How to transform boring material into an exciting
presentation
My topic is boring so I can’t help but be boring. Have you
heard a speaker utter that excuse? Have you used it?
The evening before his presentation to a conference of
entrepreneurs a speaker confessed to me that his presentation would be boring
because it was a boring topic. He sighed that it wasn’t his fault.
So I asked him, “What benefit can they hope to gain or what
pain might they avoid by listening to your presentation?”
“They’ll learn how to take advantage of some free business
development programs that have demonstrated a track record of success.”
“Wow! How could that be boring?”
“Well, there are a lot of details that relate to the application
process.”
“What’s the purpose of your presentation?”
“We want people to express their interest in the program so
we can help them apply.”
“So why bore them with the details about the process?
Instead tell them about the benefits of the program. Offer a success story from
a previous applicant. Remind them that’s its free to participate. Deal with the
details later – after they’ve expressed their interest and are ready for the
details.”
He looked at me with that ah-ha look on his face. Then a
small smile followed by a slight grimace as he stated, “I have to revise my
presentation tonight.”
After his presentation the next day he beamed as he
announced to me that he had obtained sign-ups from more than 80% of the
audience. That response was more than double his expectations.
He told me that he was up late the night before completely
overhauling his presentation. Speaking
to the interests of the audience made him feel more comfortable and more
excited about his presentation.
His presentation wasn’t boring and it was successful because
he spoke to the interests of the audience. He didn’t waste time trying to cover
all the information.
People don’t care about the details until they’re convinced
that they want the product or service.
The next
public seminar on
How to Deliver Superior Presentations is June 24 in Burlington, Ont.
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Click here to sign up.
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Executive Speech Coach,
Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives
