Influencing tip of the month - persuasive presentations
Do you ever have to make persuasive presentations? Do you sometimes find that you don't have much time to organise your thoughts? How about a simple format that's quick and easy to use? Here it is:
Step one – Present situation
Describe the present situation and describe the downsides of the present situation. Tell a story that illustrate the drawbacks of how things are at the moment. Show your listeners that you understand the difficulties they are facing with the present arrangements
Step two – Desired situation
Tell them how things could be. Make the desired situation desirable, and show that it is also possible. Emphasise the benefits of the desired situation, both to your organisation as a whole, but also to the individuals you are trying to persuade.
Step three – Action
Tell them what you want them to do next, as specifically as possible. Don't ask them to commit to the whole thing you are proposing, especially if it is radically different to what's gone before. Instead ask them to commit to some small action – perhaps even a pilot or a feasibility study – that takes them in the right direction.
That's it – PDA, Present situation (with downsides), Desired situation (with benefits) and Action (as specific as possible). Try this out next time you are making a persuasive presentation. And the next time you are on the receiving end of a good persuasive presentation, notice how the speaker uses this format (or some variation on it).