5 Things to grab your audience’s attention from the START!

In 2006 I developed a formula that sits over the top of one of the best-practice models. My formula helps you craft a winning presentation or pitch that shifts your audience from their current state, to your desired state. I call it The Persuasion Blueprint. The Persuasion Blueprint combines all of the key elements of a persuasive presentation and helps you know exactly what to say, with precision, accuracy and linguistic mastery, in the right spots and at the right time.  I’m very excited to share it here with you.

The Persuasion Blueprint

Step 0. The Icebreaker.Hook your audience’s attention with what is known as an icebreaker. Icebreakers are delivered in the first 30 seconds of a presentation and their objective is to hook your audience’s attention, so they are sitting up in their chairs and wanting to hear more from you. (Plus, you’ve got to love a model with a step 0!)

Step 1: Build Rapport.People need to know how much you care about their needs before you tell them all about yourself and explain your key points. Use statements that are inclusive in nature and reflect to your audience what they already know to be true. Use the words you say at this step to show empathy for your stakeholder’s situation.

Step 2: Lead the audience.  A leading statement is your key message, or the main thing you want your audience to understand as a result of this meeting or presentation. Leading statements often have strong, contentious words in them such as, “it is essential that we…” or, “we must….”

Step 3: Motivate.A good presenter knows that it’s our job to motivate our audience to lean in and listen. This step is where you explain what’s in it for your audience to be here today listening to this presentation.

Step 4: Manage Objections.In this step you address all the key objections to you, your content, or the timing of this message. You deal with them now so that people are relaxed and ready to listen to your key messages. Remember people who don’t know why don’t buy. So give them a why, dissolve their objections and watch them buy: your product, your service, or your next BIG idea!

Step 5. Set the Ground Rules.Here you set out all the meeting rules and boundaries, so your meeting runs as smoothly as possible. Explain what’s happening in today’s meeting, who is speaking, who else is there, when to ask questions and anything else people need to know in order to relax and pay attention.

So there you have it! 5 things to  grab your audience’s attention from the start!

Happy Presenting!