Presence Training
Questions Your Audience Has Before A Presentation
Presentation training is about more than sharing knowledge and insight, and it’s about helping you connect to your audience in ways you can use to your advantage to get your message across. Your audience wants to find a way to communicate with you, but they also need to communicate with each other. Before you speak to them, you need to answer the following questions:
Who Are You?
Your audience doesn’t want you to remind them who you are, your name, and your title. This is likely already a part of your presentation, next to your logo or on the agenda right before the presentation. They also don’t need to know other inconsequential details; you need to remember that the first words you utter on stage are the most important in your presentation. They make or break your whole stay in front of your audience. This will give your audience the comfort that you are not only there for them, but they will need to make them feel good about showing up. They need to know whether you are someone they can empathise with, someone who understands them, whether you really care about them and if they can trust you.
You need to put their minds at ease and have them understand that you are just like them. You can start by telling them a personal anecdote relevant to your presentation, but it allows you to be more open on stage. Give them insight into the things you like, who you are and what makes you similar to your audience. It would be best to remember that your audience wants to connect with you as much as you want to connect with them; you have to avoid coming across as stiff in the process.
Why Are You Here?
This is the next question; the answer is likely a part of your initial words and personal story. You will find your message easy to convey if the story is relevant. Think about what you learned and the moral of the story you’re out there to tell. Some of the presenters out there take pride in their achievements and love sharing them, but that’s not the important part here. The audience wants to know why you called them together to hear you speak and what is important enough to share in person and not in a document online or an e-mail.
Why Are We Here?
Most people aren’t exactly excited when it comes to attending business presentations. Many people have already experienced business presentations that are simply too long, boring or have little value or relevance that they’d care about. It would be best to let your audience know why they’re there. Whatever you do, you need to ensure they know they are in the right place at the right time. Help them relax and look forward to your presentation, keeping their attention focused on the process.
Do you believe what you are telling us?
You may have the most creative slides this side of the world or the most impressive and informative pie charts, but in the end, your audience is looking at you, not the raw data. They will judge your presentation based on whether they like you or not, as well as what you tell them. There is no point in claiming you are passionate about your message if you can’t convey that with your voice, body language and facial expressions. Remember before and during your presentation to connect with your audience.
