Each time you give a presentation, whether it be to your executive team, your clients or an audience you are less familiar with, you need to have a clear message. It’s the overriding theme of your presentation or speech and it’s the one thing that you want your audience to remember and take-away with them.
How do you make sure that your ONE BIG MESSAGE® is absolutely nailed so that your audience take action after hearing your message?
Even the most experienced leaders fail to deliver ONE BIG MESSAGE®. It takes practice, perseverance and a strategy. Often, the people who most want my help are established and admired for their skills, and they already have an idea of the message they want to deliver, they just need help refining it so that absolutely nothing gets in the way of you (the speaker) and the audience.
Here are my top tips for making sure that your ONE BIG MESSAGE® hits your audience right between the eyes…
Convey your message in 10 words (or less)
A methodology I use with my clients is getting them to convey their message in 10 words or less. This may not seem like a lot of words, but it really helps them get to the point and crux of their argument, by drilling their message down as succinctly as possible.
If your audience forgets almost everything you said in your presentation, ONE BIG MESSAGE® is the ONE important message you want them to take away.
Use fewer words
It’s easy to fall into the trap of over-complicating your message; trying to be clever by using too many words or jargon. Whilst these may appear to make you come across as more experienced, too many words can cause your ONE BIG MESSAGE® to get lost.
It’s no coincidence that some of the most memorable speeches and documents in history are among the shortest. The Gettysburg Address is 272 words, John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech was under 15 minutes, and Joe Biden’s recent victory speech was 15 minutes.
Remember, less is more.
My Intro course: “The Art of Persuasive Speaking in Global Business” gives you a 9-step structure to follow that helps you get super clear on your ONE BIG MESSAGE®.
Make your ONE BIG MESSAGE® you-focused
It goes without saying that a clear understanding of your audience is the key when preparing for your presentation. ‘You-focused’ means that your message is audience-focused; structuring your ONE BIG MESSAGE® to what’s important to them and any particular challenges they might be facing.
Work on your PPV
PPV stands for Pitch, Pace and Volume. Once you have your ONE BIG MESSAGE®, draw out moments of the speech that you want your audience to remember and slow those down, vary your pitch or speak softer. This allows your audience to lean in and really listen. These are the moments they will remember.
A slightly faster section might convey enthusiasm. A slightly slower one might add emphasis or caution.
Play around with the volume, pace and pitch of your voice when practising your presentation and find different ways of saying the same sentence. There are so many ways you can add emphasis to your main points and practising with a Presentation Coach will give you feedback and help see how you’re coming across.
“The Art of Persuasive Speaking Intro Course” walks you through a step-by-step strategy to get crystal clear on what your ONE BIG MESSAGE® is so that your presentation is not only memorable but also influential too.
ENROLL ON THE “THE ART OF PERSUASIVE SPEAKING COURSE” TODAY
