Learn the Secrets of Persuasive Presenters

Ace persuasive presenters are made not born. They have learned what it takes to conquer their fear of presenting, and now they love it!

They have also learned how to create compelling speech content and how to present it in an engaging and persuasive way.

In this post, I’d like to share some practical presentation tips that will help you become a more persuasive presenter.

They accept and utilise their nerves to improve their presentations

I’ve yet to meet an excellent speaker who does not get a little nervous before a presentation. What make the best presenters different is that, Instead of allowing these feelings to develop into paralysing stage fright, they have learned to embrace it. In doing this, they transform fear it into a source of energy that powers their presentation. Instead of allowing this nervous energy to “leak out” in the form of distracting mannerisms, they channel it back into their voice, eye contact and purposeful movement. Click here to find out more
Persuasive presenters put their audience first

The most persuasive presenters know that the magic happens in the heads of their audience. As a speaker, their job is to facilitate a change in the way the audience think. To do this, they have to meet the audience where they are first and then take them on a journey. To do this, they have learned to tune-in to their audience, and adapt their content to suit. Click to find out more about this presentation tip
Confident presenters trust their intuition

Scripted presentations are all very well, but they have a tendency to come across as stilted and dull. The best presenters have learned to prepare their content but to leave room for flexibility and inspiration. I know an incredible speaker called Richard Wilkins who has what he calls “cosmic faxes” when he is speaking. It is an idea or a story or an example that pops into his head during a presentation. He has learned to trust his intuition enough to utilise these ideas during his talks, and the results are always amazing. Click here to learn more
Engaging public speakers understand that perfection isn’t connection

When it comes to public speaking, I believe that aiming for absolute perfection can undermine your ability to connect with your audience. The odd little slip, mistake or verbal stumble proves to your audience that you are “human” and so they can identify with you. So, like the best presenters, relax and accept that mistakes will happen, and remember that they can boost your rapport with the audience. Want to know more?
Persuasive presenters understand the importance of creating an emotional response

Presentations that fail to create an emotional response from the audience are boring, and dull. Audiences, just like presenters, are human and, therefore, make decisions based on emotion as well as logic. When was the last time you were motivated to do something based purely on facts or numbers? The best presenters understand the power of emotion to unlock motivation. They use stories and anecdotes to engage our limbic systems and generate the desire to take action. Learn more about emotion in presentations
They realise that they are their own best visual aid

Poor presenters, mistakenly rely on visual aids to do the work for them. Ask anyone to tell you about an excellent speaker and they’ll inevitably talk about the person, their passion, their energy, not their slides. Your expression, gestures, movement and vocal variety are much more powerful and persuasive than words on a screen. More presentation tips about visual aids in presentations
They are always looking to improve their skills

You may be surprised to learn that even the most confident speakers have an attitude of continuous self-improvement. They always want to be better. They seek out constructive feedback, attend seminars, learn from their peers and analyse their own performance using audio or video recording. More about practicing your presentation skills