The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters - Lifecycle Performance ...

86 / THE SEVEN STRATEGIES OF MASTER PRESENTERS
Each sub-topic is supported by empirical evidence—the better
the evidence, the better the presentation. Excellent evidence is surprising
or unexpected, and the listener is rewarded by hearing the
depth of the evidence and the thoroughness of the research.
Functional Presentations
Functional explanations help to deepen one’s understanding and
appreciation of how things work or the benefits to be derived by using
a particular product or procedure. Speakers like Susan Sweeney and
Jim Carole help their audiences understand and appreciate various
aspects of the Internet and E-commerce. Or just flip on your television
in the wee hours of the morning and you will be bombarded with
speakers using functional organization: There is one on every
infomercial. This is their stock-in-trade. After 30 minutes, they have
told you every possible use of their product (and then some). They
hold nothing back. If there is a function, you’ve heard about it by the
time they finish.
Contrasts and Comparisons
Contrasts and comparisons actually work well together. For example,
Dr. Janet Lapp uses the power of contrasts and comparisons
to help explain how Americans and Canadians are similar and different.
She also uses humor when advising Canadians who speak in
America and for Americans who speak in Canada. A subset of contrasts
is doing a pro and con analysis. For example, suppose your
company is equally divided over starting a marketing campaign now,
because the competition is slowly taking market share away from your
division’s product, versus waiting six months to implement the plan,
because a new innovative product is under development. We have
found that when a topic spurs strongly held opposing points of view, it
is desirable to first get agreement on common ground. Then acknowledge
the arguments of the “opposite side” second, and advance your
point of view last.
In terms of common ground in the previous example, the presenter
may want to reiterate agreed upon principles of effective decision-making,
the need to balance short-term and long-term goals, and
the company’s mission to be both innovative and profitable. The presenter
would then consider the arguments for increasing advertising