What do the audiences care about as you present your ideas to them? Most people assume it is information. If we just wanted information, why would we need to attend a presentation? We would ask the presenter to email the slides to us.
The presenter persuades the audience to see and realize the implication behind his or her message. The information on the slides is there to support what the presenter wants the audience to realize. So, if the persuasion is not only information delivery, then what is it?
First, let?s agree on what persuasion is not. Persuasion is not manipulation. The user?s manual for a toaster oven helps us manipulate the oven. There is no similar user?s manual for manipulating audiences.
Persuasion is about letting the audience see what you want them to see?but more importantly, it is letting them have full access to the five clues they need to decide whether to believe your message. Your audiences must be able to look clearly at your eyes, your face, your hands, your body?and hear how much you yourself believe what you are saying.? Let?s look into each one of these in detail.
First, the eyes. If you are watching my presentation and want to know whether I am telling you the truth, you are not just going to accept my words. You are also going to look at my eyes. If my eyes say, ?I just want your money,? but my mouth says, ?This training is good for you,? you are going to believe my eyes, not my mouth.
The audience also scans the presenter?s face for clues. Audiences tend to believe people who smile, look relaxed, and have eyes open wider than normal.
The third place the audience searches for clue is in the presenter?s hand movements. Presenters who have something to hide often hide their hands. Open gestures signify honesty, and subconsciously, the audience is looking for how often and how open your hands are.
The fourth clue comes from your posture: how you stand, where you stand, and how you move around as you present your ideas. Audiences trust presenters who standing facing them. It is not a good idea to stand behind a podium. Not only does the podium hide most of your body, it reminds people of political speeches. Politicians do not have a good reputation for honesty, so presenters who use a podium, may be inadvertently making it difficult for themselves by speaking from behind a podium.
Audiences search for the fifth clue in the presenter?s voice. For example, if I do not believe what I am saying, how can I expect you to believe my message? What?s the clue in the voice? Presenters who believe in what they are saying do not rush through the message. They pause. They give concrete examples. They explain the same idea from different angles.
To sum up, in addition to the information you deliver, when you present, your audience will look for those five clues before deciding whether to believe you.
Despite having access to the five clues, does the audience ever get things wrong? Yes, they do. They get it wrong many times.? In most cases, however, the problem is not the audience. The problem is the presenter.
Most presenters get so nervous that they give off all wrong clues to their audiences?without even realizing it. Read my blog entry on how to overcome nervousness before a presentation?and good luck at persuading your audiences at your next presentation!
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Source: http://www.zna.com.tw/blog/?p=1283
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