How to Present, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 14Engage and entertain

When it comes to presenting we know that audiences are made up of people who have a variety of personality filters. One of the more relevant filters to understand when you are presenting, running meetings, influencing people or facilitating groups — online or live — relates to the way people process and sort information.

Have you ever sat in a presentation or meeting feeling so bored you were nearly asleep? Or have you ever been to a presentation where the presenter was just not on your wavelength, where it sounded to you as though they were just saying ‘blah, blah, blah'? Maybe you have had an experience where you were speaking with someone and their eyes glazed over and you felt as though you might as well have been saying ‘blah, blah, blah' to them? Surely not!

There is a significant reason for feeling this way during an unstimulating or boring presentation. The reason is probably that the presenter was not attending enough to your visual, auditory or kinesthetic preferences. So let's make sure you don't make the same mistake in your presentations!

Engaging with your audience is all about flexibility. We know that the ability to build rapport and get along with people is very important in both business and personal relationships. We also know that it is easier to build rapport with people who demonstrate the same or similar characteristics to us — people who are like ourselves. Building rapport with people who are not like us becomes more difficult. ...