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ALL Presenting is Persuasive
All Presenting is Persuasive
After stumbling a bit, most presenters are able to name the
purpose of any presentation they might give. However, most
really stumble when asked if their presentations are meant to
persuade anyone of anything.
The answer, 99% of the time, is YES. And yet most presenters
don't realize it. As a result, the world is full of
"information-only" presentations that do NOT achieve the
presenters' or the audience's expectations or needs. Information
in itself does not lead people to understand, believe, or act.
Information alone is a "data-dump," not a presentation.
Think about it. Why give a presentation at all if you are not
attempting to change the audience's behaviors or attitudes?
Persuasion versus Coercion
"Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with
his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces." Henry
David Thoreau
The term "persuasion" can turn presenters off. Many
subconsciously equate it with coercion. And in fact both do
share the same continuum of strategies that seek compliance from
the listener. Yet persuasion, when done well, answers the
audience's questions, address its concerns, and fulfills its
needs...while achieving the presenter's goals.
Persuasion is nonadversarial in nature. Because it does not
command, negotiate, or coerce, those who are persuaded almost
always feel comfortable and satisfied with the outcomes. Why do
they feel satisfied? Because the speaker has done her homework.
She KNOWS what the audience needs and cares about. The
presentation moves out of being a data dump and into the realm
of dialogue, even if no formal "Q & A" takes place.
Credibility as Persuasion
"Character may almost be called the most effective means of
persuasion." Aristotle
Persuasion is more than strategy or technique. Your credibility
factor underlies all persuasion. All the charisma in the world
falls flat if the audience doesn't perceive you as being
credible.
Empirical research (McCroskey, Holdrige & Toomb, 1974) describes
five dimensions that must be evident in order for a speaker to
be credible:
* Competence: the degree to which you are perceived to be an
expert.
* Character: the degree to which you are perceived as a
reliable, essentially trustworthy message source.
* Composure: the degree to which you are perceived as being able
to maintain emotional control.
* Extroversion: the degree to which you are perceived as bold,
outgoing, and dynamic.
* Sociability: the degree to which the audience perceives you as
someone with whom they could be friends.
Remember that the effectiveness of your presentation is really
about building a relationship with the audience. These five
dimensions of credibility are far more effective tools than
PowerPoint or any other technology. People are "buying" (or
not
buying) you.
What's in it for Them?
Jerry Weissman, in his book "Presenting to Win: The Art of
Telling Your Story" calls persuasion audience advocacy. By that,
he means the ability to view yourself, your company, your story,
and your presentation through your audience's eyes. You must be
able to answer the question "What's in it for them?" at every
juncture of your presentation.
If you want to move the uninformed, dubious, or resistant
audience to understand, believe, and act, (and what speaker
doesn't?) you must:
1. Know your audience. Do your homework. Find out what your
audience cares about, what it wants to know, what its concerns
are.
2. Link every piece of information to your audience's needs.
Here's a helpful test.
1. First, determine your next presentation's purpose. Write it
down. Reflect on it. Change it if necessary.
2. Then, compose the first draft of your presentation. Focus on
the purpose as you write.
3. Go through your presentation. Every time you provide a piece
of data, STOP. Then ask and answer these questions:
"This is important to them because..." (answer it!)
"So what?" (explain how it benefits the audience.)
4. When you discover information for which you cannot answer
these questions, ask yourself: Does this data help the audience
understand, believe, or act? Remove the data if it does not.
You're On!
Once you've gotten through the test and integrated the answers
into your presentation, be ready to put on your Audience
Advocacy hat once again. Select at least three of the phrases
below and insert them into your presentation at the appropriate
times:
"This is important to you because..."
"What does this mean to you?"
"Why am I telling you this?"
"Who cares? ("You should care, because...")
"So what?" ("Here's what!")
You are Credible; You Meet Your Audience's Needs
Develop and practice the five dimensions of credibility. They
are an innate and natural part of you. A higher awareness of
them will increase your effectiveness as a speaker. Remember to
"see, taste, and hear" your presentation as if you are a member
of your own audience. And always ask yourself: What's in it for
them?
Far from being coercive, you are proving yourself to be
powerfully aligned with your audience. Your message will
benefit, motivate and move them!
Sign up for Guila's free e-newsletter, full of valuable
techniques for effective public speaking, at www.guilamuir.com.
About the author:
Guila Muir pumps up your presentation skills! Helping people to
present dynamically since 1989, Guila provides tools, tips, and
techniques to master any speaking situation. Sign up for her
free e-newsletter, full of strategies to improve your
presentation skills, at www.guilamuir.com.
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| How To Conquer Public Speaking Fear |
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| www.stresscure.com |
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| Allyn and Bacon Public Speaking Website |
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| wps.ablongman.com |
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| www.speechtips.com |
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| Art of Public Speaking. Hints and tips on public speaking, ... On the Job: Public Speaking Tips - Twelve Steps to Great Presentations by Elise Bauer. ... |
| www.aresearchguide.com |
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| 10 Tips for Successful Public Speaking - Toastmasters International |
| 10 Tips For Successful Public Speaking. Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about doing well. ... |
| www.toastmasters.org |
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| Welcome to Toastmasters International where we are"Making ... |
| Non-profit organization developing public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs since 1924. Members learn how to lead ... |
| www.toastmasters.org |
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| Strategies to Succeed in Public Speaking - School for Champions |
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| www.school-for-champions.com |
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| Public Speaking Home Page |
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| www.mhhe.com |
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| Public speaking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Public speaking is speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to ... Public speaking is almost as ancient as speech itself. ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN COUNSELING AND CAREER SERVICES |
| Public speaking anxiety is very common among both college students and the general ... The most common form of Social Phobia is public speaking anxiety. ... |
| www.utm.edu |
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| Painless Public Speaking |
| At Painless Public Speaking we keep you up to date with what's new in the world of ... Painless Public Speaking is not about the theory but the "how-to" ... |
| www.publicspeaking.com.au |
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| Public Speaking from Uncommon Knowledge |
| Public speaking couldn’t be further from your mind and your manager tells you have to do a presentation to fifty colleagues next week. What’s your response? ... |
| www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk |
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| Public Speaking Tips by Uncommon Knowledge |
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| www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk |
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| Public Speaking Skills from Mind Tools - Speaking Tips & Techniques |
| Learn to speak and present clearly and effectively. Improve your speaking skills with this Mind Tools guide to speaking effectively in public. |
| www.mindtools.com |
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| Public Speaking Information |
| Advanced Public Speaking Institute- -More than 120 mini articles on professional level ... Click here for additional articles on Public Speaking Information ... |
| www.selfgrowth.com |
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| Basic Public Speaking, 2nd Edition - The Teachers and Students ... |
| New public speaking text for middle and high school Language Arts, ESL teachers and students. Written by a trained counselor and experienced teacher. |
| www.capital.net |
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| public speaking tips - presentation skills tips, public speaking tips |
| presentation skills & public speaking monthly tips by Lenny Laskowski, Professional Speaker. |
| www.ljlseminars.com |
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| Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making |
| Public Speaking - Hints and tips on Public Speaking Skills, dealing with public speaking nerves and anxiety, public speaking skills and public speaking ... |
| www.impactfactory.com |
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| Advanced Public Speaking Institute |
| Public speaking articles, seminars, and educational materials. |
| www.public-speaking.org |
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| Public Speaking Training-Presentation Skills & Public Speaking courses |
| Public speaking training - Overcome your fear of public speaking with our presentation skills classes. We offer presentation skills training seminars, ... |
| www.publicspeakingskills.com |
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