What do I talk about?
By Poornima Vijayashanker I received a wonderful set of responses from readers like you last week on my post your presentation won’t please everyone. …
By Poornima Vijayashanker
I received a wonderful set of responses from readers like you last week on my post your presentation won’t please everyone. Thank you for sharing and teaching me! Many of you seem to be comfortable getting up and presenting to an audience, large or small, and being OK with a mixed audience.
However, there were a number of folks who reached out and told me that they hadn’t given a presentation because they felt like they didn’t have any particular expertise. They were concerned about only presenting a novel concept.
That is definitely a valid concern!
I know it took me about 2 years into my career before I felt like I had learned enough about software and startups to share my experience with an audience. Even then I was a little concerned about sharing something that would leave a lasting impression on the audience.
The second lesson in my latest mini-course Why You Should Speak at Technical Conferences aims to answer the question: What do I talk about? You can watch it here. Remember this mini-course isn’t just for technical folks!
I’d also like to share with you, what one reader, John Spitters, Founder & CEO of Family Nation, wrote to me last week. John did an excellent job of articulating 7 strategies that answer the question: What do I talk about? I know I found many of the strategies useful!
John wrote:
Hi Poornima,
A great post! Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past couple of years, thanks to observing others who are really good at this, and my pitch coach:
1. Do your best to understand who your audience is, but that may not always be possible so it’s extremely important to “inform and educate” rather than trying to “impress and win approval”.
2. Talk about general problems people experience rather than your particular solution, because your particular solution may not appeal to them. Instead they want to know they are not the only ones experiencing problems.
3. Create a STORY that links a problem that most of your audience can relate to with a general solution that addresses that problem. Stories make the problem relatable, and people engage with your presentation when they feel personally affected by the problem you are highlighting, as well as the solution.
4. Your presentation isn’t about you. Your intention should be to educate and inform by sharing a compelling and interesting story. The story starts a conversation that you can have with people following your delivery.
5. When you’re presenting a topic that you’re passionate about and committed to, then you won’t mind or object to arrogance, criticism, skepticism or “haters”, because you’re already aware that detractors exist, hence the reason for the problem! Cue Taylor Swift: “And the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate!” You’ll just learn to shake it off, shake it off! And, those types of folks in an audience will only make you stronger and better in your resolve to push forward.
6. When you speak as a competent authority about a problem, you’ll be amazed at what happens to your confidence. It will propel you and enable you to not protest or object to your detractors. You’ll embrace them! You’ll be able to acknowledge their ambitions, perspectives and expectations, and then move on.
7. When you inform and educate an audience with quality and relevant information, you begin to earn trust. This will increase your credibility in the hearts and minds of those who identify with your story and they will begin to view you as genuine, caring and competent. When you achieve this, then you’ve earned the right to continue the conversation with those who are looking for solutions.
Thanks a lot John for enabling me to share your 7 strategies with my readers!
Now I want to know, which of these strategies resonated with you, and do you have others you’d like to recommend? Just let me know in the comments below!
