Once you know your subject and your purpose, the next – and perhaps most important – question is: Who is your audience?
Yes, your message matters. However, the true measure of your success as a speaker is not what you say – it is the relationship you build with your listeners. Do they like you? Do they trust you? Have you created a bridge between your subject and their world?
When I am asked, “What is the number one secret of delivering a powerful presentation?” my answer is simple: although there is no single secret, if there were, it would be this – your subject must be of interest to your audience. That means your job as a communicator is to find the connection.
Two Ways to Connect: Head and Heart
There are two essential pathways to connection: intellectual and emotional.
Intellectual connection comes from the clarity of your content, the strength of your logic, and the credibility of your data. Graphs, charts, and statistics enhance this connection by reinforcing your case.
Emotional connection is what compels action. As I often remind my clients, logic makes you think, emotion makes you act.
Four Practical Ways to Connect Emotionally
Tell Stories. Stories are the fastest route to the heart or emotional connection. They transform abstract points into vivid experiences.
Use “You-Focused” Language. Balance your “I-You” ratio. The more often you say you and we rather than I, the stronger the bond. Instead of “I want to talk about…,” say, “Great news – you are about to learn three techniques that will make your presentations more professional.” Your audience hears that it is about them, not you.
Be an Audience Advocate. Look at your message from their perspective. If executives say, “Our new strategy will increase shareholder value,” employees who are not shareholders may not care. But if they say, “Our new strategy will increase revenue, which means more job security,” now the message resonates.
Make Eye Contact. Eye contact is a proven factor in persuasion. In small groups, look at each person long enough to complete a thought. In large groups, divide the room into sections and connect with one person in each section for a full sentence. In virtual meetings, treat your webcam as a close friend.
Replace Self-Focused Openings
Eliminate phrases like:
“I’m going to talk about…”
“What I would like to do first is…”
Replace them with you-focused openings such as:
“In the next eight minutes, you will discover the best decision you can make for your association and members.”
This subtle shift puts the spotlight where it belongs – on your audience.
A Case Study: Winning $500,000 with Connection
A sales manager from the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco asked me to help him prepare an eight-minute presentation for a convention committee. The stakes? A $500,000 convention, with tough competition from two other cities.
We crafted this opening:
“In the next eight minutes, you will decide that the best decision you can make for your association and your members is to bring your convention to San Francisco and the Fairmont Hotel.”
That opening contained five “you” or “your” and only one mention of the hotel. It established an instant emotional connection. We then moved to intellectual reasons to choose San Francisco, and closed with an emotional picture:
“Imagine years from now, when your attendees are reminiscing about their favorite conventions. They will remember San Francisco, the Fairmont Hotel, and your committee’s decision.”
Yes, he won the business.
