At a conference a few years ago, an HR manager told me, “My team has to sit through internal presentations every month. Most of them don’t want to be there.” Then she asked, “What should presenters do when the audience has no choice?”
It’s a good question. Here’s my answer:
Start by asking yourself why they should care.
If you can’t find a clear reason why your message matters to them, maybe they have a point.
You’re already convinced. That’s why you’re speaking. But your audience might not be there yet. They’re sitting there thinking, What’s in it for me? If you can’t answer that from their perspective, your talk will fall flat.
Communication isn’t what you say. It’s what they understand.
Garr Reynolds puts it simply: “What’s your point? Why does it matter?”
When you build your presentation around those two questions – and answer them in terms your audience actually cares about – you earn their attention.
And that’s the real work of presenting.
Timeless Presenter, my new book on the principles of communication that never expire, will be released soon.
If you’d like to be notified when it’s out, you can join the early access list here.