Business Presentation Tips - Authenticity Wins Trust

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People are craving authenticity -- in presentations, in corporations and in brands. In the back of every public speaker's mind is a single question: "does my audience see me as an authentic presenter?"

 

Fortunately, to be genuine and authentic, you don't have to be different. You just have to be you. This is something everyone can do. When you are yourself, speak openly, connect with passion and care about your audience...you build trust.

 

Let's connect-the-dots between two shining stars in the field of authentic presenting.

 

The Year: 1988

 

In the presentation classic, You Are The Message, Roger Ailes says it all in the title. He reveals the secret benefit of being yourself in his sub-title: "Getting what you want by being who you are."

 

In short, being authentic is the single key for successful presenters. Ailes shows the ins-and-outs with stories of politicians, CEO's and television celebrities. The single concept: be yourself.

 

Ailes is president of Fox News Channel and chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group. He was a media consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W.Bush, as well as Rudy Giuliani's first mayoral campaign in 1989.

 

Flash forward: 2010.

 

Thomas Sechehaye releases a new online course in Visual Storytelling. This class features an authentic system for engaging audiences and telling powerful business stories.

 

The online curriculum is based in his book: The Authentic Message, published in 2007. In this popular book, he outlines four steps to build a genuine bond in business presentations.

 

The four steps show how to plan and give presentations that show you are credible, creative, authentic and caring. These are ways to be genuine and connect to any audience.

 

Briefly, as detailed in the book, the steps are:

 

Credibility

 

Build a foundation that strengthens your credibility. This is done with your attitude, speech and body language. Use other people's words in the form of testimonials, introductions and quotes to establish your expert status.

 

Creativity

 

Show your creativity with enthusiastic and dynamic delivery. Step out of boring or dry recitals of information. Instead, add energy and passion to your delivery and to how you share your story. Think in terms of what will appeal to your specific audience -- and let loose so you can connect directly to their core desires.

 

Authenticity

 

Ask yourself, what's your real intention? Why does this topic matter to you? Why are you committed to share this story? By showing your true passion, you will light a fire for your audience. This makes it easy for your audience to instantly connect with what you have to share.

 

Care

 

Finally, care deeply about your audience. Understand their needs, issues, problems and dreams. Go the extra step to make things easy for people to understand. Avoid speaking in complex terms or relying on insider jargon to express your ideas.

 

If you need to go out and speak to an audience, keep these 4-steps in mind.

 

• Are you credible?
• Are you creative?
• Are you authentic?
• Are you caring?

 

Use this powerful blend of communication advice from two authorities on effective business presenting.

 

When you tell authentic stories, speak with passion and are yourself, you win results. The rewards are open conversation, connection and trust.

 

This is what master presenters know how to do with every audience, on every topic - every time. You can use this proven blueprint to give remarkable presentations to your audience.

 

When your presentation is alive, dynamic and full of enthusiasm, people will listen to you. Before you know it, you'll win the expert status you deserve.