Answer three questions
Most presentations are intended to asnswer at least one of three questions.
Why?
What?
How?
Why
This is the most difficult type of presentation and the most important type for leadership and sales.
The purpose of the presentation is to make a change. The change might mean a new direction for the company, a new method or a new supplier.
As the presenter you need to address the "why" questions in the minds of your listeners.
Those questions might include:
Why should I care?
Why should I change?
Why should I trust you?
Your listeners might not see the need or want the change. They might not believe there is a problem. You need to be dramatic to catch their attention and convince them that they have a problem. The way to do this is with visual and emotional props and language.
What
Your audience knows they have a problem or need and you are offering a solution. A report is another type of "what" presentation.
The questions might be:
What choices do we have?
What are the features and benefits?
What happened?
This could be as simple as a waiter presenting a menu to diners.The people know they want to eat but have yet to decide on their selection. The waiter describes the choices and might even recommend favorites.
A certain amount of detail is required to differentiate the choices. The words and visuals should be precise, colorful and descriptive.
How
This type of presentation is most likely a training session. It could also be the briefing for a team about to execute a plan.
The questions might be:
How will this work?
How can we do that?
How can I improve results?
By definition lots of detail is required. This could be the most boring type of presentation or the most exciting depending on the combination of the mindset of your listeners and your presentation delivery.
You will have more success with this type of presentation by employing props, printed material and multimedia. Audience interaction is more important. Stimulate all the senses to clairify the details and make them stick.
Depending on the purpose of your presentation one question will tend to dominate the minds of your listeners. Of course, most presentations will include all three of these questions to some degree.
George Torok
Presentation Skills Coach
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Actually, George, if you can answer all three of these questions in the presentation you'll connect with three of the four major types of information preferences people have (the fourth is What if). Also, if you ask them in that order, Why, What, How (and add What if) you'll really make an impact.
ReplyDeleteThe method is called 4MAT and it started as an instructional design method, but has broadened into many applications.
You can find out more about it here at http://www.aboutlearning.com/ (no I'm not affiliated, I just use it a lot and find it very effective)
Keep up the great posting.
George,
ReplyDeleteThree great questions.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone away from presentations in total confusion, because the presenters never identified, explained, or clarified WHAT they were talking about.
It's made me be very clear about my ideas. I tend to avoid jargon and acronyms to begin with, but I still catch myself assuming that "everyone" knows what I'm talking about. So I force myself to define in one sentence each important idea I present. And sometimes I add a contrasting definition ("it's not...").
Great post.
Chris