Cathy Liska In the first two blogs of this series on presenting as a coach, we covered tips on the opening and the meat of a presentation. Now let’s looks at tips for a dynamic and motivational close.
6. Create a plan of action.
* If your audience hears a great presentation and walks out the door without specific steps, what happens? Nothing! Nothing changes unless the change is planned. A great speaker creates change.
* Throughout your presentation, with each point, ask your audience to write down what they will do and how they will do it. When they have a written plan, they feel confident and motivated.
Ask you audience what might prevent them from making a change. Ask about the possibilities for having a coach as a strategy and accountability partner.
7. Wrap the content package together with a beautiful ribbon.
* At the end of the presentation, does the audience remember what you said at the beginning? Do they remember all the wonderful ideas and points and steps? No!
* Summarize your key points in a way that makes a key point. Go through the points made throughout the presentation and ask the audience if the information applies to their interest.
Summarizing the information in your presentation creates value for your audience and clearly demonstrates expertise and your ability to create focus – both considerations when someone thinks about hiring a coach.
8. Clinch the close.
* What do people remember when they walk out the door? The last thing they heard! Do they accept a bland, “thank you for being here,” as special or significant?
* When your close ties to your opening, the full content creates a very real experience. Is this more powerful than a great joke or story? Connect the dots clearly by pulling your opening in and closing with a powerful clincher of a statistic or story tied to your opening.
Bringing the audience full circle with your close is both motivational and solidifies learning. Coaching is very often a process that those motivated to create change seek and coaching is a process that works, so how are you setting-up opportunity to follow-up?
Focus on your audience from beginning to end because as a presenter or a coach it is about the people you are privileged to serve.
Who motivates you and how?
