POWER PLAY #6

Give Them a Sexy Headline

When you look at a newspaper or magazine, what determines which articles you read? It’s the headline. If the headline catches your attention, you’ll check out the article, but if the headline doesn’t appeal to you, you move right on. This is the same way your audience looks at you.

Your audiences make a decision at the very beginning of your presentation whether they want to go on a journey with you or not. What determines whether they want to go or not? The “headline” you give them. For instance, if you were talking about wireless network solutions, your title slide could say “Wireless Networks Solutions,” but how many people would be foaming at the mouth for that headline? A better one might be “Connecting to Your Network Anytime, Anywhere, with Any Device.”

Who determines whether the headline is sexy or not? Your audience. Does it promise them something they want? That’s the key. You need to let them know up front that you aim to take them on a ride they are going to love. And isn’t it more fun to begin your presentation this way—after you’ve focused your audience? It’s “Today we’re going to show you how you can connect with anyone on your network, anytime, anywhere, with any device!” versus “Today we’re going to talk about wireless network solutions.”