Management Tools: Lecture

WIFM –
The “What’s-In-For-Me?”- Approach

Lectures usually appear to be a straightforward issue: some expert is presenting his/her know-how on a topic, gives some insights, maybe pairs it with a piece of well-meant advice and everybody is happy. That is the theory – but the practice often looks strikingly different.

Really good lecturers are hard to find. But those who excel certainly take one thing truly serious: their audience. This simple, but often overlooked pre-condition is their key to success. To illustrate this, here are two examples that certainly are familiar:
How often has a lecturer started with: “Today, I want to show you/tell you/explain to you/introduce to you…”, and the audience thinking: “Well, nice to know what you want, but are we here for you or you for us?”.
Or another lecturer beginning with: “After my lecture, you will know more about…”, with the audience wondering: “Good news, but who tells you that I wanted to know more in the first place?”

In order to bring the message across, the lecturer must inevitably put himself into the shoes of his audience. This means, he needs to answer the one and only question that all of those present ask themselves: “What’s in for me?”

A good lecturer needs to tell the audience what he/she has in store for them, giving them a reason to listen. In order to make it structured and applicable, the WIFM (What’s-in-for-me?) approach has been divided into three parts: 1.) understanding the audience; 2.) defining the added value; and 3.) communicating the added value.


1.) Understanding the audience
Firstly, the WIFM approach requires some fundamental considerations as indispensable part of the preparation phase:
- Who exactly is my audience?
- Why are they here today?
- What is their cultural background?
- What is their technical level?
- What could be their individual motivation?


2.) Defining the added value
With a sound understanding of the audience’s expectation, the presenter needs to identify the added value that his/her lecture might provide:
- New horizons
- Business ideas
- Tools and methods
- Benchmarks
- Case studies
- Different viewpoints
- Examples of problem solving
- Tips and tricks
- Proven experience
- Development opportunities


3.) Communicating the added value
Finally, the lecturer needs to find a way to get all this across during the opening part of the session. And of course, he/she needs to follow the thread through to the end. Nothing is more disheartening than a lecture that did not fulfil the previously set expectations.



So it is necessary to set the scope from the beginning and even touch on existing limitations. In this way, each individual in the audience can then decide for him-/herself whether the potential value of the lecture is worth following actively or not. And already the fact that the audience’s concerns are taken into active consideration usually makes a positive entrée – sadly, this is by no means the norm.

It is obvious that even this approach does not guarantee a full involvement of all members of the audience nor does it ensure the final success of the lecture itself.

But no matter how many in the end are finally listening, at least the lecturer has shown commitment towards gearing his/her performance to the actual needs of the listeners – and they in turn were answered their most present concern: WIFM.


Andreas Hauser