I am not good with numbers. After all I make my living from words. I always need a second opinion about my finances.
I was delighted when a friend invited me along as a “plus one” to a presentation given by her private Swiss bank at a five-star Geneva hotel. We were both looking for reassurance that our life savings would not suddenly disappear.
It started off well with canapés, and champagne. Then the music began and the first of three very slick well-dressed bankers took to the stage.
Expectations were high. However, they quickly plummeted.
For the first hour, they spoke almost entirely about background and history — detail after detail that we simply didn’t need. What my friend and I really wanted to know was straightforward: will there be a financial apocalypse in 2026?
Unfortunately, that question wasn’t answered until the final five-rushed minutes. By then it was too late. People had already left. It was a perfect reminder that if you don’t focus on what matters to your audience from the start, even the most polished presentation can fall flat. They failed to understand the concerns of the audience – our worries about the impending financial cliff that we may be walking off this year.
What they should have done is to have thought about what is top of mind for the audience.
Below are 5 tips on how to prepare to craft a speech or presentation that is audience friendly.
1. Remember communication is a two-way process. It is not about you but about what the audience remembers afterwards. Think about your audience – their level of knowledge, their needs and expectations and their attitude to the subject you are talking about. If it is too complicated or already goes over what they know already, they will switch off and not engage.
2. Identify your desired outcome. What do you want your audience to think/feel/say or do after you have spoken? This will help you define the outcome you want. For example, do you want them to feel reassured, inspired, motivated?
3. Use this information to work out your key messages – the points you want your audience to remember so you achieve the outcome you want. These key messages are tailored to your audience and what you want them to remember. If you are talking to a difficult audience, such as the media who are innately skeptical, think about messages that respond to the most difficult questions they could ask you!
4. Structure your presentation so it aids recall. Studies show that people recall information that they hear at the beginning, at the end, that is linked to their reality and is unusual. This means landing your key at the start, recapping in the middle and at the end.
5. Follow the SUCCESS model. Developed by Chip and Dan Heath, this says a successful and memorable message is simple, unexpected, credible, concrete, emotional, and is illustrated with stories.
This takes more time but it will pay off and won’t leave your audience with unanswered questions. I am afraid to say that my friend and I left the swanky hotel as worried as when we walked in!