You’re on the phone with customer service.

You explain the problem.

They read you a canned script. 🙄

You explain it again.

They tell you about "our policy," "our process," "our terms and conditions."

At some point, you’re not even mad—you’re just exhausted. (There’s a special kind of defeat in that moment.)

That’s exactly how audiences feel when presentations are all “we” and no “you.”

"We believe..."

"Our product..."

"Our features..."

"Our timeline..."

Slide after slide.

"We, we, we."

Like they’re pitching to themselves, not the room.

Meanwhile, the audience—the people who actually matter—are sitting there thinking:

"Cool. But what about me?"

It’s not a selfish thought. It’s human nature.

When people don’t see themselves in the story, they stop following it.

Attention is earned, not owed.

And personalization increases attention and emotional engagement.

The brain literally lights up differently when people hear their name or when they are directly addressed.

"You" flips the story from "Here’s what we do" ➔ "Here’s how it helps you."

And suddenly, you’re not presenting at people anymore.

You’re inviting them into the story.

You're making them the center of it.

People don’t follow your process. They follow their reason.

And if you’re not speaking to it, they’re not following you anywhere.

How to Make Your Audience the Center of Your Story (Instead of a Bystander)

When you build your message around the people you're speaking to — not just what you want to say — everything changes:

Attention rises. Engagement deepens. Decisions happen faster.

Here’s exactly how to craft a presentation that puts your audience at the center (where they belong):

1. Start by Defining Their Goal, Not Yours

Before you build a single slide, answer this:

What is the one thing your audience wants most right now?

Not what you want them to buy.

Not what you want them to understand.

What they already want — without you convincing them.

✔ Are they trying to grow faster?

✔ Cut costs?

✔ Get promoted by hitting a big KPI?

Anchor your entire presentation to that goal.

If the audience doesn’t feel like you “get” what they’re chasing, they’ll tune out.

2. Frame Every Point Around Their Payoff

Every slide you present should answer an unspoken question:

"How does this help me win?"

For every feature, milestone, or idea you share, immediately tie it back to their win.

Instead of:

"We offer a real-time reporting dashboard."

Say:

"You’ll get real-time insights that let you act faster — and outperform your quarterly targets."

Every feature should immediately connect to a personal benefit for the audience.

Every product highlight should show a clear personal advantage for them.

If they can’t see the payoff, they won’t see the point.

3. Speak in "You" Language, Not "We" Language

Scan your slides or notes right now.

If it starts with “We believe,” “Our product,” “We offer”… stop right there.

That’s a signal you’re still centering yourself, not the audience.

Rewrite it to start with “You get,” “You’ll experience,” or “What this means for you.”

Instead of:

"We have 30 years of experience helping companies scale."

Say:

"You’ll have a proven partner who knows how to help you scale faster, with fewer missteps."

Direct address creates connection.

"You" language flips the spotlight where it belongs — onto them.

4. Show Them Their Future, Not Your Process

Before we go much further, I have to confess I struggle with this. I’m a systems and framework person. But . . .

People don’t buy your method.

They buy the version of themselves that your method makes possible.

So don't walk them through how you work (yet).

Show them who they become by working with you.

Instead of:

"Our onboarding process has five steps."

Say:

"By week two, your team will already be seeing [insert specific result]."

Outcome-first messaging builds momentum.

The faster they can picture success, the faster they move toward it.

🎯 Action Step: Flip Every Statement from “We” to “You.”

Most messaging accidentally make the communicator the hero—not the audience.

Before you step in front of the room, or onto that sales call, run this quick test to make sure every slide, point, and story keeps the spotlight where it belongs — on them:

1.Highlight “We/Our” Language Highlight every sentence that talks about your product, process, features, or company (especially those starting with "We" or "Our").

2. Diagnose the Focus For every highlighted sentence, ask: ➔ Does this help the audience solve a problem, reach a goal, or feel understood? ➔ Or does it just describe what we do?

3. Rewrite Around Their World Flip the focus: ➔ Start sentences with “You” or directly name their challenge, ambition, or pain point. ➔ Tie every feature, process, or claim back to a clear benefit they’ll experience.

Example: ➔ Instead of “We developed a faster system,” say “You’ll finish projects in half the time.”

4. Pressure-Test Every Line After rewriting, check: ➔ Will they immediately recognize themselves in this? ➔ Is the value to them obvious without extra explanation?

If a sentence still feels centered on you — revise again.

Here’s a quick chart that shows how to shift from company-centered to audience-centered messaging:

Audience-centered storytelling is how you earn attention, trust, and action before you even reach your closing slide.

🤖 Bonus GPT Prompt: Audience-Centered Presentation Check

Think your presentation is truly audience-centered? Let’s find out.

Use this prompt to pressure-test whether your audience would actually feel like the story is about them — or about you.

Prompt:

You are someone sitting through a business presentation, looking for immediate personal relevance.

You don’t care about the company’s background, features, or internal wins, you care about how this helps you solve real challenges and achieve your goals.

I’m going to share the key slides of my presentation.

Please review and answer:

• Does the message quickly make you feel like the focus is on you?
• Are your goals, struggles, or outcomes front and center?
• Does anything feel like it’s talking at you instead of for you?
• Where (if anywhere) does the message drift back toward company-centered language?
• Suggest how the message could make you feel even more prioritized or understood.

Here’s the outline or slide sequence:

[Insert your main points here]

🔄 Your Turn

Tell me about a time someone made you feel seen in their presentation.

What exactly did they say or do?

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