Have you ever given a presentation and lost your audience within the first few minutes? You’re not alone.
There are lots of reasons why this happens. I imagine many of you, for example, have suffered through a class or meeting where the presenter was methodically plodding through a set of defined slides while reading . . . every word . . . on every slide.
This is not an effective way to deliver a message.
Over the last decade I have given many presentations and I’ve found that a presentation should provide the audience with valuable information and incite some sort of action on their part. So, where’s the disconnect? It is in the delivery and the setup.
In order to connect with your audience you have to first know your audience, then tailor the delivery of your content to their communication style in order for them to fully receive your message. Here are tips on how to best engage your audiences, based on 4 different communication styles.
1. Communication Style: Action-Oriented
Action-oriented people care about the objectives, the results, and celebrating achievements.
- Start the presentation with the results. This technique will capture the attention of your busy audience.
- Respect their time by keeping the presentation brief and simple.
- Stick to your main point, emphasizing the practicality of your idea and the direct link to the desired result.
2. Communication Style: Process-Oriented
Process-oriented people are interested in forming strategies and optimizing processes.
- Begin with an outline of your presentation detailing the points you intend to cover.
- Try not rush the process. The presentation should be organized in a logical order, and each point should be discussed thoroughly before moving to the next point.
- Be precise and state the facts.
3. Communication Style: People-Oriented
The people-oriented group cares about how the presentation will ultimately affect the customer experience.
- During the beginning of the presentation, take a few minutes to personally connect with audience members.
- Create a relaxed and informal environment by using eye contact and walk around the room while presenting to make individual connections.
- Highlight the relationship between your presentation and the impact it will have on internal or external customers.
4. Communication Style: Idea-Oriented
Idea-oriented people are interested in collaborating with others to come up with new concepts.
- Allocate plenty of time to discuss ideas.
- Propose an outline stressing key concepts that underlie your recommendations then open the floor for audience input.
- Conversations may stray from your outline, but the collaboration often leads to better ideas.
For an audience with whom you are unfamiliar, you can implement all of these techniques into your presentation to make sure your message is widely received.
All presentations can be enhanced with wireless display, because it’s quick to setup and gives presenters the flexibility to roam the room, encouraging collaboration and interaction with the audience.
To engage with your audience better, request a trial of ScreenBeam wireless display.