Presentation

I recently attended an instructional seminar with a motivated and enthusiastic group of participants. This ‘audience’, passionate about their ultimate goal, soon began to show signs of uneasiness. The presenter, apparently obsessive about the format of her presentation, did not give herself an opportunity to understand this audience. Her scripted presentation, although thorough, could not be processed by her audience. Some were intimidated, others discouraged, and all lost some enthusiasm for the plan to support a cause they remained passionate about. This diminished enthusiasm was disheartening to see. Further, the handouts were not packaged in an organized and meaningful manner, and thus contributed to anxiety.

It is virtually impossible for presenters to know everyone in their audience, however, when the audience is a unified group for a particular cause, it becomes incumbent upon presenters to tailor their presentation accordingly; such tailored presentations enable more thorough processing of potentially valuable information. The audience responds well because their perception is the presenter ‘knows’ them, and such perception allows the presenter to be even more engaging. Read, “Tailor the Presentation to Your Target Audience”, by James A. Baker

In our February Binder Newsletter, I coined the expression, “Valued Acknowledgment” which defines your customer’s belief in how you feel about them. Tailoring your presentation generates positive valued acknowledgment; adding purposely written and properly organized material bound and presented in an appropriate cover enhances valued acknowledgment.

Jim Dalrymple wrote, “The customer experience doesn’t start when you begin using the product, it begins when you have the box in front of you.” Offering appropriately written and well organized presentation material bound in a binder cover that has meaning to the recipient defines the ‘beginning of the recipient’s experience with you.

As I have written in earlier articles, making known some of your corporate responsibility initiatives will enhance your ‘brand’. If you have an environmental initiative, make it known through the products you purchase, not just through the written word.