Permission is given to reprint the following articles, provided that the following contact information is provided in its entirety. 

© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
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Facing an Audience?
Perform a Background Check—On Yourself!

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

An accomplished medical researcher told me about a presentation she had recently made. “I gave too much background and had to rush when explaining the clinical implications.” “Who was the audience?” I asked. The answer: “A group of clinicians.”

It’s natural for a researcher, project manager, or technical specialist to structure a presentation chronologically. It’s natural to expect the background information to lend weight to the finale—the conclusion or recommendation. It’s natural, that is, if you’re thinking from a speaker’s perspective.

From an audience’s perspective, this “natural” approach can be boring and unproductive. Chances are you’ve had the experience—as an audience member—of feeling your eyes glaze over when a presenter droned on about background or technical details that seemed irrelevant to you.

The audience comes for the finale. They are interested in background details only to the point that the details clarify or support the recommendation or results. Provide a taste of the finale at the start, even give the punch line, and you grab the audience’s attention and provide a framework to put the details that follow into perspective.

Next time you face an audience, remember that it’s your job to think like the audience and to structure your presentation accordingly. Perform a background check—on yourself.
 

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2008 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

Imagine yourself in a situation in which one professional shows you how to incorporate the insights of three perspectives into your business communication:  marketing, persuasion, and visual design. 

Imagine an interactive session with an entertaining and inspiring speaker.  Do you like what you see?  You’ve just envisioned working with Bonnie Budzowski, President of inCredible Messages, LP.

Contact Bonnie to learn more about how she can guide you and your team to create compelling business messages or call 412-828-1629 . 

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