As part of my job I often present to large audiences at conferences and events. Initially this was quite a daunting task until I learned to control my nerves and develop my presenting style. Over the last few years I have improved significantly, and I put this down to practice and experience. One of the most important lessons I learned was to know my material inside out. If you are comfortable with what you are going to say, you can concentrate on delivering the message clearly and with confidence. Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to attend a course run by Body Talk UK, they help people develop their technique. In this article I’ll talk about a system they teach which helps you write a effective and captivating presentation.
Putting together a great slide deck and knowing your cues is important, the process is based on creating a clear message with a natural flow. Planning your content can be difficult, but using this method will help you think about the structure. It is called “the pro system” and there are 4 words (all starting with pro) which drive the story you will tell your audience:
Problem – Start off by highlighting the issue you will address. Use this to draw the crowd in using a clear statement they can relate to. Develop the problem by making it relevant to issues which cost money, time and value. This is the hook that gets their attention. This is not just going to be a run-of-the-mill talk, you are going to solve a problem they all face.
Promise – The next step is to hint at a solution, paint a picture where their concerns no longer exist. Invite them to “imagine a world…” that is trouble free and they can dedicate resources to other activities. The promise should engage your audience and make them pay attention so you can deliver the key message of your pitch.
Proof – This is the main body of the content. In the proof section you deliver three clear statements of evidence that your product (or message) addresses the problem. You may present statistics and facts or even better, use real-world examples. Telling a story is the most compelling way to demonstrate you are an expert who has experience in the field. These testimonials make you believable and credible. Three is the magic number, count them off as you list your points. It will give a defined schedule to the proof and keep listeners engaged.
Proposition – Now that you have delivered a great solution, you have to have a strong close. This should be a call to action, a challenge to change or contact details to arrange a meeting. Make it easy by asking them to make a small commitment, which will lead to a big win. Don’t forget to thank your subjects for their time.
When you know this method, you will start to notice it all around you. It is the basis for excellent advertising messages (here is a great example in just 30 seconds) to TED talks. I’ve even started to recognise it in marketing emails, infographics and written material. I am using the pro technique to plan an upcoming captivating presentation and the simple framework makes building the content easy. I challenge you to give it a try and see just how well it works.
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