QuickBites: How to Construct a Solid Foundation for Your Talks.

Welcome to QuickBites, public speaking tips and techniques you can digest in five minutes or less. Here's your host, Peter George.

Do you watch any of the home renovation shows? My wife and I do. And it didn't take watching very many shows to realize that there was going to be a surprise — a problem — in every episode. But of course, this makes sense because stories, to be interesting, need challenges or conflicts.

The Foundation Metaphor

The surprise I like most is when the host discovers there are problems with the house's foundation. At that point, all structural work comes to a screeching halt — because everything they do at that point is at risk until the foundation is solid. This situation is a near-perfect metaphor for developing a talk. Your presentation is likely to have problems without first establishing a solid foundation, just like a house built on an unreliable foundation would have. Sooner or later, it develops cracks. Things don't match up, and it doesn't do what it's meant to do.

What do you believe is the foundation of a presentation? Exactly. Knowing your audience. Without knowing who the audience members are, what they need, and how you can benefit them, how do you expect your message to resonate with them? It won't.

The Six Questions

Here are the six questions I answer before I begin to develop any talk.

Question 1: What's the SCOOP? SCOOP is an acronym for situation, challenge, occasion, opportunity, or problem. If an organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary, it's an occasion. If a sales team is seeing results dip below quota, it may be a problem and an opportunity. Determine which applies — and whether more than one does.

Question 2: Who's in the audience? I want to know who will be listening to me — including, but not limited to, demographics, socioeconomics, attitudes, experience levels, and the company departments that will be represented. When I have this information, I know who I'm speaking with.

Question 3: What do they need and want to know? There is information the audience members need to know, often determined by the topic or the people who invited you to speak. And then there's what people want to know, which isn't exactly the same thing. Be sure, whenever possible, to include both — so you keep your listeners engaged and provide them with a superior experience.

Question 4: How will your audience members benefit from your presentation? Sometimes we forget why we're speaking. It's not to demonstrate how great a speaker we are. It's to serve our audiences — whether that's inspiring them, providing information, challenging them, or delivering other tangible benefits.

Question 5: How do you want your audience members to feel? This is extremely important, and the most effective speakers understand it. Do you want your audience to feel encouraged, confident, excited, happy — even outraged? Whatever it may be, keep it in mind while crafting your presentation so your words, your body, and your tone all match the spirit of your desired outcome.

Question 6: What is your call to action? Your talks will often conclude with a call to action — what you want your audience members to do or think. Like the other five questions, you want to know the answer to this before you begin developing your presentation.

Thank you for devouring another episode of QuickBites. Tune in Monday when you'll hear another episode of Public Speaking with Peter George, and again Thursday for your next episode of QuickBites. Until then, remember — when it comes to speaking in public, you've got this. I'll see you next time.