I’ve delivered hundreds of hours of presentations.
I’ve watched hundreds of hours of pros, amateurs, and trainees deliver presentations.
From all those hours, there is one thing that stands out a the most important part of a presentation.
And it’s a secret most people will never discover. Even though it’s right in front of us all.
It’s not gestures, eye contact, slides, content, or even opening with a super-cool message.
It’s more important than having a logically laid-out presentation.
It’s even more impactful than having a slick take-home message that the audience can’t resist.
Drumroll…
It’s your relationship with the audience.
Doesn’t matter how logical and sound your message is if your relationship sucks…
Doesn’t matter how smooth you talk, and how expressive your gestures are…
Doesn’t even matter if your message benefits the audience…
If your relationship with the audience is awful, nothing else matters.
“It’s the relationship, stupid.” 🙂
Let’s put that in the context of dating.
Imagine Desperate Bob approaches Smiling Susie at a bar.
Desperate Bob kicks off the conversation with an high-impact opener and gets Susie’s attention. Desperate Bob is not much to look at but Susie thinks he might be an interesting guy.
Desperate Bob continues on to talk logically about what he needs from a potential relationship, his life goals, even how many kids he wants to have.
He finishes his talk with a call to action, announcing that a decision is required soon because there are plenty of other potential mates in the bar.
Scowling Susie picks up her purse and walks away from Desperate Bob, leaving him to be desperate on his own.
Desperate Bob just did what most of us do when we deliver presentations: Talk “at” the audience and focus 100% on reaching our goal.
It doesn’t matter how good his message was, the relationship has to be good or he may as well speak to the wall.
Here’s how to have a better relationship with your audience:
- Understand them before you plan your presentation
- Interact with them when you are on stage
- Talk conversationally, avoid lecturing
- Be yourself, be genuine (don’t try to mimic a TED talk you’ve seen it will come off as fake)
What do you think?
Doug says
Another super simple but super valid article. Thanks.
Dave Mac says
Thanks, Doug!
Christine Healey says
I couldn’t agree more. The worst presentation I’ve ever attended had all the facts and figures (on Powerpoint, naturally) and absolutely no engagement with the audience until that hideous moment when the presenter said ‘any questions?’ Naturally, there were none as anyone encouraging the presenter to continue might have been lynched.
Ed Coster says
My suggestion is to talk to the audience as if it was a private conversation, not “a speech.” The other advice is not mine, but worth considering. If you get them laughing, they are listening and you can tell them almost anything.
Stéphane Breault says
Fully agree!
A presentation is a conversation with the audience. I also like the “be natural” aspect. too much staging will kill, not enough you will lose your audience.
Thanks for sharing!
Dave Everitt says
This is as it’s always been, I totally agree.
Pre-PowerPoint, when “slides” were drawn on acetate sheets using Autocad and a plotter to be projected using an overhead projector it was still:
Rule 1: Know the audience
Rule 2: Engage your audience in conversation
Rule 3: Know your material
In fact, you could get away with being weak on #3 if you were strong on #1 & #2.
I would coach new folk that talking boolean algebra with knitting clubs is unlikely to go well unless you get #1 and #2 secured.
Of course, now with Miracast and Office365 for in-person and Webinars for remote, there is a challenge to stay focussed. Those who spend hours editing animations in PowerPoint and forget the 10/20/30 rule and lecture to show how much they know are missing the point, its about the relationship … always.
Vera Michaels says
Dave,
You are RIGHT ON!
First before talking, listen to the audience and determine what they want and need. You are so right! Create a relationship.
Good work!
Ron Kraybill says
I agree! The most rewarding training I’ve done came when I interviewed several people in the work sector I was planning training for. What are problems they typically have? This enabled me to: 1) design the whole workshop in ways that fit their needs; 2) speak to them with authority and confidence because I knew what they wanted; 3) create case studies and roleplays from stories they told me.