Videos

When making a presentation, it’s important to know your audience’s motivation for being there – their WIIFM, or the answer to, “What’s in it for me?” Understanding your audience’s WIIFM allows you to craft your remarks based on what your audience wants in general, but especially what they want to get out of your speech. Knowing the answer to their WIIFM allows you to capture your audience’s attention from the start and hold it to the end.

Select one of the following five scenarios:
•  Graduation speech
•  Wedding toast
•  Eulogy at a funeral
•  Telling a joke to a group at a dinner party
•  Introduction of the keynote speaker at a conference

In one minute or less, record a video of yourself telling the audience the scenario you chose and stating your answers to the following questions (Note: you're NOT demonstrating what you'll actually say in your speech. For this challenge you simply need to answer the questions out loud in a video so the audience understands your thinking.):
•  What is your audience thinking and feeling?
•  What’s in it for them? What will they get out of your speech?
•  What is one thing you can say during the speech that’ll give them what they want?

•  Give a plausible description of what your audience may be thinking and feeling.
•  Describe what your audience wants and how they’ll get that from your speech.
•  Provide at least one example of something you can say during your speech that’ll address what your audience wants.

•  Watch: Anne Loehr: “An interview at Cornell University, WIIFM, what is it, why is it important” at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhxjDcjsODQ
•  Tip: Try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. If possible, think of a time when you were in a similar situation and answer the following questions: Why were you there? What were you thinking and feeling (were you in a hurry, relaxed, happy, sad, serious, etc.)? What did you want to hear most?