe as vividly as possible two possible outcomes: one if they follow your proposed solution and one if they don’t. Offer a call to action with as much real passion and emotion as possible.
Here are some of the most persuasive words and phrases in the English language: Accurate, Advantage, Always, Best, Certain, Confident, Convenient, Definitely, Discover, Easy, Effective, Emphasize, Free, Freedom, Guaranteed, Good, Health, Interesting, Love, Magnificent, Most, Most Important, Money, Never, New, Popular, Profitable, Proven, Results, Safety, Save, Should, Strongly Recommend, Superb, Superior, Tremendous, Trustworthy, Worthwhile, You. “ I guarantee you’ll feel healthier than ever.” “ I recommend this as the most effective program you’ve ever attended.” “ You’ll discover this is the most important decision you will ever make.” “ This new sales workshop has been the most popular and profitable.”