Leaders often find themselves pondering how to propel teams toward a goal. As a team member maybe you’ve been asked what motivates you. When I was a manager, I used to ask that question to each potential new hire I interviewed to gauge whether I could effectively inspire them. There are three different kinds of motivation: intrinsic, extrinsic, and addiction. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can both correlate directly to the presentation space. Understanding their function and how to utilize them will help you also understand how to motivate your audience as well as yourself in your next big pitch.
Intrinsic
Intrinsic motivation comes from within. This type of motivation stems not from external factors like statistics and hierarchy, but rather from genuine interest and ambition. While seemingly difficult to accomplish, it is possible to cultivate intrinsic motivation with your audience. There are various exercises to strengthen inner ambition including visualization and creating a clear cause-and-effect relationship between concepts. So what would it look like to utilize these concepts in your presentations?
Stimulating cognitive curiosity by presenting a problem or question as a puzzle to be solved motivates your audience to keep listening. For example, if you are asking the crowd to join you in an environment-saving initiative, first paint the picture of why this need is eminent. Next, follow through with the pieces of the puzzle that need to come together for a solution. Finally, your call-to-action slide captures participation because listeners are intrinsically invested in this journey alongside you.
Extrinsic
Extrinsic motivation is reward-driven behavior. Rewards can be very polarizing, especially in the presentation space. Are you trying to “pull one over” on your audience by offering a shallow incentive to listen to your speech? Many of us are familiar with the timeshare tour tactic of enticing vacationers with a free massage just to listen to a 20 minute presentation that then ends up being quite difficult to exit. What motivates your listeners without turning them off?
Extrinsic motivation works especially well with internal presentations and presentations to investors. When presenting to investors, it’s very important to be aware of what will motivate your listeners–likely it will be return on investment and potential for growth. Ensuring these items are highlighted in a clear, believable format is key. Motivating your peers is something different entirely. Helping them understand the greater goal of collaboration could be a driving factor. Another strategy is inspiring healthy competition. Is your team more motivated by gift cards or time off? This may take a while to figure out, but take the time to try a few different approaches to see which performs best.
Don’t forget to take some time to see what motivates you. Do you thrive under pressure and fierce competition, or are you only driven by internal passions? It’s important to factor yourself into the equation, and empathize with your audience. They want to know that you’re passionate if they are going to stand behind you. Need some fresh motivation? Our presentation coaches are here to help! Reach out today for a free quote.
