01/30/2024
“Show me. Don’t tell me.” This must be your top priority if you want to connect with your audience.
I coach a lot of folks how to engage their audience. Often times, I get requests for a slide deck that I used in a presentation. I’m reticent to do so because that deck was created from my story, not theirs.
It’s not that I don’t want to share the info, but rather, too many people make the mistake of thinking the deck is the presentation. It isn’t. Then, they show up without preparation and parrot what’s on the slides instead of infusing themselves into the story.
I can show them what needs to be tailored to them. But just giving them the same deck I used won’t work because they will quickly lose the audience.
Instead, try this...
1. Think through what you want your audience to do with the information you share.
2. Don’t tell them what your products/service can do. SHOW them how your product can solve their problem.
3. Wrap your message around a story that’s personal to you. They may not remember the guidelines or benefits, but they’ll remember the story you shared.
Until you become the solution to someone’s problem, your message is nothing more than an anecdote. Use stories to solve problems, and you become irreplaceable.
(Image credit: This image was created using DALL-E 3)
