As a speaker, to give value to the audience, you need to be able to build a connection with the audience that facilitates the transfer of information. In an effective presentation, as you the speaker provide value, the audience you are speaking with provides feedback on that value, which assists in the flow of information between you and the audience. The Value / Feedback loop can only be built when there is a connection between you the speaker and the audience to which you are presenting.

The Value

How often have you experienced a speaker or presenter that was solely on the platform for selling or personal ego gratification? Though the speaker might have been a polished presenter, I am assuming that after the presentation, you left with no insight into your personal life or value added to you career.

That is the difference between an effective speaker and a showman. The effective speaker knows that they are up there to communicate value to the audience. When that goal is accomplished, the audience leaves the presentation with a feeling of learning, the desire to make a difference, or a call to action to change something in their life. The showman is all slick and no content. A showy presentation can be good, but only if the content matches the show.

As a Toastmaster, I fell that sometimes we sometimes emphasize the style before value. Just a few weeks ago, I found myself annoyed by a speaker that was delivering great content, but with no oratorical abilities. Leaving the conference room, I commented that it was a horrible presentation but was chastised by one of the other attendees because the content provided so much value to our profession.

It showed to me that even experienced speakers fall prey to thinking that style comes before substance. It is always a good reminder that you should make sure that the value is delivered, and then worry about the art of presenting the content.

The Feedback

This is going to come as a surprise to many speakers, but sometimes negative feedback from an audience is more important than positive. When you are looking to deliver value, do you want the audience to cheer the “performance” of your speech or do you want them to remember how what you said changed their life?

Now I know that not everything speakers present is life changing, but I wanted to illustrate that sometimes getting the audience to think negatively might be just as important as the cheer. What kind of feedback you need to receive depends on the message you are trying to deliver and the audience. For example, speaking to a group of people that are getting downsized is not going to get you any accolades from the people in attendance, but the feedback is just as important as if you were speaking to new hires.
Getting feedback from every audience is the goal, but how do you accomplish receiving feedback from the platform? It is not a simple process, but I have a few tips to get you thinking about the process:

1. Ask for feedback – When you are trying to make a point or set up a point in your speech. Ask people to say something if they understand the point. If most people yell yes, then test them. Make them respond with the point. Establish the feedback, check that they understand, and then check to make sure you made your point.

2. Look for feedback – This is the most simple. As you are speaking, look around to see if people are paying attention. If everyone is looking around, talking to their neighbors, or walking out of the room, then you might not be adding value to their lives.

3. Move people into action for feedback – Get people to get up and move. In long presentations, it is tough to get everyone to pay attention the entire speech. At points throughout the speech, get people to respond with some physical moment that highlights the point you are trying to make. If people respond, then you are making your point and if not, then you are going to have to work harder to deliver some value.

The Connection through the Value / Feedback Loop

Your presentation will be effective when you have established the value / feedback loop. As you prepare for your next presentation, ask yourself if you are providing value when making a point, seeking feedback, and then moving to the next point in the presentation. The magic of establishing the loop, you will find that you have developed a connection with the audience. That connection makes you more credible as a speaker, makes you more interesting to the audience, and makes the value your presentation delivers resonate with your listeners.

Whether you are presenting positive or negative value, developing the loop will have established a connection that gets you point across and makes you a more effective presenter. This connection will allow you to sell more products, change people’s opinions, and make you a more effective speaker. Try it out today.

Subscribe to the post comments feeds or Leave a trackback