The Perfect Presentation Blog

I cannot tell you how many times I have come across this dilemma when working with clients. You would be surprised how many professional, seasoned, successful sales people/presenters prefer to ‘wing it’ rather than prepare and rehearse.

I have heard every reason and every excuse imaginable as to why seasoned professionals want to wing it. Reasons such as:

• Believing they seem more sincere
• Believing this is the only way the customer can be involved in the meeting/presentation
• Wanting to gauge the customer response before continuing
• Fear that they will ‘read’ the script and come across too ‘staged’
• They’ve always been successful with winging it
• Bla, bla, bla

The Truth
You ABSOLUTELY MUST prepare for every single meeting, whether it’s 5 minutes or a full day. Whether it’s across a kitchen table or in a board room. Whether it’s a meeting with one uneducated person or a room full of Harvard graduates.

If YOU DON’T KNOW what the goal for the meeting is, then how can you expect the listener to know? If you don’t know where the meeting is leading – how can you expect the listener to know? If you don’t know what you are supposed to say, do, show or ask next, how can you expect the listener to follow you?

Truth about the Listener
In all my years of researching listeners, there is a consistent train of thought they form when faced with a presenter who is winging it. During the meeting/presentation, they spend the majority of time wondering:

• Where is this going?
• What does he/she want from me?
• When will this be over?
• And worst of all…..Oh my gosh, are his/her lips still moving?

Get over the desire to Wing It!
Preparation and rehearsal are two of the most important steps in preparing to meet/present to a client. This is how you can bring every meeting and presentation to a successful end. When you are organized (following the 8-Steps I listed in an earlier blog), your listener will:

• See you as being professional and VERY organized
• Know where the meeting is leading
• Understand what you are showing, doing, asking and telling
• Be able to interject without causing you to digress
• Be able to interact at the appropriate times
• Follow wherever you lead them
• And most importantly…. Know what decision you want them to make as a result of the meeting/presentation

Don’t know how to prepare effectively?
Check out the Spot On Presentation Self-led training program. Learning how to prepare effectively is VERY easy – and one of the best decisions you’ll make in your career.

The choice is yours.

Till next time,

Speak and be heard.

Louise

www.spotontraining.com

I’m a fairly smart gal. I’m no genius or anything, but I can hold my own in an intellectual conversation and I certainly don’t glaze over during technical presentations. Most of the time anyway. 

There are occasions where presenters feel the need to babble with big words. I’m often left wondering if they thought it made them look smarter, more prepared or more highly educated.

You know the type of words I’m talking about. The hot business words-of-the-moment such as:

• synergy
• core competencies
• best practice
• knowledge-based
• customer centricity
• root cause analysis, etc, etc, etc.

 The problem with using this type of terminology in a presentation is that the listener (potential customer) may not understand it. And if they don’t – not only is it snoozeville for them, but you will never get them to agree to a recommendation at the end.

 Here is a suggestion.

 First and foremost – follow the steps I mentioned in the last blog. Step 1 refers to analyzing the audience. You MUST know their level of communication. Do THEY use this terminology? If not, what words DO they use? What do they know about YOUR business, product and even you? How do they talk?

 Next – prepare by following the rest of the steps. Speak in a language and use terms that the listener will connect with. If you do not know what terminology they understand, then simplify yours to the level of a 13 year old.  That’s a grade 8 student. Do not speak DOWN to this level, rather speak AT this level. Simplify your words to the point that a 13 year old would understand.

 You will NOT seem stupid or unprepared by doing this. Quite the opposite – you will come across as organized, approachable and easy to speak with. You’ll seem knowledgeable and most importantly, your listener will have a better chance of understanding what you are saying – and easier time saying YES at the end.

 The choice is yours.

 Till next time,

Speak and be heard.

 Louise

www.spotontraining.com

PowerPoint or any AV for that matter is a WONDERFUL tool that can emphasize your important points. When used properly, it can dazzle and entertain your listeners.

 Sadly – it’s rarely used effectively!
How many times have you been bored to death as someone drones on and on, reading words off of slide after slide after slide after slide…

Effective PowerPoint Use!
Here is a simple set of STEPS to follow that will help you when planning to use any type of AV equipment.

 Step 1: Analyze your audience.

 Step 2: Set your objective. What do you want the listener to DO as a result of this presentation? Write this down on paper.

 Step 3: Collect all relevant information. Collect anything and everything that might help you achieve your objective. The pile should be big.

 Step 4: Write your presentation. With a pen. On paper. Write your END first and move backwards to the beginning. Make sure you have a strong beginning, a meat-filled middle and a VERY clear and concise end. Your END should include telling your listener exactly what YOU WANT HIM/HER/THEM TO DO NEXT.

 Step 5: Prepare your visual aids. NOW start making some slides to enhance a few of the points you made in Step 4. Only if necessary though, as not all presentations need AV. Certainly not all points do. You should NEVER use a slide for your END. That final close, that final recommendation you make to your listener should come from your lips not your fingertips.

 Step 6: Do a Run Through.  This is your last opportunity to cull anything that is repetitive, boring or not necessary to the objective you wrote down in Step 2.

 Step 7: Practice. Practice speaking AND interacting with your AV equipment/slides. Say your presentation out loud. To yourself, a family member or better yet – the mirror in your bathroom. Would you buy from you? Are you interesting? Do you make sense?

 Step 8: Do it and review it. If your listener did NOT agree with your recommendations at the end of the presentation – your error lies within one of these 8 steps.

 Follow these 8 steps and you’ll be ahead of the game. More on PowerPoint in a future blog.

 Till next time,

Speak and be heard…

Louise

I hear this commonly as a presentation and communication consultant.

Hi everyone and welcome to my 1^st blog with Nevada Learning Series. I’ll be coming to you twice a month with hints and strategies to help you conquer presenting and communicating in groups.

Embracing the Fear
What really is happening in your body when your stomach is topsy turvy and you think you are going to vomit? Contrary to belief, it’s NOT your brain reminding you that you’ll fail miserably. It’s really just an increase in the production of adrenalin in your body.

adrenaline (uh-dren-l-in)

• A hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that helps the body meet physical or emotion stress (see endocrine system).

Adrenaline plays a very large role in the fight or flight reaction, which refers to the various processes that occur within the body when it is confronted with some form of mental or physical stress. Figuratively, the term adrenaline is used in speaking of a high state of excitement: “When the race began, the adrenaline really started pumping.”

This sick feeling in your stomach is your body telling your mind that you are READY! Ready for battle or whatever task is at hand. This is exactly what happens to athletes before a big game or race, and to keynote speakers standing before a large audience.

Your reaction is CRITICAL. If you allow this increase of adrenalin to consume your thoughts and guide you with fear – guess what! Your knees will shake and you’ll forget what you are doing and saying. The fear will take over and – yes – you’ll fail miserably.

You MUST embrace this adrenalin production. Embrace the sick feeling in your stomach. It’s your body telling your head that you are ready. THAT’S ALL! So be ready. Start your speech or presentation. Enjoy feeling that your body is ready for the task at hand rather than running in fear from it.

If the adrenalin increase occurs more than a few minutes before you are to take the stage, then simply USE some of it up. That means do something physical. Jump up and down, do a few laps of the office, let your feet dance under the board room table. Do whatever you have to do, to let some of the pent up adrenalin release.

You’ve all seen hockey players or football players dance on the spot during the national anthem. They are merely using some up some of their adrenalin as they wait for the game to begin. This is a whole lot nicer than seeing them throw up on national television!I suggest you use up some of your excess adrenalin and do so as privately as possible – otherwise your audience might think you’ve lost your mind if you run laps around the board table with your clients all staring at you.

And that’s another whole blog!

Till next time,

Speak and be heard…

Louise