.webp)
Over the years, I’ve sat through (and delivered) my fair share of generic corporate presentations with decks crammed full of information that never quite landed. What changed my approach, and ultimately made me more successful with stakeholders, is a simple framework I now use as my North Star.
I call it AOREN. It’s straightforward, easy to jot down, and it helps me show up more relevant and influential in every important meeting or presentation.
AOREN stands for:
- Audience
- Objective
- Remembered
- Emotion
- Next Steps
Here’s how I apply it:
Audience
The first thing I think about is who I’m speaking to. Is it a senior leader, veteran engineer, or new executive? Knowing my stake holder allows me to be relevant and valuable to them, and value is what builds relationships. I can tailor my message to them specifically, instead of defaulting to generic talking points.
Objective
Every conversation has two objectives: Mine and theirs. They have an objective for listening to you and you have something you need, too. This simple step forces me to empathize with their perspective while staying clear on my own goals.
Remembered
I ask myself: What are the few key things I want them to walk away with? If I just blurt everything I know, the message becomes overwhelming and forgettable. Instead, I focus on three key things (no more than five) that I need them to remember, then structure my presentation and talking points accordingly.
Emotion
One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Have you ever thought about how you want your stakeholders to feel?
If you can connect on an emotional AND rational level, you have more influence over your message. Take note of how you can connect with them emotionally based on stories that are shared, anecdotes, and ways to bring your presentation to life.
Next Steps
Do I want another meeting, approval, or a specific action? By being intentional about determining and communicating next steps, I turn one-off meetings into ongoing relationships.
Why It Works
Sometimes I use AOREN to design a presentation, deciding what points, visuals, and stories will resonate. Other times I use it to prepare for a meeting, writing down the questions I’ll ask and the messages I need to land. If I can’t complete the framework because I don’t know enough about the stakeholder, that’s a clear signal to go in with curiosity and ask better questions.
For me, AOREN has been transformative. It’s quick, it’s practical, and it makes every interaction with stakeholders more effective.
If you found this useful, you’ll love the Technical Storytelling Program (www.elevatedyou.live/psc), where I go deeper into tools like this to help professionals communicate with clarity and influence.
Ben Pearce coaches presales engineers to be more relevant, more influential and more successful. His Technical Storytelling Professional program has enabled PreSales teams all over the world to close bigger deals faster. How? By enabling smart people to build trust with prospects, influence prospects and drive action with prospects.
He spent 20 years at Microsoft before founding Elevated You. He led presales teams that landed the biggest deals, the most complex deals, the most impactful deals. He’s used all those years of experience, the successes, the failures, to craft a program that elevates teams to high performance.
