Chapter 27 Make presentations based on the interests of the audience

He used to include many local people's conversations and examples in his speeches.The audience was interested because what he was talking about was relevant to them, to their interests, to their problems.This connection to what interests the audience most is a connection to the audience itself.If you do this, you are sure to get your audience's attention and keep the lines of communication open.Eric Johnston, former president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and now president of the Motion Picture Association, uses this technique in nearly every speech he gives.Just look at how cleverly he tapped into local interests at the University of Oklahoma's graduation ceremony:

"My fellow Oklahomans, those rumor mongers who like to spread false news should be all too familiar. Not long ago, they described Oklahoma as a barren land with no hope for ever. "It is said that in the thirties all the desperate crows told other crows that it was best to avoid Oklahoma unless they carried enough rations. "They classified the future of Oklahoma as part of the new American desert. They thought it would never grow again. But in the 1940s, Oklahoma became Xanadu—a Broadway chant." They praised it as a land where "when the rain is over and the sky is clear, and the breeze is blowing, the swaying ears of wheat will send out bursts of fragrance".

"In just 10 years, this long-dry arid region has grown into a field of corn reaching as high as an elephant's eye. "This is the result of confidence-of course, including pre-calculating the inevitable failure possibilities... "But we can say this: whatever the background of yesterday, in our time all the good subconscious has the potential to become a reality. "So when I read the archives of the Spring 1901 edition of the Oklahoma Journal in preparation for my talk, I was hoping to find some examples of the facts from 50 years ago. "What did I find? "The one thing I find most compelling is the future of Oklahoma, and the one thing I find most compelling is our hope."

The above are the best examples of delivering a speech based on the interests of the audience.Eric Johnston's speech is specially designed for the audience, so the audience will pay special attention to it.This makes the audience feel that his speech is not a copy. Ask yourself: What is the benefit of the subject you are addressing to your audience?Can you help them solve their problems and achieve their goals?Then start to tell them, which will inevitably make them listen with rapt attention.If you are an accountant, your opening remarks can be like this: "Now I will teach you how to save 50-100 yuan in taxes." If you are a lawyer, you can tell the audience how to make a will. In high spirits.In any case, in your particular expertise, you can be sure to find topics that will be helpful to your audience.

Many people fail to be good communicators, mainly because they only talk about things that interest them and bore others to death.Or reverse the process.You should lead the other person to talk about his interests, his career, his golf scores, his accomplishments—or, if the other person is a mother, her children.If you do this, and listen attentively to what the other person has to say, you will give the other person a lot of fun.In the end, you'll be recognized as a master of effective conversation—even if you say very little. Harold Dwight from Philadelphia gave a very successful speech at a banquet given during his class.He talks to each person around the table in turn, talking about how that person spoke at the beginning of the session and how he has improved since.He recalled one by one the speeches given by each student and the topics discussed.He imitated some of his classmates, exaggerated their characteristics, and made them all laugh.It is impossible to fail him with material like this, and it is the most ideal subject matter.There is no subject of greater interest in the world, and Mr. Dwight really knows how to grasp human nature.

It was an astonishing fact in the world of publishing that a few years ago American Magazine was growing at an astonishing pace and sales were booming.What's the secret?The secret lies in the late Siddhartha and his concept of the magazine.When I first met Siddard, he was hosting the magazine's "Interesting People" column, and I wrote several articles for him.One day he sat down and had a long talk with me: "People are selfish by nature," he said. "They're only interested in themselves. They don't really care if the government should nationalize the railroads, but they want to know how to get promoted, how to get paid more." , how to stay healthy. If I were the editor-in-chief of this magazine, I would tell readers how to take care of their teeth, how to bathe, how to keep cool in summer, how to get a job, how to cope with the employees they hire, how to buy a house, how to increase their Memory skills, how to avoid grammatical mistakes, etc. People are always interested in other people's life stories, so I'm going to ask some millionaires to talk about how they made millions in real estate. I'm also looking for some famous Bankers and CEOs of major corporations, ask them to talk about how they worked their way up from the bottom to where they are today."

Not long after, Siddah became the editor-in-chief of the magazine.At that time, the magazine sold very little, and it was not a successful magazine.Siddha immediately remodeled the magazine according to his above conception.How did it react?Very enthusiastic.The sales volume of the magazine has also risen rapidly, reaching 200,000, 300,000, 450,000, 500,000 copies... because its content is exactly what ordinary people want to read.Before long, the magazine was selling 1 million copies a month, then 1.5 million, and finally 2 million.But sales didn't stop there, and continued to rise for several years.Siddharth satisfies the reader's first interest.

So, the next time you're in front of an audience, imagine that they're eager to hear what you have to say—as long as it suits them.Speakers who fail to take into account the inevitable tendency of their audience to be self-centered can easily find themselves dealing with restless audiences who squirm, glance at their watches, and look hopefully for the exit.