Nine ways to get people to listen when you talk - Women's Agenda

Nine ways to get people to listen when you talk

What is going on with our politicians? People keep telling me Kevin Rudd is making funny movements with his hands that stop you listening to his message, Julia Gillard was constantly receiving ‘feedback’ about her voice, Tony Abbott is being criticised for his empty speeches and lack of meaningful content.

Who is coaching these people?

I don’t envy politicians, and their speeches and speaking style is not always relevant to how we should speak in business. In fact, following the recent leadership spill, I posted on social media that I wouldn’t be commenting on the outgoing and incoming speeches and received the most ‘likes’ I’ve had on my pages for ages.
But there are a few things we can learn about public speaking and presenting from the ‘feedback’ that politicians receive from the media and public – and use these to help answer questions regarding how you can keep your audience engaged.

Below are some questions you should address in your presentation to ensure your audience members remain engaged throughout:

  1. What does this presenter know about me? Your role as the presenter is to reflect that you understand your audience: their thoughts, feelings and attitudes.
  2. What can they tell me that I don’t already know? Ensure that it’s clear you are not just telling them something they have heard before or already know in an obvious way. If you are talking about something your audience already knows, be sure to spin it a fresh way to give them a new perspective.
  3. What’s in it for me to listen? People are motivated by the carrot and the stick. Ensure you explain why your audience should listen to you talk about your subject right here and right now.
  4. Why is this relevant to me? Be sure to manage the objections that typically arise in a presentation such as ‘I already know this”, “you don’t understand”, “I’m too busy”, or “this is not a priority for me right now”.
  5. How much does this presenter care about my needs? Are we in rapport? Zig Ziglar famously said: “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Show your audience you care about them and their needs.
  6. How credible is the presenter?Are they a subject matter expert? Establish your credibility as a subject matter expert. Stories, case studies and examples are a good way to do this. And remember that as a rule, you should generally link your credibility to solving your audience’s pain in some way.

    For example, “In the 20 years I’ve been coaching CEOs for company announcements I have come to realise that the more senior my client, the more nervous they feel. Mostly this is due to a perfectionist sort, or a need to be perfect in front of their teams. So my plan for today’s meeting is to go through some techniques that I know will work to help you better control your nervousness”. When you link your credibility to your audience’s pain, it reduces the chances of you sounding conceited.

  7. What should I do with this information?Recent research found that only 28% of audience members went back to their desk after the most recent workplace presentation and did something with the information they heard and saw. Make sure this doesn’t happen when you present. Be clear and obvious about what the audience should do differently after hearing your message.
  8. What happens if I do nothing after hearing this message? If you prefer the idea of pull persuasion (bringing your audience with you) to push persuasion (forcing or coercing them to your way of thinking) it’s critical that people feel they have been given a choice in their behaviour. Explain clearly the negative and positive consequences of not doing, or doing, what you suggest.
  9. What is the key message I should remember and repeat to others? The job of a presenter is to be ‘worthy of a remark’ which is really to be ‘remarkable’. This means that in a new context – outside of your business presentation – audience members are compelled to repeat something you did or said. As an example, Australian performer Christine Anu talks about “which way” in her presentations – an indigenous way of saying “G’day! How are you today?” She asks her audience to say it to each other. And she repeats it numerous times throughout her completely fantastic keynote session. There’s not a soul in the room who wouldn’t then repeat that message fondly to their family and friends in a different context.

Answer these questions and enjoy presenting to a group of engaged individuals who are more likely to change their thinking or behaviour for the better after listening to your presentation.

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