The placebo effect is real.  When we believe that a sugar pill is actual medicine, we get a positive physiological response.  We get better.

There is also wide agreement that the placebo effect can be caused by the attention of doctors and nurses.

It is thought that the touching, caring, attention, and other interpersonal communication that is part of the therapeutic setting, along with the hopefulness and encouragement provided by the medical professionals, affect the mood, expectations, and beliefs of the patient, which in turn trigger physical changes such as release of endorphins.

This leads to an interesting question about presenting. If we approach an audience as a doctor would a patient; if we ask the audience questions about their business problems (either at the beginning of the talk or when we were preparing); if we listen to them and make notes; if we ask follow up questions to clarify what we hear; if we diagnose the problem that the audience faces; if we get their agreement that the diagnosis is accurate; and if we prescribe a solution to their problems, could we not, like those attentive nurses and doctors, stimulate the placebo effect?

I think we could.  This would mean that our message would have to be audience-centric. We would be, at that point, thinking aloud about their problem. To do this live in a small interactive setting is relatively common—it’s what I would call Trust Based Selling.   We would be speaking to the audience, in the language of the audience, about what’s most important to the audience.

Such an approach to a public speech in a larger forum would be difficult, but possible.  The speaker would have to frame out the questions he would ask, anticipate some of the challenging responses he might get, think on his feet, and lead the audience to his prepared text.  Risky, but with practice and experience, entirely doable.

So… if we behave in an empathetic manner, and like a good doctor or nurse, we lean forward, and express caring and concern in our demeanor and voice, might we be able to trigger the placebo effect?

Yes, I think so. We could have neurochemical impact! Endorphins would flood their bloodstream.

We wouldn't be talking about ourselves, our companies, our products, our plans. We wouldn't be doing data dumps.

We wouldn't be talking at them about US! We would be talking with them about them and what they are worried about.

As a result, we would appeal to them, not only intellectually, but emotionally, and that would trigger their neuro-chemistry.

And here's the paradox. Our self-interest is served when we become more interested in them and their issues than we are in ourselves and our own objectives.

Have no fear, the bulk of your presentation would contain all the information you have to impart, but if you frame it around their concerns, you are focused on them, not yourself.

By the way, it helps to really care about them, for real, and that’s not a “tip” or a “skill” or a “presentation technique.”  It’s the real thing.

That's presenting at its greatest. Problem definition, then problem solution.

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