One of the pleasures of my work is not only the growth in people I serve, but the many stories I am privileged to listen to. Especially during the Effective Communication workshops.
Recently the Health Engine participants shared insights that were inspiring, entertaining, persuasive and informative. These are the four domains for presentations that help you support your message and avoid distractions.
After clarifying your message and profiling your audience, the next stop is the domain you are going to engage the participants.
Will the presentation be inspiring and uplifting so others are motivated to take up the challenge or change their direction?
Will the presentation be entertaining with a clear message woven through the laughs?
Like a comedian, they deliver their message through entertainment. We laugh at the turn of phrase and life observations, but the content does make you think about the real underlying issues.
Will the presentation be persuasive where you are giving compelling reasons and data to sway the audience’s opinion to take action on your cause? This speech would have at least one statistic or case study followed by a relevant, emotionally charged story to cement the cause's solution.
Will the presentation be informing where the audience is immersed in information that develops their knowledge and expands their thinking?
Of course, there can be elements of each domain, but be aware of what is the dominant domain you are using to engage your audience.
Consider every speaking engagement starts with this question:
“What is the message you want the audience to walk away with and how will they feel during your speech?”