The Power of Persuasion: Strategies for Business Presentations

The other day, I was on a highway trip. I usually don't read the electronic signs; I prefer to concentrate on the road and music. But one sign caught my attention: Seatbelts and helmets could save your life.

I quickly read it and thought, Was the "could" necessary? Would it have been more effective to write: "Seatbelts and helmets save your life?" The "could" diminishes the strength of the message.

So, I started paying attention to the other signs, and another one said that improper cellphone use is the leading cause of accidents. But why "improper"? What does it mean? What does the driver reading this sign understand? Does "improper" mean that I stick it up my nose? Are WhatsApp messages an improper use? Phone calls?

The confusion of these messages is similar to some speeches that lack clarity and strength. Therefore, here are three points of attention that will make you more persuasive in your next presentation (and not resemble a highway sign).

One message only

You must have one message, not four or five. You have to distill the essence of your idea and communicate it with force. It is useless to fill the presentation with too many concepts. Communicate one thing, repeat it during the presentation, and make sure it is clear to everyone.

Show who you are.

If the audience is there to listen to you, they want to know your opinion. People like you to expose yourself and make it clear who you are, what you think about that subject. Why do you care? What convinces you or doesn't convince you? Why should I listen to your point of view? What makes it unique? What do I understand?

Don't dilute your convictions.

Public speakers who are unsure of their ideas tend to dilute them, weakening their strength. And a perfect technique to dilute them is to use adverbs. Yes, adverbs. If I say during a speech: "This software is quite simple," what does the audience understand? Is it simple or complex? Actually, you don't know. Is the software simple or not, that's it.

The adverb "quite" confuses the audience (they don't know if it's simple or complex) and weakens the strength of your conviction. If you say: the software is simple. You are convinced, and the audience knows that you think it's simple. Whether it is, in reality, is a different story. Stephen King says that adverbs are vampire words; they suck the energy out of nouns. If you have a good command of the language, you can always find a noun or adjective that doesn’t need an adverb. A girl isn’t “very beautiful,” she’s stunning, amazing. A procedure isn’t “sufficiently simple,” it’s easy, intuitive, immediate.

It may sound like a nitpicking rule from a language teacher, but removing adverbs from our speech conveys confidence, shows that we have a clear idea and know what we’re talking about. I’m fairly certain... no, actually, I’m sure 😉