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10 Tips To Engage Any Audience

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Engaging any audience is most challenging in any presentation. Slide - script or belly dance? That is the question any presenter needs to answer in order to give and excellent presentation.

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Whether you are new to presenting or an experienced pro, you can radically increase results in any presentation.

Would you like to feel confident every time you present to a client or group? The following tips can help you win attention, engage any crowd and inspire people to take action.

Hi! I’m Thomas Sechehaye. I have taught thousands of people how to cut their planning time in half and give quality presentations. In short, how to engage any audience - on any topic.

All it takes are a few tiny adjustments to how you plan and deliver a presentation. These tips are fast and simple. You can use them instantly to for a presentation face-lift. Or to build a new presentation from scratch.

When you use these 10 tips, you will succeed in planning and delivering highly engaging presentations. This short report can help you present with confidence. Use each tip and you will get winning results every time.

Print out this report. Highlight ideas. Take notes. Every tip is short, easy to understand and quick to put into action.

Now, let’s get started!

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Tip One: One Message

Aim for one key message.

One message for your entire presentation. Imagine what happens for your audience. They get it. It’s simple and fast. One message means no room for confusion or clutter. One message.

I know it this can seem challenging, extreme or even impossible. But, consider the power. If your audience sees a single message, they will remember it. They will talk about it. And they will take action. This is much more valuable than flooding them with an overwhelming number of ideas.

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Tip Two: 7 x 7 Spells Action

It is often said in advertising and direct marketing that people need to be exposed to a new idea at least 7 times before they take action. Organize your presentation to repeat your single message at least 7 times.

In selling messages, show different aspects of how your customer will get value. This includes how your product save time, save money, make money, boost results, is easy to use, has ongoing support and is built to last. It’s all one message from 7 different angles.

As you build your presentation, tell this message in 7 different ways. Use examples, tell stories, show photos, draw a whiteboard diagram, handout a report, show the math, and play videos of happy customers. This mixture of medias helps your audience see, hear and feel the message 7 times with 7 diverse ways.

The result: your audience will buy-in. Some people will respond to one message. Some to another. But every single person will get the picture, hear the value and want to take action.

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Tip Three: Pictures Of People

Simplify your idea, product, service or strategy. Tell your story with photos, pictures, and colorful illustrations of people.

Research shows that 80% of the population recalls information visually. That’s exactly why a picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t even think about presenting your information using only bullet points.

Put photos of enthusiastic customers in your PowerPoint slides. Put photos of people using your product around the room. Show video clips of customers speaking about their positive experience. When your audience sees photos of people, they see themselves.

Photos inspire imagination and build relationships. This is why photos are so powerful. Use pictures of people in handouts, PowerPoints, reports and video clips. The photos strengthen your message and engage any audience.

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Tip Four: One Idea Per Slide

Your audience has enough on their minds. Most busy people are already flooded with too much information. Put one idea on each slide. This is quick and simple for your audience to understand.

The fastest way to win attention is to simplify your slide design. One idea per slide. Now add what you learned in Tip Three, and use photos. Combine photos with text. Your audience will have an easy time understanding your message.

Tell the same message in photos and words so your audience instantly gets the idea.

With these four simplification tips, you are already light years ahead of 85% of most presenters. And you will be able to engage any audience just by simplifying to one message, repeating it 7 times in 7 ways, using photos of people and sticking to one idea per slide.

But this is only the beginning. Keep reading for 6 more success tips to engage any audience - on any topic.

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Tip Five: Explain In Baby Steps

Although you are presenting to intelligent adults, break down your content into baby steps. Explain your topic step-by-step.

In order to win attention and bring your audience along every step of the way, you must take tiny steps. Make sure every step of your explanation is logical. Link each part of your explanation to the step before. And the step after.

Take tiny steps and illustrate every step of the way.

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Tip Six: Test With A 5-Year Old

How can you be certain a non-expert audience will understand your presentation? There’s only one way to find out. Test run your presentation on a person who is not familiar with your topic.

Many expert public speakers rehearse speeches in front of a young child. Listen to their feedback. Change any confusing parts. Use shorter words. Polish any rough bits. Use their comments to create a clear presentation.

Give yourself an A+ when a 5-year old child understands your story.

Let’s recap. You are simplifying to one message, showing your message 7 times in 7 ways, adding photos of people, and sticking to one idea per slide. Now add 2 more tips. Explain in baby steps and test run with a non-expert such as a co-worker or a child.

Use all these 6 tips and you will win attention and get great results. But don’t stop yet - there’s more!

Next up are 4 powerful tips to give show-stopping performances and guarantee success.

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Tip Seven: “WOW” in 7 Seconds

Use the first seven seconds to “WOW” your audience. Grab their attention fast. This is your top priority.

You can do this instantly with a picture, quote, story or statistic.

Show an unusual photo to grab attention in seconds. Capture their interest with an odd fact or unusual statistic. Share an inspiring quote from a famous person or celebrity. Tell a riveting story. Display a shocking statistic.

One of the best sources for odd and weird news is at:http://www.newsoftheweird.com/

Another must-have book is the classic guide to displaying data, “How to Lie with Statistics, by Darrell Huff.” Although this book was written in 1954, the tactics for illustrating data are timeless.http://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728

Whatever you choose, do it fast. Your goal is to rivet your audiences’ attention in 7 seconds or less.

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Tip Eight: Show - Tell - Do

Once you’ve got their attention, keep it. A fast and easy way to do this is to repeatedly and frequently follow this sequence. Show, tell, do.

Show. Give your audience a model, a diagram or a photo. Engage them with stories, quotes and testimonials. Show your audience how other customers speak about your services. Show how clients use your recommendations.

Next, tell. Use your voice as a powerful instrument. Make small adjustments to your tone and pace. Change your voice from a whisper to a roar. Talk fast and then slow down. Vary your voice to master the telling of your presentation.

Then, do. Turn off the PowerPoint. Get closer to your audience. Go to the whiteboard. Draw a diagram of how your idea works. Actively demonstrate how your idea, product, or service works. Give participants a chance to experiment and use the tools or product.

Finally, repeat. Go through this 3-step cycle again and again during your presentation. It’s quick and simple to engage every person. They see the photos. They hear a single message. They jump into action.

These tiny adjustments persuade by appealing to all the senses. People have a chance to experience the message by seeing, hearing and doing. Your audience will get involved and ready to take action.

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Tip Nine: Change Media

What are the most common complaints about PowerPoint presentations? Boring. Predictable. Hard to read.

Curious how to solve this problem? The answer is quick and easy. Change media. Use PowerPoint slides, whiteboards, flipcharts, videos and handouts. Mix and match media to keep each person involved.

Here’s a quick example of how easy it is to flow between different media and keep everyone interested.

Show a video clip of real people using your product. Turn it off. Grab a marker. Explain an idea and answer questions at the whiteboard. Do a demo of your product. Turn the PowerPoint on to show the math. Answer questions at the whiteboard.

The more you change media, the more your audience is engaged. You will easily double your impact with videos and whiteboard diagrams.

This gives you an extreme advantage over PowerPoint only presenters. Just imagine the difference. Compare your dynamic changing media presentation. With the a PowerPoint only presenter who reads slides, turns his or her back to the audience and puts everyone to sleep.

By changing media, you have a chance to tell, show, and do. And you can actively collaborate and interact with your audience.

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Tip Ten: Call to Action

Use all the 9 tips and your call to action is a natural evolution. Your audience is ready and waiting. They want to hear you say the words. They want you to lead them to the solution.

This doesn’t mean you have to give a hard-line sales message. Whether you are selling or not, you must plant seeds of action all through your presentation. Don’t wait until the end of your presentation to call to action.

Get people talking about the benefits and power of taking action.

Share testimonials of customers who took action - and now are reaping the benefits. Show a video of enthusiastic clients who bought your solution and are now enjoying the rewards. Show earnings and increases in income, profits and more clients.

Make time for people to talk about action. Set up small group discussions so people will personalize their plan of action. Allow plenty of time for interactive Q & A about all the benefits of action.

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There are infinite ways to call to action during and at the close of your presentation. Here are a few favorites to pick from:

I can see from your nods and smiles that we all agree.• What’s our best next step?• It seems we are all in agreement. When can we start?• Does everyone agree that this the way to go?• Who do you need to consult to get a ‘go forward’ • decision?The answer is simple. Are you ready to go?• Don’t we all feel that…• When can we start to do business?• Is there a question in anyone’s mind that this is the best • choice?It seems it’s time to take action.•

Use these sample calls. And make them your own. Adapt. Change. Add your own variations. But do this one thing. Call to action.

Add these four engagement tips to deliver great presentations every time. Just to recap, “WOW” in 7 seconds, Show - tell - do, change media and call to action.

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Here’s a quick way to remember all the tips.

SEE = Simplify, Explain and Engage

As you can tell, the tips are organized so you can quickly and easily engage any audience. A fast way to recall all the tips is with this short, easy-to-remember word, “SEE.” Each letter stands for a key word.

S = Simplify E = Explain E = Engage

Simplify your message for instant recall.Explain your information so a 5-year old child, gets the message.Engage with pictures, interaction and dynamic delivery.

Use “SEE” to increase understanding, increase recall and increase action. Add this all up and you have a winning formula to increase your business.

Make “SEE” your motto for presentation design and delivery. Use the “SEE” principle and all 10 tips to win great results in every presentation.

Now, let’s take a moment to wrap up.

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Summary of 10 Engagement Tips

SimplifyTip One:

One Message

Tip Two: 7 x 7 Spells Action

Tip Three: Pictures Of People

Tip Four: One Idea Per Slide

ExplainTip Five:

Explain In Baby Steps

Tip Six: Test With A 5-Year Old

EngageTip Seven:

“WOW” In The First 7 Seconds

Tip Eight: Show - Tell - Do

Tip Nine: Change Media

Tip Ten: Call to Action

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Next Steps

I hope you find these 10 Tips very useful. And you use them.

When you use what you’ve learned in this report, your presentations will be highly interactive. Your audiences will thank you!

You will easily engage any audience and enjoy all the rewards.

More money. More winning results. More getting to “YES.”

To your presentation success,

- Thomas Sechehaye Founder, Presentation Storyboarding

P.S. Tell me what you think! Let me know if these tips make a difference for you. Give me your feedback today. http://www.presentationstoryboarding.com/

Thomas Sechehaye, founder of Presentation Storyboarding, is a master facilitator and presentation consultant. Visit Presentation Storyboarding for free resources and tools so you can present to win - every time. http://www.PresentationStoryboarding.com/

Contact: Thomas Sechehaye Presentation Storyboarding http://www.presentationstoryboarding.com/

Presentation Storyboarding Hands On Graphics, Inc. 20 Sunnyside Avenue A-140 Mill Valley, CA 94941

PH: 866-973-9333 FX: 415-869-2824