Present to Persuade, PH V1.0 1

Copyright © 2013 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Objectives

Identify and use the steps in a proven structure for

persuasion

Apply the power of evidence and other presentation

best practices

Compel listeners to action by clarifying the benefits for

them

Plan for a persuasive presentation

Being Persuasive

What are the most important factors in being a persuasive

presenter?

Think about one or two persuasive presentations you have

attended. Were you persuaded? How did the presenter succeed

or fail in his/her mission?

Presentation Fundamentals 1. Know your material so well, you feel you own it.

2. Have a positive feeling about the subject you are about to present.

3. Project to your audience the value and significance of your message.

Present to Persuade

A dispute once arose between the wind and the sun over which was the stronger of the two. There seemed to be no way of settling the issue. But suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road. This is our chance, said the sun, to prove who is right. Whichever of us can make that man take off his coat shall be the stronger, And just to show you how sure I am, I’ll let you have the first chance. So the sun hid behind a cloud, and the wind blew an icy blast. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveler wrap his coat around him. At last the wind had to give up. Then the sun came out from behind the cloud and began to shine down upon the traveler with all his power. The traveler felt the sun’s genial warmth, and as he grew warmer and warmer he began to loosen his coat. Finally he was forced to take it off altogether and to sit down in the shade of a tree and fan himself. So the sun was right after all!

—Aesop

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Copyright © 2013 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who is My Audience? What challenges do you encounter when trying to get others to “buy-in” to your ideas or recommendations?

The Listener’s Point of View In a persuasive presentation, your mission is to convince your audience to take action, not simply to convey information. You want to elicit a different behavior. To do this, speak in terms of your listeners’ interests and explain how they will benefit from taking your recommended action. Put yourself in their shoes. Are there reasons for disinterest or resistance to your message? What would you be thinking about if you were listening?

What is going on in their current situation that is relevant to my topic?

What are the challenges they face?

What do they think is important/unimportant concerning my topic?

How could they benefit by taking my recommended action?

Biases These are diverse in nature and likely vary between audience members. What pitfalls can I avoid?

Needs What do they need? How can I build evidence to support this?

Wants These can be different than needs. Satisfying them can be your edge in persuading them into action.

Goals Address audience goals when you plan and reference them during your presentation. Knowledge Are they better informed than you are? Don’t assume they know or don’t know. Never be unprepared, assume listener ignorance, or talk down to listeners. Expertise Audience skill level may determine the position you want to take on the issue. Experience What is it? At what level? Where was it gained? (for example: from formal education, field or in a lab setting.)

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Copyright © 2013 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure of a Persuasive Presentation Sometimes listeners are unaware that the point of a presentation was to persuade. The speaker may have given too much detail, or offered points in an illogical or disorganized way. The structure below provides clarity and leaves no doubt as to the action you want listeners to take, and the benefits they will gain if they do. Listeners may have widely different perspectives on your topic. Some may be open-minded to what you suggest; others resistant. Careful selection of evidence for a variety of audience members will eliminate their doubts.

Choose Evidence based on Your Audience

Types of Evidence:

Demonstration

Example

Fact

Exhibit

Analogy

Testimonial

Statistic

Personal incident

Personal Incidents I Could Use to Persuade Others:

A personal incident is a sure-fire way to grab favorable attention. Dale Carnegie said, “That is what hooks attention. That kind of opening is almost foolproof. It can hardly fail. It moves; it marches. We follow because we identify ourselves as part of a situation and we want to know what is going to happen. No stalling. No warm up statements. By launching directly into an incident, you can make it easy to capture an audience’s attention. A speaker who begins a talk with a story from his experience is on safe ground, for there is no groping for words, no loss of ideas.” Tell others:

When it happened

Who was there

Where it was

What happened

*Note: Time allocations may vary due to the nature of your presentation.

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Copyright © 2013 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Presentation Worksheet

Planning

Audience:

Purpose:

Action you want the audience to take:

Benefits (for the audience) in taking this action:

Message Delivery using the Magic Formula

Evidence or Incident:

time:

Action:

time:

Benefit:

time:

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Copyright © 2013 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tips for Building Rapport and Persuading an Audience

Consider yourself honored by being asked to speak to this audience – and say so!

Give your listeners sincere appreciation.

Mention some of your listeners by name.

Play yourself down, not up.

Say “we,” not “you.”

Talk with a “smile.”

Talk in terms of your listeners’ interests.

Ask questions instead of making demands.

Keep your voice level and avoid using a condescending tone.

Have a good time when making your presentation.

Create buy-in by finding ways to let others feel that the idea is their own.

Don’t apologize.

Appeal to the noble emotions of your audience.

Welcome criticism.

Be a “good person skilled in speaking.”

Speak with confidence and conviction on your topic. You can’t convince others if you don’t look or sound convinced.

‒ Stand with feet shoulder width apart

‒ Uncrossed arms in front of body or at sides

‒ Open palms facing audience

‒ Shoulders back, head straight with chin up and maintain eye contact

Remember that “people support a world they help create.”

Dale Carnegie Principles - Get Your Copy Dale Carnegie’s principles from How to Win Friends and Influence People, and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living are compiled in a downloadable Golden Book at: http://www.dalecarnegie.com/assets/1/7/GoldenBook_English.swf

What’s Next?

“There is only one way…to get anybody to do anything.

And that is by making the other person want to do it.”

—Dale Carnegie

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