Roger is a highly experienced product manager in a multinational company in Europe. Last week, he was making a PowerPoint sales presentation to the management committee of a potential client who appeared to be very interested in his product. He felt that he had prepared the presentation to perfection and had high hopes of convincing the client to sign a contract. Soon after starting his presentation, one of the client’s team asked Roger a question which was answered in the following slide. However, not wanting to offend the questioner, Roger gave him a brief yet concise answer, but to his amazement, his boss jumped in to “clarify” his response and then another of the client’s team asked the boss a question about his response while another member of the client’s team started arguing with a companion and things went downhill from there.
Roger, for all his experience in presentations, was at a loss about what to do: shut up and leave them to it or try to elegantly take control of the situation. Finally, using verbal man-management techniques such as “echoic responses” and various non-verbal techniques he was able to get the group back “on-task” and focussed on his presentation. He did, however, tell the audience that he was sure that he had anticipated most of their questions and included the answers in his presentation and then ask everyone to write down their questions and promised to answer all of them at the end of the presentation. He informed the audience that this was to ensure that they finished in the allotted time as he knew that they were busy people. From that moment onwards, things went more smoothly. Roger decided that this was the last time that this would happen!
Points to remember;
- In this article, we are assuming that the presenter has really done their homework and knows in detail the Needs, Wants and Lacks of the audience and their organization.
- Not everyone is equal in a presentation. There are “Powers”, “Influencers” and “Hot bodies”. The “Power(s)” matter the most, then the “Influencers”. The “Hot Bodies” are often there just to fill the room and usually have NO say in the final decision.
- Some people have hidden agendas and will see a presentation as an opportunity to show how much they know or score points with bosses, etc. and the best way to do this is to ask questions either to the presenter or other audience members.
- If you accept, and answer, a question during the presentation, whether it is relevant or not, you are setting a subconscious precedent for more interruptions.
- If people have the opportunity to ask questions, many will focus on their own specific interests or worries that might not be shared by other members of the audience.
- Answering a question is often interpreted as a presenter’s way to initiate a dialogue with the audience (in linguistics this is known as “turn taking”: you ask me a question, I answer you and look at you and this can be interpreted as “I expect you to continue” so the original questioner does so).
- Answering questions and entering into dialogues often leads to a deviation from the topic & this, in turn, may often lead to boredom and disconnection for the rest of the audience.
- The time used to deal with questions consumes the time available for the presentation. Most Decision-makers are normally busy people and have heavy schedules so wasting their time is generally not appreciated!
- By postponing questions, you are showing that you are different from other presenters because you have the confidence & skills necessary to clearly present what the audience Needs, Wants and Lacks in a clear, structured and elegant manner and the ability to answer their questions when they have seen the entire presentation.
- Many presenters do not expect questions during their presentations and when they occur they are unsure about how to respond appropriately which frequently results in them having a “mental block” which impedes them from giving the correct answer or makes them waffle on without actually answering the question. A worse case scenario is when the presenter give an incorrect or inappropriate answer.
- Answering questions can often lead to a loss of control of the presentation by the presenter as indicated in the situation at the beginning of this article.
Preparation:
- Ensure that you know the Needs, Wants and Lacks of the client in THIS presentation.
- Identify the “Power(s)”, “Influencers” and “Hot bodies”.
- Anticipate possible questions from the “Powers” and “Influencers”.
- Incorporate the answer to these questions in the development of the presentation. Rhetorical questions are extremely useful as ways to get the audience to participate mentally without interrupting the presenter and the flow of the presentation. They also “personalize” the presentation by providing the presenter with the opportunity to show their knowledge of the problems / worries of the audience in a controlled manner.
At the very beginning of the Presentation:
- Inform the audience that you believe that you have anticipated possible questions and have incorporated the answers into the presentation so that the answers are given within a specific context.
- Ask the audience to make a note of their questions and that at the end of the presentation, you promise to answer all of them. We recommend using a phrase like: “We know that you are very busy people so I would appreciate it if you could keep all you questions until the end of the presentation. In this way, we won’t get sidetracked and we’ll finish on-time”.
With this structure we are using both the Primacy effect and the Recency effect to influence our audience. (Primacy: recognizing that they are “busy people”. Recency: “not side-tracked… finish on time”).
When you get asked a question, we suggest the following verbal responses in conjunction with the appropriate non-verbal communication using posture, gaze, orientation, proximity and gestures:
1. Congratulate the questioner:
By using one of the following types of “social markers” you are showing respect to both the person asking the question and the question itself.
Last summer… my wife Louise, who is a nurse, attended a daylong health conference that cost us $200.00 for her to attend. When she came home that night I asked her how the conference went and without hesitation she told me it was long, boring and was a waste of money. Louise went on to explain to me that for five hours she watched and listened to a woman, the featured presenter, lecture with a monotone voice and never once moved from behind the lectern. What a shame!
My wife’s experience… made me think that if I only had that proverbial nickel for every boring, run-of-the mill presentation I’ve slept through I’d be rich. Don’t get me wrong. I have seen some outstanding presentations over the years. However, just as I’m sure you have, I have also seen bad presentations that made me wish I had spent my time and in some cases my money more wisely.
Hear me now… if you are going to be presenting anything in the future, please know that you have a tremendous obligation to your audience to be interesting, engaging and excited about whatever it is you are presenting. If you are not interesting, the audience won’t be interested. If you are not engaging they will be disengaged. If you are not excited they will fall asleep.
Don’t ever… look at a presentation as something you have to “get through.” Presentations should be approached by you as an opportunity to inspire, motivate and sell your ideas. Anything else would be a waste of time for you and your audience. The key is to remember one thing when presenting:
Nobody cares about you… and this is why every presentation should be delivered in a way that appeals to 100 percent of your audience. Trust me when I say that the success of every meeting, lecture, talk or presentation of any kind will be determined by whether or not you appealed to the individuals who were listening to you. The best way to accomplish this is to KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE and to consider these five tips to make sure that you deliver your presentation in a way that will resonate with your listeners even after they have left the room.
Here are 5 tips… to keep in mind to make sure that your next presentation “pops!”
TIP 1 – Be Prepared
I once heard that there a three types of presentations that you can give. The first is the one you planned on giving. The second is the one you gave, and the third is the one you wish you had given as you are driving home. You can avoid that feeling of failing to give the presentation you wished you had given by being prepared. It goes without saying that a lack of preparation will result in you being tense, nervous and disorganized. Trust me when I say that when you are not prepared your listeners will notice and you will immediately lose credibility. Your presentation will feel like a cat-and-mouse game between you and your audience.
Spend time in advance getting to know who your audience will be and know your topic(s) backwards and forwards. Practice your presentation by running through it several times. You’ll be amazed at the ideas that will come to you during each practice run. Remember: preparation leads to success. The more prepared you are the more comfortable you will be while you are presenting.
TIP 2 – Be Excited
If you want your listeners to be excited you’d better be excited and eager to share your information. This doesn’t mean that you have to give your presentations doing cartwheels and smiling uncontrollably. Being excited means that you bring a passion to your topic through your body language and tone of voice. Being excited means that you use gestures and animation to bring your ideas to life. Avoid being monotonous by using different tones of voice and inflections throughout the presentation to help clarify your message. In other words, match your body language and tone of voice with the words you are using. Without doing this you risk sending mixed messages that could confuse your listeners. It would be like telling an audience that you are happy to be there as you say it with a flat voice and a frown on your face. So get excited with your body language and tone of voice, and make sure it matches up with the words you use.
TIP 3 – Be Creative
Right now, please rid your mind of the notion that presenting means that you have to stand behind a lectern while you read from notes or Power Point slides. Kill me now! There are a lot of things you can do to add some creativity to your next presentation. One idea is to start off with an ice-breaker relevant to the topic. This is a great way to get people moving and thinking. Also, during the presentation you could include some participation activities related to the topic. This would give you an opportunity to get your listeners involved by introducing the activity and soliciting feedback from your audience. You could incorporate technology by showing a relevant video clip, playing music or creating eye-popping Power Point visuals. Lately I have been conducting live polling in my seminars using Poll Everywhere. Poll Everywhere is fun, interactive and allows people to use their smart phones.
Creativity and something different is always a great way to make your presentation shine but please heed my warning. Don’t overdo it! Too many activities or over-the-top creativity may take away from your message if you’re not careful. People may leave your presentation saying it was interesting and that they had fun but they may have missed the point(s). Also, it’s crucial that any activities or creative elements you incorporate relate directly to your topic. So be creative, but be mindful that this creativity doesn’t overshadow or not relate to the ultimate message that you are delivering.
TIP 4 – Be Positive
Motivation doesn’t come from using words that are full of doom and gloom. It’s easy to complain and focus on negative things but rarely will it generate positive enthusiasm. More than likely, negative words will lead to intimidation and desperation. That is why when you present it’s imperative to use positive and encouraging words and phrases that will inspire people to take positive action.
I realize that not all news is good news and that there are times when delivering facts or making a certain point may require negative words and information. There is no problem in doing this as long as it’s being used as a motivator by using it to convey a positive and uplifting message in the end. The following is an example of how you can present negative information and using it to motivate by having an uplifting reason for bringing it up.
“We were way over budget last year and it resulted in heartbreaking layoffs.This year we have a tremendous opportunity to be creative in streamlining our expenses in order to retain our most important asset… our people. I’m confident we will succeed.”
Always look at presenting as an opportunity to move people to embrace change and new ideas. If you stay positive you and your message will serve as an inspiration that will help you to inspire people to embrace your message and take action.
TIP 5 – Be Genuine
One of the best ways to shine and connect with a listener is to be genuine by speaking from the heart and being you. If you are trying to be something you are not the audience will see it right away and your credibility and believability will be lost. I understand that at times nerves can get in the way of how you want to be perceived. If you feel like nerves will get the best of you try telling a personal story (which I recommend doing regardless) that relates to your topic. Personal stories are great evidence to back up your point and will help you to relax and be more relatable.
Over the years I have seen presenters who try to be someone they are not. It’s almost as if the presentation is being forced and as a result the speaker comes across looking fake and disingenuous. This usually happens when the presenter is doing things that appear to be unnatural or uncomfortable. If I’m attending a presentation of any kind I don’t want to see the presenter putting on an act. I want to see a presenter who I feel like I could bond with when the audience is gone and the shoes come off. One of the tips I always give to students in my presentation classes it to just have a conversation with me when they are presenting.
Throughout history great orators have always had an impact on moving or influencing people. The world has seen its share of orators in the form of heads of state, religious people, celebrities, organizational heads and even dictators. People are moved by the aura of a great presenter or the effectiveness of his or her presentation skills. But what is it about their presentation that appealed to so many people? Or should we ask an even more foundational question – what is a Presentation skill?
While there are certain presentation tactics that are universally common, Business Presentation Skills have a certain tried and tested methodology that anyone aspiring to be a good presenter in the corporate world, can learn from. In this article we will look at a few such aspects that make up the anatomy of a good presentation:
Purposeful Agenda
The presenter needs to know where he or she wants to go with the presentation – what is the core message that they want to get across? Who is the target audience? Is the agenda relevant to the message? Is the message relevant to the crowd? These are questions that the presenter needs to know the answers to well before he or she takes the stage to give a formal presentation. Navigating through a mission is so much more effective if we have a map and a plan. That should be the primary objective of having an agenda.
Diligent Preparation
No matter how confident the speaker is of his or her message, they must always prepare ahead of time to meet the needs of the topic, crowd or situation. Trying to ‘wing it’ just doesn’t work and neither is it professional. The presenter must be prepared to clarify ambiguous issues and also tackle difficult questions. It also helps to arrive there ahead of time to get a look at the venue, to get a good feel for the environment and absorb it.
Three-Part Presentation
Just like a three course meal or a sandwich, every presentation must have three robust parts to it that requires slightly different individual handling. Most speakers tend to focus only on the body but fail to either make a good first impression with a good intro or fail to wrap up their message well once completed with the body. Beginning with a good introduction that grabs one’s attention and makes a good impression is crucial to starting off on the right note. A good opener sets the tone for a good presentation.
The body of the message is where the majority of the intended content is positioned. The speaker must take his time in unpacking the major components or aspects of the body in a clear and concise manner. Maintaining eye contact and keeping an ‘open’ body language helps to ease the crowd and feel connected with the speaker. Often speakers rush through their presentation without giving appropriate pauses, out of nervousness or haste and end up looking anxious or unconfident. Well-timed silence can be a good friend of the presenter and must be used generously to allow the poignancy of the message to sink in to the listeners’ minds and hearts.
Finally, closing up a presentation well gives a nice finishing touch to the message and ends with a note of closure for the audience. If executed well, the listeners will leave having grasped the full measure of what was being conveyed but also have a good appreciation for the value of the message. It helps to finish on a high or positive note while also thanking the listeners for their time and patience. All is well that ends well.
Presentation Skills Training is an important aspect of corporate training th
Does good presentation matter? History suggests that strong communication skills play an important part in success. For example, have you noticed how often a person you thought you knew as the inventor of something turns out not to be the first person to come up with the idea. The person you know as the inventor is often the person who was best able to communicate the idea to others; the one who persuaded others to invest in the idea or convince people of its benefits; the one who could get their ideas heard and their key messages received and understood. Good presentation matters.
It’s funny how what we are willing to accept as good presentation appears skewed in different situations. When we go out for a meal with family or friends we expect good presentation. It doesn’t have to be Michelin star quality, but if the food is just thrown together on the plate it looks unappetising and we find it much harder to enjoy the experience and in more extreme situations just feel unable to eat the food. On the other hand, food that is well presented is far more likely to encourage us to enjoy the experience and seems to taste better.
When you are out shopping, the way products are presented to you has a significant impact on the choices you make and the products you buy. The science behind retail merchandising (presentation) is fascinating. If you walk into a shop and feel the displays are untidy and product is scattered all over the place you may well walk straight back out. Interestingly, if you are in an antique shop, you might actually really enjoy the seemingly random presentation as it gives you a sense of excitement that you might find that hidden gem and be able to retire to your own private island.
Every day, we are presented with examples of why good presentation matters. So why do we not carry that principle over to our business presentations? Goodness knows that presentations are now a major feature of business life. The internet is awash with suggested numbers of daily PowerPoint presentations. 30 million a day appears to be the most common, before you add in Keynote for Apples users and Prezi for cloud users, and the myriad of other software choices available. We don’t need to debate the numbers. It is fairly reasonable to accept that the number of presentations given every day is huge. The real question is how many of them are good presentations? Instantly, you will all know from personal experience that the number is likely to drop dramatically.
Our experiences as audience members are frequently not a good ones. The common presentation pitfalls persist, such as far too much information, too much detail, font sizes designed for an opticians chart, too many slides, bullet point overload, reading the presentation, monotone delivery style. The list is endless. Why do we appear to accept this poor standard of presentation when we know how much good presentation matters? Generally, time pressure is one of the most common excuses I receive. We typically work in a fast paced, pressurised environments and much like the poor food example mentioned earlier, our presentation ingredients are thrown together using the tried and tested ‘cut and paste’ technique. We also believe our wisdom is self evident and so our audience can’t fail to ‘get it’. Of course, if that were true, retailers would not need to throw so much time, money and effort at how their products are presented.
Good presentation really does matter. It is one of the key skills that helps successful people stand out from the crowd. It doesn’t need to be an all singing and dancing extravaganza. All it takes is the consistent application of clear and straight forward principles and approaches.
Richard Lock – International trainer and presenter.