Dry material can become interesting presentation

You might be interested in the latest lending laws, financial planning or learning more about Internal Revenue Service compliance concerning your pension; after all, it's the way you make your living. But is it interesting to your audience? And how do you communicate these ideas to different audiences? Even the most competent communicator faces challenges when speaking on complex or dry subject matter. If your topic is dry or you have a new audience, you can still add zest by using emotional appeal, involving your audience, and using your resources to make it relevant.

Use emotional appeal

What keeps your audience awake at night? What problems do they have that you can solve? Bill Raney, an investment representative with Edward Jones in Ozark helps women achieve financial independence and provides support through his financial seminars, "Smart Women Finish Rich."

Raney uses emotional appeal by addressing the fears and challenges of the baby boomer generation. "The number one fear of Americans is that they will run out of money, and no one likes to talk about it. It's scary because you deplete all of your assets."

According to Raney, "one in four people have to spend some of their lives in a nursing home." Raney talks about risks and potential solutions and uses statistics to add credibility. "I find what people are afraid of then give them solutions," he said.

Involve your audience

Faith Irmen, president of Qualified Pension Services Inc., designs and administers retirement plans for business owners and often speaks on the complex issues surrounding her business. Irmen educates business professionals and CPAs on how to make sure pension plans are in compliance with the Department of Labor and the IRS, the two governing agencies of pension plans.

The subject matter isn't exactly motivational, and it's complex because the laws are always changing. Irmen finds ways to involve her audience and make the learning more fun.

"I start out with a Q and A at the beginning to use as an icebreaker and as a way to involve the audience on a dry subject. It also lightens the mood," she said. Involving your audience keeps them interested.

Use your resources

Before panic sets in, think about all the resources available to you.

You might be able to use another presentation and tweak it to suit your audience.

Beth Hudson, the assistant vice president of lending at Freedom Bank in Cassville, was charged with an interesting assignment. "I was asked to speak to a group of sixth graders on career day," she said.

With only three days' notice, Hudson became anxious. "I thought to myself, they're going to eat me alive! I knew I needed to find a way to keep them entertained," she said. Hudson knew the University of Missouri Extension Coun-cil, of which she is a member, would be a resource for her.

"I recalled that they once had a similar course for elementary students and thought they might have one for middle school, as well," she said. Hudson called her contact with the Extension and was given a three-ring binder with handouts and instructions.

Make it relevant

Before crafting your presentation, ask yourself questions to determine the relevance.

For example Hudson might ask these questions before planning a presentation for middle school children: What do sixth graders need to know about lending and how do I keep their interest?

Relevance in this particular case might include how to use allowance to purchase a new bicycle but not having enough money at the moment. The discussion could be facilitated toward borrowing, paying interest, actual cost after interest was paid and so on. This would make a topic like lending relevant and thus interesting to a sixth grader.

Irmen uses real case studies in her presentations about pension compliance because the case studies can be manipulated in various ways to make the relevant point. "I craft these studies from life examples and let the participants figure out the legal implications. It then becomes relevant to them on a personal level," she said.

Raney also uses stories and examples to make it more interesting to different audiences. "I sometimes work with farmers and I use a particular example: We didn't buy the cow to sell it, we bought it for the milk."

(Marlene Chism is president of ICARE Presentations in Springfield.)