The benefit statement is one of the simplest and most effective tools in public speaking — and most presenters either skip it entirely or deliver it in a way that puts the focus in exactly the wrong place. In this QuickBites episode, Peter George breaks down the three things every benefit statement must tell your audience: how long you'll be speaking, what they'll learn, and how they'll benefit from listening. The formula is simple. The shift that makes it work is just one word.
The difference between "I'm going to talk about" and "you're going to discover" might seem minor, but it signals something fundamental about where your attention is directed. Speaker-centric language frames your presentation as something being done to the audience. Audience-centric language frames it as something being done for them. And as a bonus, a well-crafted benefit statement gives listeners the words they need to summarize and share your message long after you've left the room.
Welcome to QuickBites — public speaking tips and techniques you can digest in five minutes or less. I'm Peter George, public speaking trainer, speaker, and award-winning author of The Captivating Public Speaker. In this episode, you're going to learn how to keep your audience engaged once you've delivered your attention-grabbing opening. Doing so benefits you, your presentation, and most of all, your audience.
What the Benefit Statement Does
Directly after opening your presentation with your attention-grabbing statement, question, or other tactic, deliver your benefit statement. This statement provides your audience with three things: how long your presentation is going to be, what they're going to learn, and how they're going to benefit from being there and listening to you. As a matter of fact, it's exactly how I opened this episode.
Here's an example. If you were presenting on time management, your benefit statement might sound like this: Over the next 20 minutes, you're going to learn several easy-to-implement time management ideas, so you get more done in less time and have more time for yourself. Feel free to replace the word "learn" with other words like "see" or "discover" — whatever feels most natural for you. I often use "see," as in "over the next half hour, you're going to see," even when I'm not using many slides. Because most people are visual learners, that word tends to land well.
The One Word That Changes Everything
The most important element of the benefit statement is the second sentence — and this is where most speakers get it wrong. The vast majority say things like "I'm going to talk about," "I'm going to show you," or "we're going to discuss." These are speaker-centric statements, and they set you up for a mediocre presentation at best.
A small, seemingly imperceptible change can make a world of difference. All you have to do is keep your focus on your audience by inserting the word "you" where most speakers use the word "I."
So instead of "I am going to talk about," you say "you are going to hear." Instead of "I'm going to show you," you say "you are going to see." Instead of "we're going to discuss," you say "you're going to discover." Put the focus on the audience — always.
One More Benefit You Might Not Expect
Once you've shifted to audience-centric language and delivered the benefit they're going to receive, something else happens: you've given them repeatable words. What I mean is, when someone asks them afterward, "So what was the presentation about?" — they have the answer. You've made it easy for them to summarize, internalize, and share your message.
Seldom do you get so many positive results from such a small change. So be sure to implement this in any presentation, every presentation, no matter the length. You'll be glad you did — and so will your listeners.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.
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