Persuasive Presentations

To be persuasive you must begin with the listeners in mind. Use the WIIFM formula-What's in it for me? To truly convince an audience requires a thorough understanding of their needs and how your idea benefits them. To capture their attention begin the presentation with a hook or captivating phrase.

Even if your speech is strictly informative, it still includes an element of persuasion. It's your job to convince the audience that the information you're presenting is important to them.

Before you can be persuasive, you must study your audience. You have to think about what is important to the listeners. Once you understand your listeners and know what's important to them, you can present your information from their point of view. You'll be more effective in persuading listeners if you also truly believe what you're saying.

The elements of persuasion are as follows:

• Passion
• Personal stories
• Speaking to listeners' needs
• Repetition
• Important things last
• Savvy sequencing
• Call to action
• Listening
• Word pictures, metaphors, analogies, onomatopoeia

The Language of Persuasion

In addition to elements of persuasion, there is a special language of persuasion that increases your ability to sell your ideas. That language is the power of the spoken word.

Effective verbal techniques include:

• Avoiding jargon
• Using power words
• Using strong words
• Word pictures, metaphors, analogies, onomatopoeia
• Replacing non-words with phrases

To quickly create a persuasive presentation, read chapter 7, Listener-Centered Communication: Principles of Persuasion, Knockout Presentations.