6 Rhetorical Techniques to Help You Present Like a Pro
When it comes to preparing a presentation, most people spend most of their preparation time putting together their Powerpoint slides. But think about the last presentation you attended and tell me what you remembered. The slides? No. The presenter? Right. The best slideshow in the world can’t make up for poor delivery, but a good presenter can engage an audience without using a single slide.
In an increasingly commoditized marketplace, a memorable presentation gives you an edge over your competitors. So forget Powerpoint for a while and let’s look at 5 rhetorical techniques that can help you make presentations memorable, enjoyable and persuasive.
1. Onomatopoeia
A long word, but a simple concept. Words like BANG! BAM! WOW! POW! KER-CHING! etc. they are great for emphasizing key points and also for waking up a sleepy audience after lunch.
Examples:
o Our sales figures were pretty flat in 2005 but in 2006 we implemented a CRM solution and wow! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they really took off!
o As soon as we started advertising online, KER-CHING! The money started flowing!
2. Rhetorical questions
Asking questions you already know the answer to is a more engaging way to present simple statements, as it engages the audience and makes them think. Compare these two ways of delivering the same information:
o Our software can save you up to $50,000 in just one year.
o How much money can our software save you? Up to $50,000 in a year!
A pause after the question builds anticipation and ensures that people hear the answer.
3. The rule of 3
Experienced public speakers, whether teachers, professors, politicians or comedians, know the power of the Rule of 3 (how many jokes start with three people, an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman, say, walking into a bar? ). Lists of 3 are more memorable than lists of 4 or more.
Examples:
o Our service is fast, efficient and professional.
o How do we reach our goals? Building new factories, employing more workers and reducing production costs.
o A good presentation should be concise, informative and memorable.
4. Machine guns
Strafing is the opposite of the Rule of 3, where you quickly eliminate a long list of items: you don’t care how many the audience remembers, you just want to impress them with the number of things on your list!
Examples:
o Our product is cheaper, newer, faster, bigger, cleaner, safer and better than anything else on the market.
o We can supply software to manage accounts, reports, POS, hospitality, web design, ERP, CRM and eCommerce.
5. We are all in the same boat
…or ‘creating report’. This technique builds a bridge between you and your audience. Using words like “us,” “us,” or “all of us” (instead of “you”) shows that you understand your audience’s pain points, as you’ve experienced them yourself.
Examples:
o And we all know the problems that can cause, right?
o The importance of global marketing is clear to all of us.
o We need to ask ourselves what we can do about it.
o Like me, I’m sure you are often too busy to respond to all the emails you receive.
6. Shutdown/Close
Do you want the audience to pay attention to you? Turn off your slides! Mute the projector or press ‘B’ on your keyboard, and the screen goes black, leaving the audience with nothing to look at but you. Put aside the Powerpoint crutch and learn to fend for yourself!
When you want the audience to look at a slide, shut up! Silence is very rare in presentations and will signal to the audience that you want them to pay close attention to what is on the screen.
So you don’t have to be a rock star, actor, or comedian to put on a good performance; Just use a few of these techniques during your next presentation and you’ll engage your audience, hold their attention, and secure yourself. they remember you. And as with all presentation techniques, practice makes perfect!