We are all seeking answers to our questions. It’s what we call human curiosity.
If you have parented or hung out with toddlers, you know they ask “why?” frequently. Why is the sky blue? Why does mommy have to leave for work? Why does peanut butter stick to the roof of my mouth? Why? Why? Why?
If you haven’t had the amazing but sometimes frustrating experience of hanging out with a curious toddler, perhaps you can relate better to this. You’ve been part of what you thought was a great relationship. Only your significant other suddenly wants out. The problem is, he’s unwilling to give direct reasons for why things have changed. How does it feel for the relationship to end without a clear explanation of why? Ugh.
“Why?” is part of our curious human nature. So as we seek to build presentations for our audience members, we need to both understand and respond to curiosity. Only then can we communicate effectively with our curious audience members. Here’s how to get started.
Why We Are So Curious
Before we jump into the process of how to build explanation into your presentations, let’s dive a little deeper into why we crave it in the first place. There are two primary reasons behind our questions: increasing understanding and helping make change easier. Here’s how they factor into our presentations.
To Increase Understanding & Security
Asking “why?” is the beginning of movement from the unknown (often a scary place for toddlers and adults alike) to the known. When you provide your audience members answers to their why questions, both those stated and those assumed, you aren’t just giving them information. You are giving them security. When toddlers begin asking “why” around ages 2 or 3, it is in an effort to “understand the world around them.” When they can begin to understanding the world, it helps to “increase security and confidence.”
The same is true for audience members who are 21, 44, or 73. When a presentation leaves them with unanswered questions, they often don’t feel secure enough to make solid decisions. But a presenter who understands human curiosity and the need for explanation offers his or her audience not just information, but the security needed to act confidently on that information.
To Help Make Change Easier
Most people don’t like change. Some of us really, really dread it or see it as suspect. I’m one of those people. I’m the very last to commit to a trend. Like so late to the game, the trend is usually not hot anymore. It’s because I need to have all of the information before I commit.
For people like me, the status quo represents safety. So we will probably never make much of change unless we are given a very good reason to make one. In order to persuade an audience, a presenter needs to offer clear explanations for why the status quo will no longer work. And he needs to realize that some listeners will be moved or persuaded only if all of their “why?”’s are answered.
How To Meet Audience Curiosity in Your Presentations
Now that you know your listeners have a natural need for explanations and answers, it’s time to start intentionally answering “why?” in your presentations. To start with, you’ll need to spend some time honestly and intentionally assessing what your audience wants or needs to know. It starts by asking yourself “why?”
- Why does this matter?
- Why does my audience need to know this?
- Why are they attending my presentation?
- Why does this affect their lives?
- Why am I including this information in my message?
- Why might they have other views or opinions that differ from mine?
- Why should they listen to me?
After you’ve fully explored these questions, begin to construct your presentation around your answers to these questions.
Use “Because” Statements
The first, most obvious, way to begin answering “why?” is to infuse your presentation with “because” statements. Think back to that toddler or that jilted girlfriend. They just want what we all want. Answers. So statements that begin with “because…” will be comforting to your audience.
You may have heard of the well-known 1978 study by Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer. In it, Langer and colleagues studied the responses to different requests to break the line. They had research participants use three different, but specific, lines:
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine?”
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I have to make copies?”
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”
How did the different explanations affect responses?
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine?” In this case, no explanation or “because” statement was given, but 60% of people still complied.
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I have to make copies?” In this case, a “because” statement was given, but not a very good one. If you are asking to jump in line to use a copier, it is assumed that you are using it to make copies. However, this demonstrates the power of “because.” Compliance rose from 60% to 93% just with the simple addition of a “because” statement. Even a meaningless one.
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?” The final statement gave a more solid “because” statement. In the second example it can be assumed that all people waiting in line for a copier are there to make copies. However, it can’t be assumed that all of them are in a rush. Giving a “good” reason (“because I’m in a rush”) increased compliance from 93% to 94%.
This goes to prove that “because” statements hold great persuasive power. Because of that, we need to use them often in our presentations.
Explain Rather than Argue
When you are bombarded with questions, it can be difficult not to eventually grow defensive. After all, when you stand up to present, you bare the burden of proof. This legal saying reminds us that it can feel like a heavy load at times to provide needed and convincing information.
When you are trying to convince listeners to accept your ideas, purchase your product, or hire your company, it can be tempting to slip from explaining to arguing. But arguing can begin to feel contentious, causing some listeners to dig in their heels. However, if you clearly present yourself as someone who is there to explain, rather than argue, it leaves the door open to more effective and amiable communication. So if you start to view audience questions as contentious rather than curious, check yourself and move away from argumentation and back toward explanation.
Appeal to Curiosity
Knowing that curiosity is a driving factor, great presenters make a conscious effort to tap into this drive. The Wharton University of Pennsylvania article, “The ‘Why’ Behind Asking Why: The Science of Curiosity” covers different types of curiosity. The type we are talking about in this blog is mostly epistemic curiosity, or the want to learn new information or new things. Studies show that even though children tend to ask more direct questions, epistemic curiosity doesn’t drop off with age. “Your love of knowledge remains and your willingness to learn new things appears to be constant across all ages.”
To appeal to this constant source, start by addressing things in which the audience is already interested. For example, if you are promoting new technology that will increase the office workflow, don’t talk about the specifics of the technology. Instead, appeal to the natural curiosity listeners have about how to do their jobs better or faster. Show how your product is the answer to the question they already have.
There’s another reason to appeal to curiosity and to answer “why?” It rewards your audience. In the Wharton article cited above, “It was found that especially the epistemic curiosity, when we try to learn new things, it really follows the paths of reward of dopamine, which is this neural transmitter that is associated with reward in our brains.” So in other words, information becomes its own reward. All the more reason to create presentations that offer clear answers to your audiences’ questions.
When we are constantly guided by “why?,” we offer better “because” statements. We can appeal to the curiosity of the audience, meet their need for understanding, and hedge their hesitancy to change.
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