Goal
TweetFollow @enjoypresenting
The most important part of a presentation is the action that your audiences take after they have listened to you; this maybe three days, three weeks or three months after they have seen you but this is the most important thing.
If the audience does nothing after they have listened to you then have you wasted your time?
I went on a training course in St Andrew’s, Scotland a few years ago and it was all about the billionaire mind set and how they acted. One part of the training was on the “latte factor”. Have you heard of it? Basically the latte factor is designed for people, who say they cannot afford to save, you then ask them how much they spend each day on lattes, muffins, cds, magazines etc until you find out they can save a few pounds if they have a coffee at the office instead.
I thought this all sounded very nice and then did nothing about it until three months later. I was walking up Guildford high street when I smelt the coffee from Cafe Nero. My nose twitched and I thought about how nice a latte would taste right then. I walked over to the cafe, got inside the door and almost to the counter when the voice of the trainer came back into my head and said “remember your latte factor!”
I turned around and walked out of the door, back to the office and made myself a coffee for nothing there. I saved my money and invested it instead.
So the impact this trainer had on me was not whilst he was talking, it was not directly after he talked it wasn’t even the next week. It was three months later in a different country in a Cafe Nero.
So when and where is the moment of impact for your next speech? What is the objective of your speech?
The key question to ask is what do I want people to think, feel or do differently after I have spoken?
Your answer to this question should be:
· Simple – 10 words or less
· Measurable – how will you know if you succeed
· In the best interests of the audience – list the benefits they get out of doing this
If you can clearly define your objective for your next talk then you will add clarity and purpose to your speech allowing you to connect with them at a deeper level and inspire action.
Always have a clear purpose and objective for speaking*. Never get on stage without one.
For more top tips on presenting have a look at our blog or come on one of our courses
*The only exception to this is humorous speaking or stand-up comedy when our objective is to make them laugh on the night!
