The ninth key to creating a killer presentation is perhaps a surprising one, but it i
s to over deliver.
An earlier article emphasized the importance of setting the stage for your presentation. Give a short summary of what you are going to cover within your presentation at the beginning of your speech, to prime your audience’s interest. People need to have an expectation of what they are going to get out of attending your workshop. This expectation will also create an energy in the room and people will remember more because of the atmosphere. Most importantly, when you build expectations at the beginning, you set the stage so you can over deliver and give them more than they were expecting.
Deliver what you Promised
Firstly, of course, be sure that you deliver exactly what you advertised for your workshop so that people are not disappointed. Building trust with your audience is essential, especially if you have a repertoire of workshops to present. By building a loyal audience base, you will continue to have opportunities to share your expertise with people who are genuinely interested in what you are sharing. So make sure you give everything you promised in the course of your workshop.
However, once your audience is actually in front of you, give them extra, give them more than they expect. You want people to walk away from your workshop saying, “Wow that was pretty neat. We went in and all we were supposed to do was this, this, and this but he also did this and that and the other thing.” You want them to walk away remembering and talking about the extras that you gave them.
Present it as a Favor
Make it clear that you were not planning to give this extra content, or discount, or gift, but present it as a favor to them. “Hey listen, I know we weren’t supposed to do this but would it be okay with you if we… You know I just feel like it is really important that you give this information. Can I do a little bit extra, will that be okay with you?” They will love you for it and they will remember that you went over and beyond what you had promised.
Valuable Extras
There are all kinds of things you can offer as an extra bonus. Printed materials such as nicely presented workbooks that they can take away from the presentation are valuable because it gives them a reminder of the content you covered. Additional handouts that supplement the content you covered are also a useful idea. You may choose to give them access to a restricted area on you website.
A very popular idea is to give people acceptance to an exclusive club. People love to be part of something that is exclusive. Perhaps by attending your seminar, they become special members of a club you could set up related to your workshop. This can increase your mailing list, whether online or offline, and will allow you to provide them with a valuable service as well. Establishing an ongoing relationship is a good idea, especially if you have other materials or workshops to sell, because once they trust you, you will be able to up sell, and up selling is one of the best ways to increase your business.
Another good idea is to give an invitation to a future event of yours at a significant discount or to an extra session. Also remember that people love to be given recognition, so a certificate of completion or a diploma for attending your event is a valuable gift. A little gift or token is also a good idea however try to relate it to your workshop or brand in some way.
Any of these gestures will make it memorable for them and help build you a loyal audience base which you can turn into a profit. In the end, you both will walk away having profited from the experience!
