Presenters have always battled for attention, and with today’s time-poor audience, endless distracting devices, that battle has got even harder.
Most presenters have spent lots of time trying to build better-looking slides or adopt exciting new tools such as Prezi, but there is something really simple that everybody seems to be ignoring.
CORE MESSAGE
Defining a core message at the very start of your presentation is crucial because it helps you:
- Simplify a memorable message
- Think about your desired outcome
- Give thought to your audience type
- Present better by keeping you focused and on track
With a solid core you are basically developing a presentation six pack, and by ignoring your core you are building the presentation equivalent to a beer belly that is weak, unhealthy, and something people really want to forget after seeing!
QUESTION: How many of your presentations have failed because the core message wasn’t clear?
HOW TO DEVELOP A STRONG CORE
If you have a presentation coming up do the following quick exercise:
- Grab some standard size post-it notes
- Grab a marker pen – Not too thick but definitely not a thin pencil
- Without thinking too hard start writing on the first post-it what you think your core message is
TIP – If it doesn’t fit onto 1 post-it then it’s too big - Keep refining that down until it’s easy to say and simple enough that you’re confident you can deliver
Once you have that there are a couple of items that help strengthen your core even more.
OBJECTIVES & OUTCOME
You also need to define your presentation objectives and desired outcome. Your core message can help you define these.
FOR EXAMPLE:
My Core message for a recent Webinar was INSPIRE AUDIENCE TO GET BACK TO BASICS AND EMBRACE THE FOUR C.
My objectives from there were simple:
- Communicate clearly what the FOUR C is
- Make people realise why core message is such an important starting point
My desired outcome was:
- Deliver a memorable Webinar that people tweet about and share with their networks
- Get everyone to sign up for the next webinar in the series
This process can literally take you 10-15 minutes but it gives you all of the benefits mentioned earlier, and let’s face it…it makes your life as a presenter much easier.
There’s a lot less chance of you getting halfway through (or 5 minutes before) a presentation and deciding to change or add things because your objectives, desired outcomes, and core message are set from the start.
WANT A PRESENTATION SIX PACK?
If you’d like to understand our full approach to building and delivering better presentations, then contact us today about our FOUR C training which can be delivered as an online or on-site course.
May the FOUR C be with you.
The Prezenter.
