In the realm of corporate presentations, there’s a common but rarely discussed misconception: that the speaker’s primary objective is to be liked by the audience.
There’s nothing wrong with being charming, per se. It helps drive engagement in the moment, and keeps your listeners engaged. However, while being personable can aid in communication, focusing on likability as your primary objective detracts from the true purpose of an effective speech or presentation—delivering value to the audience.
Presentations that stick in the mind long after they’ve taken place are virtually always audience-centric. This means understanding the audience’s needs, concerns, and interests, and tailoring the message accordingly, with supporting facts and stories.
As communication expert Steven D. Cohen emphasizes, “The key to delivering a successful speech is showing your audience members that you care about them.” This means conducting thorough audience analysis and aligning the presentation’s content with their expectations and requirements.
Michael Foley, a clinical assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management, advises leaders delivering a speech or presentation to “set a goal to educate, not impress.” By focusing on educating the audience, speakers naturally shift attention away from themselves and towards delivering meaningful content.
Focusing on the audience will help you with any nerves you might have, too, Foley says.
“As a presenter, if my intention is to impress, perform, or entertain, I’m going to be nervous because my focus is on me,” Foley says. “If, however, my intention is to educate my audience on a vision, idea, or insight that will bring real value to their lives and/or their business, my focus is on them. As a result, I relax and connect effortlessly with my audience.”
At its worst, the desire to be liked can lead presenters to prioritize style over substance, resulting in presentations that are entertaining but lack depth.
To side-step that pitfall, here are a few basic strategies for ensuring that your presentation is audience-centric:
Conduct audience analysis: Before you even start tailoring the content for your speech, understand who your audience is, what they care about, and what they hope to gain from your presentation. How many will be in the room? How senior? Which functions? Do they all serve our customers? The more granular this analysis, the better.
Define clear objectives: Establish what you want your audience to learn or take away from your presentation (Hint: it should not equate to “how amazing I am”). These objectives should be tightly aligned with what the audience wants to hear about.
Engage through storytelling: Use relevant stories or examples to illustrate key points and make the content relatable. Avoid telling self-aggrandizing tales and use stories to achieve your first goal: delivering value for your audience in an engaging manner.
Practice with purpose: Rehearse your presentation, first by reading it, then in front of a mirror. Don’t be shy – some of the best presenters in the world swear by their bathroom prep work!
In any corporate presentation, the ultimate goal is to deliver value that resonates with the audience. Remember, it’s not about being liked; it’s about being valuable. I know I’d much rather be seen by my audience as an expert and thought leader in my discipline, rather than “a charming guy” – and I’d bet most leaders would agree.
