presentation topics

presentation topics

How to Give Persuasive Presentations

1. Introduction

The nature of presentations is changing. Today’s audiences are sophisticated, with more demanding expectations of speakers. They expect presenters to offer reasoned and convincing arguments, using data and analogies to build audience understanding. When a presentation fails, it is often because the speaker has not taken the time to analyze precisely what he or she wants the audience to do, feel or think as a result of the presentation. Too many presenters are keen to show how clever they are. They scatter the presentation with nuggets of interesting information – which actually do nothing to advance their main message. In some cases presenters fail because they use a channel of communication which does not match with their objective. For example, a training session to introduce a new process will be more effective using a data projection rather than individual handouts. This is our main focus. We want your presentations to be more effective. This involves using different methods for different objectives. This also involves considering the expectations and the state of mind of the audience at each stage of the presentation. The speaker who is unsure where the audience is coming from is unlikely to get them to the intended destination. In this book we offer presenters a proven method for taking a presentation to its full potential.

2. Understanding Your Audience

Thirdly, we should consider the audience’s social environment. It is always important to ask the question of whether who you are presenting to would feel comfortable in a given location. A presentation or a public speaking event is sometimes not suitable for everyone. An example would be that it wouldn’t be appropriate to give an educational seminar in a noisy environment where the audience can’t concentrate. Consider a person’s financial status; people who are well-paid and well-educated may have different tastes in information and their attention spans may differ from those of people in a lower social status. This doesn’t mean one group is smarter than the other, it just means that they have different preferences.

A second point to take into consideration is a person’s beliefs and attitudes. This may be similar to culture but a person’s beliefs and their attitudes towards something may differ from that of someone else in the same culture. Often beliefs and attitudes root from a person’s upbringing and their experiences in life. Different generations and different social classes often hold different values, beliefs, and attitudes.

Being able to understand your audience is of key importance when giving a presentation. To be able to understand a person or to be able to understand a group of people is an extremely broad spectrum. But we must start somewhere and that somewhere may be to understand a person’s culture. Every culture has its own values, traditions, and norms. What might be considered acceptable in one’s culture might not be acceptable in another. An action or a comment may have a different meaning in another culture which may result in misunderstanding or a negative reaction.

3. Structuring Your Presentation

Introductions The primary task in any introduction is to capture the attention of the audience. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, but a brief anecdote, a relevant quotation, or a rhetorical question are particularly effective. Another aim of the introduction is to reveal the speaker’s thesis, that is, the main point that the speaker is trying to persuade the audience about. The best way to do this is to outline what is to follow in the body of the speech, thus signposting the route you will take to your conclusion. This can be done by saying “First…”, “Next…”, “Finally…” and it will help to make the structure of your speech clear to the audience. A final aim of the introduction is to explain the importance of the thesis and the implications of the issues at hand to the audience who may not yet have. This can increase the genuine interest of the audience in what you are about to say and its relevance to them.

Why structure is important Structuring a presentation well is the fundamental key to clear, effective speaking. A logical structure will assist the audience in following your argument from beginning to end. The best way to do this is to prepare an outline in note form, deciding what you are going to say in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your speech. Numbering the points you wish to address in each section may be helpful. Then write these out in full sentences to ensure that they cohere and that you have included everything you intended. If you are relying on slides, transparencies, or handouts, the structure of your presentation should also be evident in the sequence of these visual aids. Visual aids are not an alternative to good speaking, but they can reinforce what you are saying at key points and help the audience to remember the content of your speech.

4. Delivering Your Message Effectively

Attractiveness also naturally seems to increase persuasive ability, probably because attractive people transmit their messages more effectively. Studies have shown that attractive communicators are more successful in getting others to take their positions, and attractiveness is more persuasive on subjects of personal relevance. However, the strongest component in getting others to accept one’s message is credibility.

To maximize the chances that your audience will be interested in what you have to say, you must cultivate a favorable disposition, climate, and image toward you and your message. A speaker who is likeable, attractive, and respectable is more persuasive than a speaker who is not. Likeability is affected by behavior that shows the speaker is not prejudiced and is well disposed to the audience. If the speaker is a part of the audience, shows real concern for its welfare, and has common interests, likeability is also increased.

Delivering a persuasive presentation is a fundamental skill to be effective not only in the workplace, but in life itself. We persuade others to hire us for a job, buy our products, and take our advice. To do this in any setting, we must prepare and deliver strong, compelling messages. To persuade, you must offer your perspective and promise the audience certain reactions to it—usually equating to what’s in it for them. You must convince them of what it is you want to be the truth. Then you must offer them a pleasing way to get from their current perspective to yours. Delivering a persuasive message follows many of the same rules on how we can be more persuasive in our everyday lives.

5. Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Lastly, and most importantly, the call to action should be something that has immediate and tangible results. People are more likely to take action if they know they can do something that will definitely affect an outcome. Writing doctors a prescription would have immediate and definite results, as opposed to writing the state representative. In this case, it could be proposed that the doctor writes a letter to the representative on behalf of his patient.

The call to action should never be too large or out of reach. For instance, if the goal was to have marijuana legalized for medicinal use, at the end of a persuasive speech, this would not be a feasible call to action, as the speaker is most likely not trying to start an advocacy campaign. A better call to action might be to get patients to write their state representatives in hopes of getting a bill passed in the future. These are small and easy actions the patients can take to feel as if they are helping the cause.

The call to action is a critical step in the persuasive process. It should be specific, feasible, and measurable. By using specific action verbs, persuasive requests will enable your target to envision the task and make it seem possible. For instance, instead of saying “go to the doctor,” you would say “pick up the phone and make a doctor’s appointment, even if just to inquire about my condition.” By being specific, your target will not have to guess at an action, and it will help instill a sense of possibility.