Why Should The Audience Listen To You?

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Image: Amplified2010 (Flickr)

In every presentation, Steve Jobs made sure to answer that first question: Why should you listen to Steve?

For the iPhone announcement, he answered it by intriguing us, telling us that he had something exciting to share with us.

Of course, the usual reaction of an audience to a presenter telling us that they’re excited is “so what?” but Steve never gave the audience time to say “so what”, instead he quickly reminded them of the other times that he had exciting other new products:

  • the original Apple Mackintosh,
  • the iMac
  • the iPod

By using his past successes, he established his credibility and since the audience knew that the Mac, the iMac and the iPod were revolutionary, he prepared the audience for something amazing.

He gave the audience a reason to listen.

When you stand up to speak in front of an audience, do you show the show the standard boring agenda slide and then read it to the audience or do you intrigue them and make them want to listen?

How can you give the audience a reason to listen?

10 STEPS TO SPEAKING LIKE STEVE JOBS

  1. Practice Until You’re a Natural
  2. Be Audience-Centric
  3. Why Should They Listen To You?
  4. Why Should the Audience be Excited by Your Idea or Product?
  5. Why This Is The Best Thing That You’ve Ever Done
  6. Use a Tagline
  7. Show Your Passion
  8. Use Theatre and Magic to Captivate Your Audience
  9. Use Great Visuals
  10. What Would Steve Do? (Coming Soon)