Liking Outcome
The Sentiment of Trusted Relationships
In the THPS (Training Hub for Public Speaking) methodology, the Liking Outcome is defined as the gain in positive sentiment, connection, and trust an audience harbors for a speaker after a presentation. Liking is a specific sub-genre of the Restatement Outcome; it is less about the literal words an audience says back and more about the "quality" or "emotion" of that restatement.
The Two Dimensions of Liking
Liking carries a dual meaning in professional communication:
Similarity: The audience feels that the speaker is "like" them, creating a sense of connection and shared reality.
Enjoyment: The audience simply enjoys the experience of the presentation.
The Sustainability Factor
For presenters who engage in recurring communication—such as monthly reporting to a Board of Directors—Liking is a non-negotiable metric. If a speaker secures a favorable decision but erodes Liking in the process, the relationship becomes unsustainable. By the third or fourth meeting, an audience that has "disliked" the previous interactions will stop treating the speaker favorably, making it progressively harder to secure future outcomes.
The "Tie-Breaker" Effect
In high-stakes environments like the WA Business Leaders Conference, Liking acts as the "tie-splitting vote". When all other factors are equal between two candidates or ideas, the decision-maker will almost always err on the side of the person they like more. Professional authorities like Julia Ewert view Liking as disproportionately the most successful ingredient in sales and negotiation.
This concept is one of many core concepts under the THPS Glossary and THPS Standard for elite-level public speaking skills and training.