英语书籍：Well Said (节选3）

英语书籍：Well Said (节选3）ZT

WELL SAID!; Presentations and Conversations That Get
Results by Darlene Price 


7. "How much does your audience already know?" Be sure to find out
how much they know about your topic so you can gauge your content
accordingly. The amount of details and type of content you include
in your presentation should depend on your audience's knowledge
level. A presentation describing the effects of a new heart
medication requires far less detail when your audience is made up of
patients as opposed to cardiac surgeons. The key issues to consider
are the audience's level of familiarity and comprehension. With that
in mind, ask yourself two questions:

How familiar is my audience with the topic of my
presentation?

Is my audience likely to understand my terms and concepts,
or should I plan on explaining them?

You don't want to talk over your audience's head, and you don't want
to talk down to them, either.

8. "What are your audience's attitudes about you, the topic, and the
environment?" Several years ago, I coached two corporate presidents,
Anne and Larry, from separate and unrelated companies, in the very
same week. Both leaders were delivering presentations that were
seemingly the same: a thirty-minute, all-employee state-of-the-
corporation address, delivered live at their headquarters and
broadcast via the Internet to remote offices. Anne's company had a
stellar year. The firm gave out unexpected bonuses; they were
featured in multiple trade publications as a "Most Admired Company."
And, based on employee satisfaction surveys, they were rated as one
of the best companies to work for in the state. Anne was respected
and adored by a grateful workforce. No surprise, when she walked on
stage, the applauding fans rose to their feet. Larry, on the other
hand, faced an entirely different situation. His company had posted
a devastating multimillion-dollar loss in the previous quarter. He'd
laid off hundreds of employees, and rumors were flying that more
"head-whacking" was to come. Remaining managers had taken a pay cut,
and disgruntled employees were blogging negative comments. As you
can imagine, Larry's audience had an entirely different attitude
about him, his topic, and the overall corporate environment than did
Anne's.

As you prepare, ask yourself about the likely attitudes of the
people in your audience. Are they likely to be supporters and
advocates of your ideas who are positively disposed to you and your
message? Are they opposed to your ideas? Are they undecided,
neutral, uncaring? What emotions, biases, prejudices, and opinions
do they hold toward you and your topic?

9. "What are their personality types?" Yvonne, the senior vice
president of marketing for a national cosmetics company, was furious
when she called me for help. The day before, she had attempted to
present her new business strategy to her CEO. He interrupted her
after five minutes. "I have no idea what you're trying to say," he
told her. "When you figure it out, let me know." He excused her and
asked his assistant to call in the next presenter. Unfortunately,
Yvonne forgot to consider her listener's personality. Yvonne's CEO
is a fast-paced, quick-thinking, high-driver type who wants to hear
the crux of the message in the first five minutes. Yet, Yvonne
mistakenly prepared a painstaking presentation with down-in-the-
weeds details and a methodical step-by-step process. In the first
five minutes, she was still plowing through numbers in the first
column of her ten-page spreadsheet. We may argue with the CEO's lack
of manners, sensitivity, and tact, but his job is to produce results
for the company and to ensure his time is spent on revenue-
generating outcomes. When presenting to this dominant, direct, and
decisive personality type, you as the presenter must be prepared to
speak in a clear, concise, and convincing manner, asserting your
conclusions and recommendations up front.

On the contrary, you may have other decision makers in your audience
who are detail-oriented, methodical thinkers who want to hear about
your process and logic. The point is to know to whom you are
speaking--and know it ahead of time. The fast-paced, risk-taking
executive receives information differently than does a fact-
oriented, quality-minded engineer, scientist, or technologist. Are
your listeners serious minded, or do they laugh easily? Are they
talkative, outgoing, and energetic, or quiet, reserved, and somber?
As you are getting to know your audience, think about the different
types of personalities in the room. What behavioral traits and
learning styles best describe them? The answers to these questions
will determine what you say, how much you say, and the order in
which you say it. This insight is invaluable later in the process as
we develop a logical structure and develop persuasive content.

10. "What objections or questions might this audience have?" What
would cause this audience to oppose your topic or proposal? What
issues might cause a delay or denial of your request? What issues
must be overcome to achieve your goal? By identifying the obstacles
ahead of time, you will be prepared to show your audience that their
concerns are not as formidable as they might have thought. Once you
have identified the obstacles to your success, you can muster the
arguments necessary to overcome them. No matter how excellent your
product, proposal, or recommendation may be, audience members almost
always raise objections, have questions, or demand additional
information.

Mike, the chief operating officer of a large computer system
manufacturer, was preparing to present to a group of unhappy
customers. As I helped him prepare for the possible questions and
objections the audience might have, we carefully rehearsed honest
and appropriate answers. After a couple of hours, Mike paused. "This
is certainly not fun, but very necessary," he said. "I guess it's
true--real leaders face the music even when they don't like the
tune." Mike did his homework ahead of time and found out the key
issues affecting his customers. He then took the time to formulate
and practice effective answers. Only then was he able to craft a
thoughtful, audience-focused message that addressed his audience's
key concerns and ultimately salvaged their business.

What issues or concerns could keep your audience from adopting your
message and carrying out your call to action? Maybe they fear the
change you're recommending and dread the adjustments it requires.
Perhaps they are uncertain about which vendor to choose or whether
they can afford your solution. Maybe they are skeptical and doubt
your company's ability to deliver. Whatever the reason, your success
as a persuasive and confident presenter will depend on your ability
to anticipate your audience's questions and objections--your ability
to face the music of the audience--even when you don't like the
tune. Equally important to predicting their reasons for resistance
will be developing the skills to overcome these objections and
answer their questions with finesse and confidence. We will cover
those specific techniques in Chapter 12.