What is Your Presentation Q?

Recall a great presenter you saw or heard and I will bet you he or she has a really High PQ.

You’ve heard of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotional Intelligence). PQ is Presentation Intelligence, the ability to keep listeners engaged and excited throughout a demo or traditional presentation and move them successfully to a desired outcome– regardless of how dry the content may be.

Presentation Q:  A function of Savvy and Skill

• Savvy: An understanding of  the factors that give resonance to information
• Skill: the ability to artfully weave those factors in and around (any) content to transform information that tells into lively experiences that sell

And, as you will see shortly, you can actually measure and raise your own PQ.

PQ Savvy: The 4 Factors

1. Relevance

If I tell you “My presentation programs are tailored to every group with whom I work,” you think, so what?   If I add, “…which means your group will buy into what we do and use what they learn afterwards to increase your business,” that relevant add-on connects to you, keeps your attention, and makes you want to know more. Relevance creates meaning.

2. Visualization

If you are a potential advertiser and I say, “Our research shows you will be reaching a consumer who typically has 3.7 years of college, 2.3 children, and a Household Income of $67,000,” that information likely falls flat. You hear my words. You may even be looking at a chart of demographic numbers, but you are likely to glaze over.  However, when I add, “In short, we’re talking about the Bloomingdale’s woman and not the Kmart shopper,” that metaphor instantly helps you “see” the value of this consumer for your product.

High PQ presenters know that listeners are wired for images, so they use a liberal sprinkling of examples, anecdotes, metaphors, and analogies to make their information come alive.

Even Einstein said, “If I can’t see it, I don’t understand it.”

3. Involvement

Does a car dealer simply describe the features, benefits, and advantages of a new car, and then expect to close a deal, or, does he quickly give you the keys and invite you to get in and take that baby for a test drive?

Car dealers, pet store owners, (“Here, hold the puppy.”), and the best presenters know the irresistible persuasion power of direct experience and they are all masters of frequent and varied listener involvement.

Do you know all the ways to involve listeners during your demo or presentation?

4. Flow

How often have you suffered through the following? “On the next screen…” “And on this slide…” “And here’s a slide about that slide…” “If you turn to the next page…”   Those default phrases for connecting slides/screens in a presentation or demo evoke all the flow and excitement of a leaky faucet.

Flow gives your story an easy-to-follow forward momentum. It comes from carefully thought out links such as “Something else that contributed to this success was…” “So, how do we make that happen?”  “And the story gets even more interesting when you consider…” 

Bottom-line…

Information is necessary but not sufficient to persuade.  More factors are required for success.

Scream background

Whether intuitively or consciously, High PQ pros are always thinking, “My mouth is moving…”

• What’s the relevant point?
• How can I make my listener(s) see what I am talking about?
• Where are my opportunities to involve them? And,
• How do I carry them forward in my story to an inevitable conclusion?

Your Turn: Measure Your PQ

1. Audio record 5-7 minutes of your demo or presentation exactly as you would say it to a specific listener or group of listeners.
2. Play the recording back.
3. Mark with numbers what you hear on a piece of paper as follows

• Write a 0 for every fact, feature, or functionality you explained
• Write a 1 for every time, you gave the Relevance of that information to your listener
• Write a 2 for every time, you Visualized that information
• Write a 3 for every time, you Involved your listener
• Write a 4 for every time, you used a phrase to Flow from information point to information point

When you finish, you will have a written line of numbers. That line illustrates your Presentation Q.

What Do Your PQ Numbers Mean?

Scarcity of 1s, 2s, 3s,  and 4s? = “Data dump”

• 000001000 20000003
• You are putting people to sleep.

Lively mix of High PQ factors?

• 100024100003141002141004100302 4100201400321430021
• Congratulations! You are in the Steve Jobs league. Your listeners never fall asleep or check their cell phones. They are fully engaged with you.

Short on 1s? (Relevance)

Your listeners may be entertained, but don’t see how what you say connects to their world.

Short on 2s? (Visualization)

Your presentations may be clinically correct, logical, and relevant, but they are boring! You are        not catching fire with your listeners’ imaginations and emotions or painting enough pictures      in their minds of what it would be like to use your products, services, or ideas.

Short on 3s? (Involvement)

     Your presentations may be relevant and easy to understand, but you are missing opportunities      to persuade by failing to engage your listeners at the deepest levels.

Short on 4s? (Flow)

Your presentations may be content rich, but points don’t hang together, so your story is not      creating the momentum for action that you want.

Relevance, Visualization, Involvement, Flow. 

Creatively and skillfully integrated into your demos or presentations, the PQ4 guarantees listener attention, engagement, and excitement and will ultimately lead to increased business and acceptance for your ideas.

What does your PQ line reveal about your demos/presentations?

Anne  Miller

Word Matter! – Make What You Say Pay

Need Help With Your Presentation/Demo Skills or Story?