Knowledge Gaps Make the Presentation Sticky

I have an idea! There are seven things IT is doing to enable hackers… You know how? Bold, unexpected statements cause the brain to ask, “How?” or “Why?” The stronger the need to know the better. A great presentation creates these “Knowledge Gaps” to draw the audience in. One speaker I listen to calls this “Salting the Oats.” In his week long seminar he often says things like, “There are 3 purposes for money…which I will share with you tomorrow.” Another favorite line, “While in school I went from D’s to A’s. I found the secret to success…which I will be sharing with you on Friday.” This keeps people’s interest for days!

All you need is 30 minutes or perhaps and hour, of which much of your time should be spent in discussion. But take a look at your opening presentation. Is it boring or does it create knowledge gaps? One speaker I respect says, “We need something every ten minutes to keep the audience tuned in.” I don’t know where his research comes from, but I can say I’ve sat through many predictable presentations. Like another episode of Scooby-Dooby Doo…the outcome is known long before the presentation is over; it’s obvious. There is no curiosity, no ah-ha moments, and nothing to keep me from reverting back to my Blackberry – the ultimate time filler. Spend some time today reviewing what you present and see if you have knowledge gaps or where some might be injected into the program.

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