You’ve
prepared your presentation. Your audience is in the room. Your topic is
crucial, and you get one shot to ensure that everyone absorbs
everything you have to impart! Unfortunately, most of us know that engaging your audience and keeping
them engaged is challenging. We’ve all been the beneficiaries of an
avalanche of data, text, slide overload, and images that become a blur
when there’s just so much information to take in.
How
to communicate it can be overwhelming! The balance of omitting critical
data versus over-informing and losing our connection with the audience
is essential to get spot-on. According to a
2018 State of Attention Report conducted by Kelton Global, four out of five professionals said they shifted focus away from the presenter during their last presentation. That’s a demanding audience!
But, thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way.I’ve
determined that first, cracking the code to gain 100% of the audience’s
attention requires understanding specific communication methods. Then,
once we have that knowledge, we can know how individuals best receive
information and process it to form meaning and understanding. Finally,
we can focus on setting the audience up for success — so that they will
be influenced by what you have to present.
One of the 12 Archetypes is “The Decrypter,” who has an eye for the more significant questions and is skilled at building connections through inquiry. By contrast, “The Narrator” connects to the world through a story and focuses on goals. Whether attempting to capture an audience of one, or many, knowing how to communicate to individuals skillfully requires mastery.Regardless of whether you have knowledge of all 12 Archetypes, here’s ...
- Connection:
Firstly, form a relationship with the audience by meeting them where
they are. Pitch to the audience based on who they are, what they already
know, and what you need them to know next.
- Detail:
Then, be very precise with presentation details. No need for a data
dump — you don’t want to overwhelm the audience. Think of Goldilocks and
the Three Bears: not too much, not too little, but just right. The
objective is to give them what they need but leave them wanting more for
later.
- Construct:
At this point, you decide something important: How do we execute these
critical details? Your presentation should reflect the practicalities of
moving forward: Here’s the plan, the timeline, or the action steps.
- Invent:
Finally, pull out the critical thinker’s crystal ball to predict
questions the audience might ask — and answer them before the audience
does. What are the “what ifs” variables and possible roadblocks? Then
provide all of the tips and tricks for managing those potential
challenges.
Your
presentation should shout, “I hear you and know your needs. Here’s what
will fulfill your need and/or solve your problem. Next, here’s how to
execute the solution. Finally, here’s how you can mitigate potential
issues.”Following
the four-step structure, you’ve hooked all 12 Inner Genius Archetypes
meaning that everyone in the audience will feel that the presentation
addressed how they like to communicate best. Success!
