Welcome to part one of a four-part series on the best formula for a presentation closing that resonates.
Every great singer opens with their second-best song and closes with their best.
In a perfect world, your close will be a highlight of your speech. This way you increase the likelihood that you will look out and see your audience leap to their feet applauding. Bill Gove, the first president of the National Speakers Association, told me, “A standing ovation says more about the audience than the speaker.” In other words, a mediocre speech can receive an ovation from a direct sales organization, whereas the best-crafted presentation delivered to enthusiastic accountants mostly likely will not.
There is, however, a surefire formula that you can rely on to close your presentation.
Six-step formula to captivate your audience at the end of your presentation:
Good communicators understand fat and skinny words
If your goal is to sound clear, concise, and credible, this advice is invaluable.
Nothing can turn your audience off faster than using fat words when they’re hungry for skinny ones.
Or vice versa. I learned this exciting concept from Dr. David Palmer, who was a Silicon Valley negotiations expert. He introduced me to “levels of abstraction.”
Unless you can match your message to the expectations of your audience or talk at the same level at which they are listening, you won’t connect as well as you would like. This is true whether your audience is one person, ten, or one hundred.
Suppose you write the word “automobile” on a pad.
A simple concept. Going up to the next level of abstraction, you could write above it that the car is a “wheeled passenger vehicle,” then “surface transportation,” then “major force in the world’s economy.” This is making the word “automobile” fatter and fatter, larger and larger. These big ideas and abstractions are “fat words.” They are great for conveying the big picture, for inspiring ideas, for motivating.
Now, let’s make the word skinnier.
Underneath, you might write “sedan,” “Ford sedan,” “red, four-door Ford sedan.” Eventually, you would be talking about a specific car with its VIN. Those are “skinny words.” They are essential for conveying instructions and solving technical problems.
No one holding a screwdriver, camera, or looking at a blank screen on their computer wants fat words. You’ll just frustrate them, maybe make them furious. They want to know minute details and the specific who, what, when, and how.
Many of my clients hire me to coach their sales teams.
After giving them the automobile illustration, they learn to be more effective at evaluating each other by saying, “Your words are too fat,” or “Those words aren’t skinny enough.” When you are presenting a sales overview to an executive or senior management, ask, “Should your words get fatter or skinnier?”
Upper management needs fat words.
After a successful initial interview with a company, you may be lucky or skilled enough to be invited to present your offerings to their management team. For this group, your ideas need to be brought down a level of abstraction by using skinnier words and phrases.
Let’s assume you were very effective and persuasive.
You made the sale. Now you are dealing with the individuals who make the technology or machine work. That is when the words and phrases need to get skinny. The who, what, when, how, and how do I troubleshoot problems?
At what level should you present your information so that you get your message across? It all depends on the audience.
For many years, as a professional speaker I asked my clients, “What do you want to accomplish from my program?” “What is the purpose of the meeting?”
Often, I heard very “fat” answers. “Get them to sell more,” or “Motivate them,” or “Get them excited about our new strategy.”
My reply would be, “How much are they selling now? How much more?” or “Motivate them to do what?” or “What are the reasons they would be excited about the strategy.” Over the years, I have become better at asking questions that drive the conversation to give me “skinnier” answers. Some of my favorite questions are “Can you give me a specific example?” and “How will you measure the results?” and “Can you help me understand specifically what you mean by that?”
Can you see the challenge?
When their words and instructions are too fat, it is challenging to know how to meet and exceed their expectations. With my questioning, I need to drive their comments and expectations down the level of abstraction I can understand.
How clear are you when you communicate? Have you developed the ability to move from fat conversations to skinnier?
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“Patricia Fripp is amazing. As a speech coach, you’ll never find anyone with her wisdom, experience, and ability. Once I began to work with her, she improved my speaking style immediately. Her ability to listen to what her clients want to say and instantly give them the right words to use is incredible. Patricia can take an average presentation and quickly transform it to become great.
She takes time to explain and teach her clients how to think about their speech structure and language so that they are equipped to apply the same strategy moving forward. Patricia truly cares a lot about her clients’ success. You get both a coach and a fan when you partner with Patricia.” – Bhavin Shah, CEO & Founder, Moveworks
Make more sales more often. Patricia Fripp can help.
Developing good public speaking skills helps you make more sales more often.
To sell you need technical skills, product knowledge, how you compare to your competition, territory management, a good relationship management system, discipline, and self-management. However, that is not enough. Too often the best presentation wins.
Earlier in my career when I was primarily a keynote speaker, a large food service company invited me to keynote their yearly sales conference. After my speech, Jennifer, the National Sales Manager, pulled me aside and said, “I liked your speech. However, I really loved how you delivered it. Can you teach our salespeople to speak that way? We sell quality food and uniforms to hospitals and healthcare systems.
Business and educational professionals, speakers, and trainers know that whenever you present, whether you’re talking to one person or one hundred, you want to connect with your audience and get your message across. What’s the best way to do this when you deliver a virtual presentation? Like it or not, virtual meetings and presentations are here to stay.
When it comes to designing and scripting your presentation, all the techniques you have learned from my articles, videos and FrippVT still work in virtual presentations. Many professional speakers are perplexed when clients want us to accept half our fee for a virtual presentation. Of course, we do not have to travel, but virtual presentations are more stressful and less satisfying. They require more rehearsals, and we live in dread that “the technology will not work, and the internet may go down.” It often does. These elements add to the stress level of even the most seasoned of us.
Nothing happens without first understanding the technology.
Business entities use different technologies. They include Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeetings, and Teams. Conventions work with production companies and more sophisticated platforms. Even a seasoned presenter who is superb at delivering live presentations can find the shift nerve-racking.
Technique: Open Your Speech in the Middle of a Conversation
Most presenters who know what they are talking about aren’t bad once they get started. Very few of the professionals I have worked with, however, know how to open and close their presentations effectively.
Toyah Willcox singer and actress had a conversation at s head table.
No matter what opening option you use, good presentations begin comfortably. That is why I call this technique, “Start in the Middle of a Conversation.”
My sister-in-law, British singer and actress Toyah Willcox, was sitting at a head table with Princess Diana. Yes, the REAL Princess Diana. They were at a Woman of the Year awards luncheon in London. Lady Diana said, “Do you ever feel like running into the street and shouting,
‘Don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers?’”
If you were delivering a presentation on PR, publicity, getting known, the audiences’ misconceptions, or even networking, the “brush with fame approach” would be a great way to begin. It is almost as if you were in the middle of a conversation with a friend.
My friend John Cantu was a San Francisco comedy legend. He ran the Holy City Zoo Comedy Club where many of the greats like Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and Paula Poundstone got their start.
Every presentation you deliver needs to be built around your premise, central theme, or big idea.
Your next step is to organize your “chunks” of content in a way that they are easy for you and your audience can remember your message.
The first chunking example: Explanation, Example, Application
Once you introduce your point of wisdom, add a needed explanation, an example of how your idea would apply, and then the application for this audience.
Example: Point of Wisdom
“Our goal as a presenter is to speak to be remembered and repeated. This often means going against what is commonly used. For example, use time as a set-up phrase.”
Your first step in creating your speech structure is to answer this question: “Based on my subject, what is my premise or central theme?” This is the big idea you want to get across.
Every TV show, movie, and book has a clear premise. So does your presentation.
Every audience wants to know that you know who they are. The premise statement is valuable because when you have your core presentation, it helps you adapt your focus and examples for each audience. Sometimes you state your premise. Other times it is in the back of your mind driving your presentation.
Hear Patricia describe your Central Theme or Premise
Imagine that I ask you, “If you had one sentence rather than 20 or 45 minutes for your presentation, what would you say?” If your answer is in one sentence and not a paragraph, you probably have your central theme. That is the premise of your presentation.
The dictionary definition of a premise is “A basis of argument leading to a conclusion.”
Once you have your premise, you list your key talking points, what we like to call your “points of wisdom,” into the outline of your presentation.
Your talking points prove your premise; they make your case for you.
“A strong presentation structure gives you the freedom to be creative.” Patricia Fripp
This is how you organize your presentation with a logical flow. (Part one)
It will be easy for both you and your audience to remember with minimal or no notes.
The more you work on clarifying your content, organizing your structure, then adding some initial scripting, the easier it will be for you to have professional-sounding delivery.
You would not build a home without a blueprint. You would not drive to another city without a map, GPS, or good directions. It is the same with your speech structure. It is what we consider the skeleton under the flesh of your words.
Once you have decided on the content you are going to include in your presentation, you are ready to learn how to organize it into a strong structure.
The first step is to clarify the intent and benefit of your message for the audience.
Hollywood Knows How to Connect Emotionally with an Audience
Just as speakers, sales professionals, and leaders have to.
A cast of colorful characters works in front of and behind the camera to make a movie, a movie that has the power to transport us into the future or show us life as it might once have been.
Hollywood can teach us how to add impact to our presentations.
Here is an example of how I open a presentation about movie techniques that help us become better speakers.
The lesson to learn is to speak in short phrases and build a rhythm.
Lisa Poole knows how to capture an audience’s attention.
Are you ready to take your presentations to the next level and captivate your audience from the very beginning?
One surefire way to make a memorable impact is by incorporating interesting statistics and little-known facts into your opening.
In this article, we will explore a brilliant example of how industry expert Lisa Poole used these techniques to engage her audience and set the stage for her presentation delivered at a PayrollOrg convention about “Adding Value to Your Organization Through Job Costing.”
Be my guest at Captivate Your Audience of Five or Five Hundred in 30 Seconds: Unlock the Secrets to Powerful Openers
Web eventThursday, June 22, 2023 at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern
Let’s dive in and discover the power of intriguing statistics!
To begin, Lisa drew inspiration from the lively atmosphere of a recent event, the Payroll Palooza. She began her introduction with a playful reference to the attendees’ likely tired state after the late-night festivities: “Good morning! Did you enjoy last evening’s Payroll Palooza? After that party, I bet you slept very soundly!” By immediately connecting with the audience and acknowledging their shared experience, Lisa instantly captured their attention and created a relatable atmosphere.
Lisa spoke of her personal experience working at Simmons Bedding Company, where she discovered the intricate process of manufacturing over 50 different styles of mattresses, each consisting of up to 37 distinct parts.
She engaged the audience by highlighting the various job positions involved in creating a single mattress, using a touch of humor by questioning the validity of the word “ruffler and borderer.” By painting a vivid picture of the teamwork and expertise required, Lisa ensured that her audience was fully immersed in her topic.
Lisa said, “Imagine the following job positions having a hand in making your great night’s sleep last night:
A Cutter and Closer
A Sewer and Quilter
A Coiler and Foamer
A Hog Ringer and Nailer
A Ruffler and Borderer – is that even a word?
A Baler and an Edger
An Assembler and Stitcher
A Topper and Stager
A Builder and Mechanic
A Packer and Shipper
An Inspector and a Sweeper
A Scanner and an Upholsterer
And finally, a Capper!
And I’m sure I left a few off this list!
By sharing this behind-the-scenes perspective, Lisa not only showcased her industry knowledge but also emphasized the importance of job costing in the mattress manufacturing process. She reinforced her point, “Our Production Managers knew to the penny the exact cost of each mattress type by raw material and labor function.”
This statement immediately conveyed the value and relevance of the upcoming session, setting the stage for an engaging and educational experience.
Lisa’s presentation demonstrated the power of utilizing interesting statistics and little-known facts to captivate an audience. By incorporating these techniques, you can create an immediate connection, spark curiosity, and set the tone for a memorable and impactful presentation.
So, the next time you’re preparing to deliver a technical or industry-specific talk, consider incorporating theatrical techniques and engaging statistics to make your opening truly shine.
Lisa Poole, CPP, is the Vice President, Payroll Governance Manager at Truist.
Be my guest at Captivate Your Audience of Five or Five Hundred in 30 Seconds: Unlock the Secrets to Powerful Openers
Web eventThursday, June 22, 2023 at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern
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