Warning to readers: Below is a fairly complex thought process that has really taxed my limited mental resources. But it is an important point and I will try to make as clear as possible.
There is a complex formula at play in just about every presentation that many of us ignore. And often at our peril. When we don’t address this formula, it activates that silent troll that sits in the back of our audience with his or her arms folded and whispers to themselves, “Oh yeah? Prove it.” Or they may even be loudly shouting to themselves, “bullnuggets!”
This formula involves a few elements:
- One. Your established credibility as an expert.
- Two. The assertions you will make in your presentation.
- Three. The resident skeptical attitude of this particular audience.
I have at least a partial solution for this, but first let me more carefully define this formula and the problem.
We’ll do this backward. Please follow…
Imagine an audience of engineers. Folks who deal with numbers and facts and things they can see and prove.
Now the speaker presents to them an idea or theory that is contrary to their normal thinking: “This doesn’t work the way you think. It works this way.”
Whoa there, expert speaker boy.
Their inner skeptic just popped up. Who are you to spout such heresy?
This is the spot where the credentials of the presenter may satisfy the crowd. If the presenter is a known expert with a history of exploring and understanding their world then his or her wild assertion will have credibility.
But if one of those elements is not satisfied – if the audience is too skeptical, if the assertion is too wild or if the expert is too unexpert, then everything falls apart and the audience flat out won’t believe.
So, the credibility of the presenter plus the wilder their assertions, matched against the skeptical tendencies of the audience equals how well the message is received.
(I am searching for a way to make this simple – I don’t know if this is doing it.)
Anyway, here is the result.
Unless you are Einstein, you can’t stand in front of the Harvard physics department and tell them that gravity is a hoax. That audience is filled with skeptics.
But this doesn’t just apply to scientists and engineers and other dyed in the wool skeptics.
Even if you are a local health food store owner presenting to a citizen’s group and suggesting they eat this or that healthy food because it will make their skin soft and smooth…
Even then skeptics lurk in the crowd who will say: “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
Here is a partial solution for dealing with all levels of skeptics: Show your proof.
Einstein may not have needed any, but even a respected scientist must cite legitimate studies in their presentation to back up their claims. He or she will probably cite many of them. Because, in their world, the skeptics in their audience will be constantly saying “Prove it.”
At the other end of the spectrum, the health food store owner may need to only cite one or two legitimate resources. But if they don’t, there will be doubts about the claims that were made.
Sooooo… after this rambling rant here are my three take-aways.
- One. If you are in the business of presenting new ideas to people be ready to prove your personal credentials to qualify yourself.
- Two. Take some time to research and understand the audience’s resident level of skepticism.
- Three. Bolster your claims with valid, believable proof from outside sources. Use as much or as little as necessary.
Then, maybe your insane idea about eating deep fried banana peels will be believed.
Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you. Maybe this guy knows… https://ready2speak.com
Tom
