I have one specific tip for you on how to make your presentations more persuasive. One you can apply in your very next one.
Want to be persuasive? Want your presentations to actually change decisions, not just look good?
Don't start by showing your solutions.
Start differently – in three steps.
1. SITUATION. First, frame the matter in a context that's already familiar to your audience. Something they'll agree with without hesitation.
2. PROBLEM. Then explain what problem stems from this situation, or why this situation isn't optimal. This is where the tension begins.
3. SOLUTION. Only then present your recommendation. It should release the tension you've just built.
It's simple logic, but I keep seeing presenters ignore it. They jump too quickly to what they want to sell. They show their proposal before they've prepared the ground for presenting it well. This is a mistake that costs a great deal – because a good solution presented in a vacuum sounds like just another idea "to consider". Not like an answer to a real pain.
Look at how this works in practice.
Want to introduce a change in your company's procedures? First spend 2 minutes showing that the current procedures fall short in certain areas, and that you're paying concrete consequences for it – losing money, customers, or time. Only then do the new procedures look like a solution, rather than your whim.
Want to convince your audience to use your company's services? First describe what solutions of this type typically look like on the market – and how at first glance they may seem fine, but on closer inspection turn out to cause quite a few problems. That's why your solution is different and more effective.
Want to convince the board to agree to increase your department's budget? First show what problems are tied to the current low budget – and what consequences follow from it. Numbers. Lost projects. Specific risks. Only then does asking for money sound like a sensible investment, rather than a request to grow your slice of the pie.
Notice what's happening here. In each of these cases, you first build a reason why your audience should listen to you in the first place. Only then do you give them the solution. That's the difference between "another presentation" and a presentation that actually changes something.
Remember: first prepare the ground for introducing your solution.
And only then let it ride in on a white horse.
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At SlideFormation, we run training programs for teams – finance, marketing, research, sales, management, expert teams, and any others – that help shift from a "pile of slides" to presentations that genuinely influence business decisions. We work with your materials and tailor the program to the realities of your organization.
If you're responsible for team development and you're looking for a program that delivers measurable results – check out our presentation and business communication training offer at www.slideformation.com or get in touch at office@slideformation.com.
Piotr Garlej
