by Fred Miller
When presenting, if you deliver information someone doesn’t agree with, they may start viewing you with a bit of disbelief. If this occurs several times, they might tune you and your message out completely.
That’s too bad because they may be losing out. Even if that part of your message is up for interpretation, there’s a lot more in your talk that has great value, and they will likely miss some of it.
One proven way to avoid this situation is to issue a Disclaimer early in your talk. I deliver mine after my Opening.
Here’s a DISCLAIMER I use. I deliver it right after the Opening and it goes like this.
“Before I get started, I want to give you a Disclaimer.
I’m going to show you my way to develop, practice and deliver a great presentation. It works well for me and for a lot of people I’ve trained.
However, there are people who do it differently, some very differently. And what they do works really well for them and others.
My advice is to Be a Sponge: absorb everything, squeeze out what you don’t need, and Do It Your Way.”
The reason a Disclaimer works is threefold.
1. It gets their attention.
They won’t be expecting it.
Some speakers want to be seen as the ultimate authority on their topics.
2. It gives me more credibility
By saying “My way is not the only way,” I’m acknowledging I’m like most people in the audience because I don’t know everything, and I accept the views of others.
3. It opens up their minds to taking in everything and actually squeezing out
what they don’t agree with.
Give a Disclaimer early in your presentations and I guarantee they will be absolutely, positively - NO SWEAT!
Fred Miller (fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com) is a Speaker, International Coach and Author. Businesses and individuals hire him to improve their public speaking and presentaiton skills.
Submitted 3 years 154 days ago