A question that’s not asked nearly often enough when preparing a speech:
So what?
Your talk can be
… factually correct,
… logically structured,
… accompanied by beautifully designed slides,
and still fail to
… make an impact,
… change your audience’s thinking,
… let alone compel them to act.
Why?
Because it lacks a compelling answer to that simple question:
So what?
Audiences look for an answer to this simple question every time and if they can’t find one, they will simply tune out.
Sooner or later they will just stop paying attention.
But without attention, change can’t happen.
Any effort you put into structure, wording, or design will likely be a waste of time until you can compellingly answer why your audience should care.
So answer that one first.
The more compelling your answer is, and the earlier you provide it during your speech, the more likely it is that you will have their attention.
