There truly is both an art and a science to creating compelling presentations for your audience. While your slides must be organized and well thought out, your message must also resonate your audience and move them to take the action you want. So how do you balance the two – structure & emotion – to create engaging content? I typically start by asking three simple questions about your audience.

Question #1: What do you want your audience to know?

At the end of the day, your audience is only going to complete your call to action if they feel well educated on what you’re asking them to do. It is supremely important that you clearly, succinctly & strikingly lay out the information you want them to retain. Remember not to overwhelm them – stick to one main point you want your audience to take away, and then from there build out the stories, data & information that explains & supports that one point.

Question #2: What do you want your audience to feel?

Now that you’re clear on the more “left brain” side of your presentation, it’s time to address the emotional “right brain” side. Humans are driven by feelings, so if your slides only contain facts, figures and statistics you are completely missing the subconscious, human element in the decision-making process. Think through your main point and the stories you’re using to educate your audience – will they elicit the feelings you want from your listeners? Make sure you’re conveying your points with emotion, and not just rational reasoning, in mind.

Question #3: What do you want your audience to do?

Whether you are putting together a digital course, a client pitch or a keynote speech, you typically always want to have a call to action in your presentation. Whether that is to buy your product, learn more about the topic discussed, get involved, make a change or be inspired your entire presentation should support and emphasize what you want the audience to do. By establishing what your call to action is beforehand, you can use it to check your slides against and ensure your messaging is on point and compelling.

Getting clear on these three questions will ensure that your slides truly speak to your audience, convey your message in a clear way and gives your listeners a finite next step.

You’re the bomb – go get ’em!