Presentations, regardless of whether they are referred to as Power Points, slide decks, or keynotes by your corporation, are the language of business. They are the principal means by which we transmit information from top to bottom within our firms, and from inside our organizations to the world outside our industries. And if we're being really candid, a lot of people don't really pay attention to them at all. We have been present for so many, week after week, that seeing them has become something like breathing: You don't notice them until something about the environment seems different. What can speakers do differently to guarantee that their speeches are truly remembered by their audiences rather than just being endured by them?
For many speakers, a presentation simply focuses on the WHAT: the specific information that needs to be collected, organized and distributed. This results in slide after slide of either wall-to-wall text (not recommended!) or bullet-pointed lists. And even if they use the latter, and even if every word of every bullet point on every slide may be necessary and important ? who's truly paying attention to all of that detail? Many speakers know to add in the WHY? which is super effective to build an "aha" rapport with the audience and to hook them in, especially in a common, recognizable connection.
However, an effective presentation must also be about the WHO: What sort of people are going to receive this information, and what is the most effective way to communicate to this specific group? And, most importantly, let's not forget the HOW, which speakers and presenters often leave out. In these cases, they fail to answer some basic questions: "How does it work? How do I use this? How can I start putting this into action?" Ensuring that you include HOW content within the presentation will help people to see the roadmap towards action. Having said all of this, some magic can be used from the very beginning that will assist in weaving this all together to produce more successful, engaging, effective, and exciting presentations. Long before you start to worry about the actual material that will be going on any slides, there are three key inclusions that you need to think about and develop.
Empathy is the capacity to understand what another person is experiencing, to put oneself in their shoes, and to see the world through their eyes. A presenter's own style is natural, but a genuinely outstanding speaker can empathize with each new audience and modify the flow of information most efficiently for them.Consider the different teams in attendance and what they may be looking for to satisfy their respective concerns and actions.
Each person has what I call one of the four Processing Powers, which is their default setting for organizing and acting on the information they encounter. Some want to Connect new information to the big picture. Some want very granular data and Detail. Some want immediate opportunities to Construct solutions and get in and try out new things. And some want to experiment, brainstorm, and Invent possibilities. The more you balance your presentation across all four Processing Powers, the more audience members you'll engage.
As a result of how people take in and process information, each person has a communication Archetype. "Narrators" prefer to learn in story form and need to feel a connection to the message. "Futurists" want to see visuals and diagrams."Masons" want a chance to physically get their hands on whatever is being discussed.There are nine more Archetypes, each of which is discussed at
thegeniusquotient.com.One of the key findings of our research into Archetypes at Inner Genius is that most of us unconsciously present based on how we want to be taught, and that our presentations reflect that bias. This energizes the portion of the audience who share our same learning preference but will likely cause the rest to tune out.But what happens when a speaker is presenting their message to a vast group or when they are unaware of the Archetype(s) that make up their audience?
The good news is that one can learn via Inner Genius how to balance one's communication in such a way that every Archetype is addressed, nobody feels left out, and everyone is left feeling engaged, influenced, and motivated. And, by developing an empathetic mindset that intentionally considers the Processing Powers and Archetypes that will be present in each audience, your presentations will go from informational and organizational to relational and inspirational. Your audiences will notice the difference and are likely to become more engaged during the presentation, even if they can't quite understand what sets your content and delivery apart! The power of including and using Empathy, Process, and Archetype in your presentations will reverberate even in post-presentation dialogue and action enhanced connection and communication for the business outcomes that we all want.
Global business educator and author
Catherine Mattiske
is the founder of TPC - The Performance Company, a leading training and
consulting organization that has worked with Fortune 100 companies
worldwide. Established in 1994, TPC has offices in Sydney, Los Angeles,
New York, London, Singapore, and Basel (Switzerland). The author of more
than 30 books, her latest is "Unlock Inner Genius: Power Your Path to
Extraordinary Success" (September 2021). Discover more about your Inner
Genius at
thegeniusquotient.com.
