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 What is it about presentations that sends us scurrying back to
junior high? Remember how important it was to look like
everyone else? Of course, that's not how we thought of it, but
when we look at our own kids we can see that's what it is. In some ways, we've broken away from that, but when it comes
to presentations, we're right there doing it the way it's always
been done. It's SAFE. And, when it's a client presentation, it only gets worse. Instead
of actually evaluating the situation, thinking like the client, and
focusing on meeting their needs, we're more likely to think of
ways to impress the client, assess the probabilities of the
competition's presentation, and automatically (consequently)
increase the number of slides. Consider what the competition will do, but not with the thought
of matching them. The only impressing of the client that really
works is much less overt than the standard approach. And
increasing the number of slides to match expectations is pretty
much guaranteed to fail. For best results consider doing these: 1. Edit your slides ruthlessly, both the number of slides and the
amount of text on the slides. Many of your competitors still believe that a slick slide show is
the core of a successful presentation. Don't go junior high here.
Use as few as you can, only as many as it takes to illustrate the
essence of your presentation. An abundance of slides or of text keeps you focused on the
slides and the technology rather than on connecting with your
audience, which is the next point. 2. Connect with your audience. (Shut down your ego.) If you
were the buyer, how would you decide which vendor to use?
Would you really base your decision on how slick the
presentation was? Or how many slides? Or how many years they
had been in business? Not likely. What it usually comes down to is whether you sound credible
and whether or not they feel comfortable with you. Being knowledgeable and genuine are your best tools, so figure
out how you're going to connect. Part of it's your attitude and
part is your content. Your content needs to show you understand
problems they've had that you can spare them from, and that
you know their audience or their frustrations. You'll connect by
speaking directly to those things that matter most to them. Jay Bell, Warren Bell Associates, Forestville, CA: "Things I've
noticed since taking your class: That I can be myself in various
situations and don't have to play the role of a seminar leader, the
father-of-the-groom giving a toast, or a creativity guru
presenting an idea to a client. "I'm happy to discover that the principles you teach apply
generally to speaking; they smooth out transitions from one
situation to the next to the next. "I can think about my immediate audience and what they need
from me at that moment. And that's regardless of what type of
speaking I'll need to do. Above all, I'm really feeling good
about being able to be me." Marj Blixhaven, AWAIC, Anchorage, Alaska: "You may
remember my writing you 5 years ago (shortly after taking your
class) about unexpectedly having to give a speech in front of the
mayor, the police chief, a state senator and TV cameras while I
was wearing jeans, tennies and a moose sweatshirt. Well, I've
done it again. "I am now the executive director of the women's shelter here
and get asked to speak about domestic violence and our services
fairly often. "One recent morning at 10:45 I got a call from a woman who
was in desperate need of a lunch program for the Rotary Club
that day. It was easy to say yes, because I knew I could pull
together a strong opening, a few main points, and a strong close
in the coming hour. "Once again, I wasn't dressed the way I would have been if I
had known before I left the house that I would be speaking to 60
people (will I ever learn) but I just did what you trained us to do.
It went well. "They had a podium with a mike that their other speakers were
using, but I removed the mike and stepped to the side of the
podium like you taught us. Lots of connection with the
audience, lots of questions and interest on their part, and it was
over before I knew it. "As I drove away, I was grateful once again for your training.
Not only am I able to convey information about a very serious
problem to lots of people through my speaking engagements,
but it really is stress-free for me." It's a matter of personal choice. My feeling is that every piece of
equipment you use gives you more to keep track of. And if they
can focus on the point without having to use a pointer, don't use
one. So if you're using one, be sure it's for the right reasons. A laser pointer (or any pointer) has to be tended. Do you
remember to put it down, turn it off or not to play with it when
you're not using it? Do you have a steady hand so that the light
doesn't wobble all over the slide? Your slides should be as simple as possible. If they're relatively
uncluttered, you should be able to gesture toward the part of the
slide you're drawing their attention to, and also to give them
verbal directions: "You'll notice in the upper right hand corner" "The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who
hate me away from those who are still undecided." Casey
Stengel "Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy."
Howard W. Newton "Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good
learner would not miss." Ralph Waldo Emerson "The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that on which one
has not laughed." Chamfort "Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly."
Nepalese good luck mantra excerpt "It is never too late to become the person you always thought
you would be." George Eliot "Don't let perfect ruin good." (Harry Beckwith from the book
Selling the Invisible, 1997) "A true friend stabs you in the front." Oscar Wilde Think gifts. Someone you know is going to be giving more
presentations soon. Give them a practical gift that will make those
presentations easier and more effective. Learn more or
Order Online. Book Audiotape or CD ROM Booklets by Barbara Rocha: Speeches on Tape: Video Learn more **How to Overcome the Stress of Public Speaking We have two public seminars each year: May and October/November. If
you have several people who could use this training, contact us
regarding an in-house seminar. As a refresher, workshop graduates (from any of our 3-day
workshops) may attend for half price at any time. People tell us
they get as much or more out of the workshop the second time
around. Visit our seminars section for details or call (888) 800-2001 For more information, contact: Barbara Rocha and Associates PO Box 60521, Pasadena, California 91116 (626) 792-8075 or toll free at (888) 800-2001 |
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