Several weeks ago we began a series of conversations around the Eight Constant Factors of Platform Presence. Our position is you must have all eight of these factors in play for you to be a platform master. These eight constant factors work together, harmoniously. They co-exist in dynamic fluidity. The absence of any one of these eight factors results in… loss of presence.

These eight constant factors work together, harmoniously. They co-exist in dynamic fluidity. The absence of any one of these eight factors results in… loss of presence.

We started with the first Constant factor, which is Engagement and we said Engagement is a relationship between a speaker and an audience… a relationship based on trust, respect, information, and interaction! Based on a number of research findings, we know that if you do not have engagement… you lose the battle for audience attention.

We introduced this idea of engagement in Episode #55 where we used Dr. Ivan Pavlov, the 1904 Nobel Prize winner, and his experiment where he measured how and when a dog would salivate. It went like this… step one, bring a dog food and step two, the dog salivated.

I know it sounds profoundly simple and obvious, doesn’t it?

Well, Dr. Pavlov inserted a special device that measured how much saliva a dog produced when food was brought to it and through a series of actions which involved synchronizing a ringing bell with the dog having access to food. After doing this conditioning for a period of time, Dr. Pavlov removed the food but kept ringing the bell and the result was the dog would start to salivate when the bell was rung... even though there was no food.

We connected that example to what an audience experiences… without the salivating of course. An audience has been conditioned to respond as a spectator… someone who sits and waits for food to be brought to them. They have been conditioned to through the numerous conferences, workshops, seminars and meetings they have had to endure.

Then the platform master comes along and starts ringing a bell, changing the rules of engagement. Within the first 90 seconds, the audience experiences the effect of a platform master… an ethical, undeniable pull strategy that engages the emotion and logic of the audience.

I have a free download for you titled ‘10 Ways to Engage Your Audience in the First 90 Seconds’ at www.epicpresenting.com/episode75. This download will help stimulate your thinking to develop original ways to ring the bell… so to speak… and engage your audience.

We’ve also talked about the second constant factor of platform presence, which is ‘Persuasion’.

We positioned a persuasive speaker as someone who can effectively use a variety of tactics to achieve persuasion called ‘Rhetorical Appeals’ called Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

Before you can effectively persuade an audience to accept anything you say, they have to accept you as credible… this is Ethos.

There are many aspects to building your credibility:

* Does the audience respect you?
* Does the audience believe you are of good character?
* Does the audience believe you are generally trustworthy?
* Does the audience believe you are an authority on this speech topic?

Keep in mind that it isn’t enough for you to know that you are a credible source. (This isn’t about your confidence, experience, or expertise.) Your audience must know this.
Ethos is your level of credibility as perceived by your audience.
Pathos appeals to the emotions of the audience. Do you evoke feelings of … love? … sympathy? … fear? … compassion? … envy? … hate? … contempt?