Imagine you’re at a conference, deciding which breakout to attend. You scroll through the event app, and see the following two sessions running concurrently.
- Cut onboarding costs in half with middleware automations
- Designing automations with middleware
Which presentation do you decide to attend?
And why was it Cut onboarding costs in half with middleware automations?
The reason for this preference lies in the value-led, product-supported framework the first option follows.
It appeals to the audience by leading with a result instead of a product feature. Specifying outcomes like this highlights the destination before the route. This priority centers the attendee’s interests (outcomes) rather than the presenter’s concerns or a console’s mechanics (means).
At the same time, driving this value still depends on using the feature strategically. The presentation focuses on following the right practices with the right products to achieve the right outcomes. Attendees know they’ll take away more than just a user’s manual or an inspiring customer story. You’re modeling how they can use the product to succeed.
Note: Although we’re focusing here on how to frame and present more effectively, you might have noticed that this mindset shift has the potential to change not just how you build a deck for a conference, but how you practice learning and conduct business. Substitute “process” or “practice” for “product,” and “customer” or “employee” for “audience,” and you’ll start to see a whole operating system materialize.
So, how do you adopt this subtle, but powerful shift to a value-led, product-supported framework in your presentations and in your everyday workflows?
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Center the audience, not yourself.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s not about you. It’s about your audience. Pitch your presentation to them. Don’t talk about what you’ll do; talk about what they’ll get from your presentation. Then follow through by delivering your training in ways that meet their perceived needs.
Note: centering your audience this way requires getting to know them. Who is your target audience? What matters to them? What are their pain points? What are their aspirations? What do they know? What don’t they know? What do they want to get out of your session? Answer those questions, and keep them paramount in your content development, and you’ll always have engaged learners.
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Follow the formula of Value Outcomes First + Product Unlocks Supporting.
Begin by identifying what outcomes your presentation drives. To do this effectively:
- Be specific. If you can put a number or a dollar amount on the value you’re leading with, that’s best. Measurable impact grabs attention like no other incentive. But keep in mind that numbers don’t tell the whole story. Value like success, security, and increased visibility must be felt as well as calculated. Frame your outcomes with both the rational and emotional outcomes in view for the best results.
- Be substantive. This isn’t the time to promise pie-in-the-sky by touting outcomes learners can’t replicate. Concentrate on real, achievable results.
- Be succinct. Specify your outcomes in as few words as necessary. The more complicated your value statement, the longer it will take to digest. Make it brief and tantalizing.
Once you’ve developed this “hook,” explain how the audience can use the products and features you’re addressing to drive these impacts. This isn’t just a task for revising the title (although it starts there!). It provides a scaffolding for organizing your presentation.
For instance, consider our fictional illustration, Cut onboarding costs in half with middleware automations. Embedded in the title are more questions: Why are onboarding costs as high as they are? Where are the inefficiencies? Which middleware automations cut costs in half? How does one orchestrate these workflows? Why do these automations reduce effort? How can one measure impact like this? What lessons learned along the way can inform attendees looking to replicate these results?
As presenter, you get to present your playbook for driving these results, drawing on your experience.
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Deliver learning outcomes, not talking points and training goals.
“It’s a learning goal, not a teaching goal,” my director Melissa Kruminas likes to say.
It’s a subtle distinction, perhaps, but a meaningful one for attendees. They want to know what they’ll get out of your presentation – not what you’ll tell them, not what communication tactics you’ll employ, not what demos you’ll deliver, not what product features you’ll cover.
Focus on what they’ll be able to do after attending your presentation. Make those your learning outcomes. And then, align your content with those goals. Trust me: it will reshape how you develop your training.
Ready to start using this value-led, product-supported cheat code? Have you experienced it in the workplace – or at conferences? Have you practiced it recently? Tell us all about it in the comments below. ⬇⬇⬇
