presentation skills

presentation skills

The Art of Persuasive Presentations

1. Introduction

The information on this subject is not limited to enhancing presentation skills, but can also be extended to any oral communication and enhanced interpersonal skills. As one starts gaining knowledge about how to become more persuasive, they will start realizing how much money and effort they save in getting their point across without causing conflicts and misunderstandings. At the end, this subject can be extended to a tool for gaining leadership and power, since a leader is one who not only makes good decisions, but has the ability to get his team to carry out his decisions.

This book presents a doorway to knowledge on this subject: The Art of Persuasive Presentation. Almost all of us require to give a presentation on one subject or the other during the course of a career. In the education field, teachers are trained to impart skills to students, and yet some teachers give lectures which make students go to sleep because their presentations are not interesting and interactive. In the business field, it’s often the case that the most educated and technically skilled person is not the one who rises up the corporate ladder, but the one who has good communication and presentation skills.

2. Preparing for Success

In preparing to develop a successful presentation, the most important point to consider is a strong grasp of the task at hand. If you don’t feel knowledgeable and able to defend your presentation, the only solution is gaining more detailed information about your topic. This might seem obvious, but it is surprising how often one hopes to slide by on a limited amount of knowledge or wit. At the same time, it is crucial to remember not to overcomplicate or try to encompass too much at once. You have to gauge the attention span of your audience and realize that any point you hope to make effectively requires a proportional amount of thorough explanation. It is much more efficient to get a few points across very well than to leave your audience drowning in information. So how can you learn whether or not you are reaching and teaching effectively? This varies depending on the audience and the nature of the presentation, but in the academic setting, it is often wise to explicitly lay out the points you hope to convey to someone familiar with your topic and refine them based on the feedback you get. Any time you begin work on a new section of the presentation, you should take a moment to ensure that it fits in with the larger picture, that is, that it supports your main goal without going off on a tangent.

3. Captivating Your Audience

a.ii You need to pay attention to large differences in opinion in the audience. People with a neutral disposition can be swayed, but it is very difficult to get someone to seriously consider an opposing opinion to their own. Be cautious about presenting any controversial or opposing material if it will clash with a large portion of the audience. A presentation to coal miners on the benefits of nuclear power wouldn’t be a very good idea.

a.i Do they hold any opinions on the topic? What are they and why do they hold them? What level of knowledge do they have on the topic already? Do they have any vested interests in it? Do they know you and what is their opinion of you? An audience with little prior knowledge needs to be taught the basics before moving on to more advanced subject matter. Failing to do this will only lead to a loss of understanding and interest. Alternatively, an audience which is very familiar with the topic might get bored with something they see as trivial or already known to them. This will result in a loss of attention and respect for what you are saying.

1. Evaluating your audience a. Surveying To get your audience on your side, you need to understand what they are like so you can build a bridge to reach them. Research and surveys will help you get to know your audience and their likely attitudes towards the material you will present.

4. Delivering a Compelling Message

The strategy of persuasive message construction has been most thoroughly investigated in the study of legal arguments, and it is in this special area that the process of belief/attitude change has been most clearly defined. In general, all persuasive communication involves constructing a cognitive (thought) and/or emotive (feeling) message about some issue with the goal of getting an audience to change their beliefs or attitudes about it. This is no different in public speaking. In order to do this, you often have to create a change from what an audience currently thinks about an issue, to what you want them to think about it. A general way to conceptualize this is as a move from a point of dissonance, to a new point of cognitive consonance…or more simply, move them from believing one thing to believing another. This is again no different for persuasive advocacy where you are often trying to get a jury to move from a “not guilty” position, to a guilty one on an issue.

4.1 Structuring the Message for Logical Results

Delivering a compelling message comes down to two things: the structure of your message and your delivery. Structure refers to how you have constructed the logic of moving your audience from disbelief to belief. Delivery means how you communicate the information and whether or not you make your audience want to share your belief.

5. Closing Strong

5.1 The ‘wow’ factor At the end of your speech, you should have a dramatic statement or story that makes your audience go ‘WOW!’ You could employ a number of techniques to do this. Using a cliffhanger is a great way to keep your audience thinking about your presentation after it has finished. You might not finish a story you have told, leaving the audience to use their imagination. It is a good idea to use an analogy or a vision to paint a picture in your audience’s mind, something that they will be able to relate to. You could also employ a visual demonstration or use music coupled with your closing words. This will stimulate the senses of your audience, leaving a more lasting impression.

You need to end your presentation with strength, purpose, and impact. One of the things you must do is be enthusiastic and positive so you can leave your audience with a lasting impression wanting more. The next 4 strategies provide the key to a powerful close.