Adding value with clear takeaways

If you want to add more value, you need to develop both your content and how you deliver it – and there is always something you can do better. Anna already had an inspiring story that was about her journey, “My story is emotional and inspiring. People always tell me they love it, and I think I’m a good storyteller. That was the feedback I was getting, but it was tuning into what I wasn’t hearing that really helped me. Although they were saying that they were inspired, they weren’t saying how they could use it; they weren’t telling me that they could takeaway x, y and z.”

Anna had always tried really hard to relate her story back to the audience and says “Now I’m more focused on those really clear takeaways, and it’s really helped. I use three steps to map out the value; first I really think about three things that the audience can takeaway, secondly I work out how I can use my story to illustrate them, and thirdly, how those points apply to that specific audience.”

“I did that, but not with the level of clarity that I do now.”

That shift in focus from Anna giving a great experience on the day to her delivering an experience for the audience that lasts has lifted Anna into a different league.

She has also stopped trying to pack so much into each talk. In her quest to deliver value, she was trying to cover all 4 areas of her resilience principles to every talk. Anna realised that many of the most valuable nuances were being lost in the sheer amount of great content she shared.

Including too much is a common mistake that even experienced speakers make; they over-deliver and the main message gets drowned out by the sheer volume of content. The audience might love it at the time, but they don’t remember much afterwards, and they certainly can’t implement a few simple things.

So, Anna re-thought her delivery. She now focuses more energy on one or two main points. “I no longer try to cover everything in one session. The audience gets much more depth and I’m not trying to cram everything in. The Takeaways are more powerful when people aren’t trying to remember too many points.”

Need some help adding clear takeaways to your content? Get in touch to arrange a free consultation here.

Learn more about Anna here.