Below is a short clip of Seth Godin giving a presentation on how to find the right customers. How is he able to deliver his message so effectively in just over one minute?

Unless you’re completely asleep, it’s impossible to not understand the thrust of Seth’s message. What he says has not only generated a pile of best-selling books, but leaves a lasting impact on audiences around the globe. What can we take away from his style to help make our presentations better?

Seth uses a range of techniques that we should be able to incorporate in any presentation. Here are a few:

Effective Visuals - Seth’s visuals are large, attention-grabbing, vaguely reminiscent of something else (in this case Warhol), and memorable. Above all, they are not filled with text. Why? Text distracts the listener from the message. Effective visuals are memorable and complement the message without taking the audience’s attention from what you’re saying.

Movement and Body Language - Seth does not stand still. He moves around, gets right up to the audience and uses his hands to gesture. This is a key difference between a presentation and reading a paper. Audience participation is another topic altogether, but movement and body language is a step in the right direction.

Rhetorical Questions - At 0:58 Seth asks “Why?” and then pauses before he gives the answer. Why?

Because rhetorical questions not only engage the audience, but make sure that they are thinking, rather than sitting back and simply listening. We want an active audience, not a passive audience. This technique also helps make the answer to a question more memorable.

These are just three techniques that we can work into our presentations. Remember, it’s about creating a memorable experience for your listeners and leaving them with the feeling that they want to learn more about what you have to say.