THEY’LL TELL YOU WHAT THEY NEED
Andrea Pacini —
I once attended a workshop led by Julia Langkraehr. She began by asking us a single question: “What do you want to get out of this session?”
There were about fifteen of us. One person said they wanted ideas to grow their team. Someone else needed clarity on pricing. Another was struggling with time management. Julia wrote down each answer on a piece of paper.
Then she began the session – full of practical content. But what stood out was how often she linked back to those early answers.
“You mentioned pricing – this next tool might help.”
“You’re looking to grow your team – pay attention to this part.”
She didn’t change her core message. But each reference made people sit up and listen.
You can do the same when presenting to small groups. Start with a question like, “What do you hope to gain from this?”
Or: “When it comes to [your topic], what’s your number one challenge?”
Then listen – and refer back. You’ll make people feel seen. And your message will land better because it connects to what they came for.
This reflection is adapted from Timeless Presenter, my book on the principles of communication that never expire.