fearless presenter
TRANSCRIPT
FEARLESS PRESENTER
Jenn Haskell; Training Manager, NA
Upon completing today’s training, you should be able to:
Understand best practices to be used when preparing for presentations
Understand best practices associated with delivering effective presentations (In person and Virtual)
Guide an event through successful completion Group contribution Using ice breakers or collaborative/hands-on breakouts Communicating complex ideas simply
AGENDA
PRESENTATION PLANNING
PRESENTATION PLANNING
Embrace your inner presenter style Few individuals are true extroverts Fewer individuals are comfortable with public
speaking Effective speakers can make people hear the
facts and understand the message Do what you need to do in order to feel
confident and comfortable
PRESENTATION PLANNING
“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good
impromptu speech.”
Mark Twain
PRESENTATION PLANNING
Before you present, consider the following: Who is your target audience? Who are your stakeholders? Who are your subject matter experts?
TARGET AUDIENCE
Who is your target audience?What do they know already?What they want
They want to feel like you’re an expert.
They want you to “look the part”.
They want to feel like you understand their needs and are invested in their success.
They want to know that their opinions are valued.
They want to know that you’re going to follow-up as needed.
What they don’t want They don’t want to be confused. They don’t want to be “talked
down” to. They don’t want to be provided
with information that is not 100% accurate.
They don’t want to be bored!
STAKEHOLDERS
By default, a stakeholder is a person, group, organization, or system who affects or can be affected by an organization's actions.
Stakeholders can be members of your target audience, but they might also be decision makers that aren’t attending your presentation
Don’t assume a stakeholder knows their job Get their buy-in and support Keep an open line of communication with them Influence them
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS“They want to feel like you’re an expert”You’re lack of preparation tells them that you have no respect their time.
Before your presentation: Email confirmation/meeting invite to expected participants
Include an agenda Send reminders
Create timeline for the agenda Book the appropriate resources Test any equipment being used Print off reference materials
PRESENTATION PLANNING
MANAGING YOUR NERVES
Presenting is not a natural activity . . . You’re going to be nervous!
The key is to decrease your nervousness Use your nervous energy to your advantage
Communicate enthusiastically, passionately & convincingly If you are uncertain about your presentation – your
nervousness will shine through
MANAGING NERVES
MANAGING NERVES
Bruce Willis
Sir Isaac NewtonJulia Roberts
Tiger Woods
Winston ChurchillAristotle
Oprah Winfrey
Abe Lincoln
King Edward VII
MANAGING NERVES
Conquer your nerves -
Know your audience
Set expectations
Know your material
Structure your presentation (agenda/timeline)
Prepare for your presentation
Practice your presentation
Calm yourself from the inside
Know your audience
Define who your target audience is. Perform a pre-presentation “discovery”
Set expectations. Share your agenda with stakeholders for feedback
on whether or not there are missing pieces. Greet audience members at the door and do a
quick survey of why they are there and what they expect.
MANAGING NERVES
Know your material You can’t cover everything
you know within a PowerPoint presentation
Use pertinent points Use key phrases Use scripted notes Use visuals
MANAGING NERVES
MANAGING NERVES
Structure your Presentation
1 Philosophy:
Tell the audience what you are going to say.
Then say it.
Then summarize what you’ve said.
Practice your presentation
Review the slides and script Does your PPT have animation? Rehearse with props and visuals Record through Lync Practice with a smaller audience Solicit feedback
MANAGING NERVES
MANAGING NERVES
Solicit feedback
To reap feedback that will improve your speech, ask open-ended questions like these:
What was your favorite element in the speech? Why?
What would you like to see improved?
How can I improve my speech for next time?
MANAGING NERVESPrepare for your presentation
“Hmm . . .what am I going to wear?”
MANAGING NERVESPrepare for your presentation
Arrive early Expect the worst Have backup plans established Discovery – preparing for questions before they
happen
MANAGING NERVESCalm yourself from the inside
Deep breathing techniques Drink water Smile Make eye contact Slow your pace Practice the art of pauses Move around Humor NEVER let em see ya sweat!
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Communicate effectively:
Organize and clarify ideas in your mind Stay on topic Be articulate Enunciate Use vocal “color” Listen actively Watch your body language Thank your listeners
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Organize and clarify ideas in your head:
When you are passionate about something, you are more likely to go on a tangent
Choose 3 key points
Practice and reorganize as needed
Use workflows
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Stay on topic:
What’s your next sentence? Check-in with the audience Handling off-topic questions Use presentation notes
What you have to say How you want to say it Delivery ques
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Be articulate & enunciate:
Use simple words instead of complex ones Use analogies Avoid mumbling Watch your accent Warm up your mouth
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYUse “vocal” color
Vocal variety – pitch, tone & volume
Pace
Rhythm
Duration
Verbal imagry
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Listen actively:
Epictetus said:
"We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak."
Practicing active listening skills is a powerful way to engage an audience
Encourages involvement Lets you know that the audience understands your
message
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
How do you listen actively? When audience members ask questions, don’t finish their sentences.
When audience members are talking - pay attention, rather than planning what you are going to say next or rearranging your notes.
Make eye contact.
Use non-verbal clues – nodding your head, smiling.
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYWatch your body language:
Use facial expressions consciously
Avoid negative facial expressions
Make eye-contact
Use hand gestures carefully
Watch your posture
Controlled walking patterns
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYAvoid the following:
Putting your hands in your pockets, which makes people trust you less. Research has found that we trust others more when we can see their hands.
Jiggling your keys or other items in your pocket. If you tend to fidget, empty your pockets beforehand.
Playing with your jewelry, your hair, or your clothing, which signals that you are nervous.
Pushing your glasses back constantly.
Pushing your hair aside frequently with your hand or shaking your head to push aside your hair.
Clicking your ballpoint pen.
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYAvoid the following:
Taking the caps on and off your pen or marker.
Scratching your face, head, or any other part of your body.
Checking your watch.
Drumming your fingers on the lectern or table.
Tapping your feet or bouncing your legs.
Facing away from the audience.
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYBody Language
Albert H Mehrabian experimented in the late 60’s and early 70’s and came up with this calculation in terms of how important the non verbal movements, signals and gestures are when it comes to the overall effectiveness of our communication in relaying our message to others.
Launch video
Words account for only 7%Tone of voice accounts for 38%
Body language accounts for 55%
ADJUSTING YOUR DELIVERY TECHNIQUEIN PERSON VS. VIRTUAL
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
Delivering virtual presentations
A virtual presentation can dramatically change the way you deliver your presentations.
PROS Deliver to more people -
portable Deliver an unlimited times Can be real-time or recorded More convenient Cost saver A presenter can cheat Limit audience interactions
CONS Not face to face with the
audience Interaction more difficult Equipment & technology Participants disengage Language/cultural barriers
Practice your presentation: Review the slides and script
Does your PPT have animation?
Set up two logins
No introductions
At the beginning of session, set “virtual” expectations
Let attendees know if you need a moment to prepare something
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
Don’t: Share private questions Games or functionality that needs explanation Have email, IM or confidential documents opened Let questions go ignored or unacknowledged Assume that all training can be delivered virtually
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
Do: Check your audio Perform knowledge-checks Perform demonstration/desktop sharing Use annotation tools Use webcams wisely Be aware of learner environments Use break-out sessions and surveys
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
MAKING AN IMPACT
MAKING AN IMPACT
The Five Cardinal Sins:
No clear point
No audience benefit WIIFM?
No clear flow
Too detailed
Too long
USING ICE BREAKERS AND GROUP CONTRIBUTION
USING ICE BREAKERS
Involve the audience
Get them physically involved
Make it fun
COMMUNICATING COMPLEX IDEAS SIMPLY
COMPLEX IDEAS
We over-explain
We over-complicate
Effective communicators take us on a journey . . .
and make us like it!
COMPLEX IDEAS
Effective Communicators:
Jack Welch (Former CEO of General Electric) Best communication asset: Simplicity Tip: Eliminate jargon.
Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) Best communication asset: Charisma Tip: Create and articulate a bold vision.
Suze Orman (Author, TV Host) Best communication asset: Clarity of expression Tip: Break down complex information into easy parts.
Rudy Giuliani (Former NYC Mayor) Best communication asset: Ability to make eye contact Tip: Spend 90% of the time looking at your audience.
GUIDING AN EVENT THROUGH SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
GUIDING AN EVENT THROUGH SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
Guiding an event:
Find out in advance how much time you will have to present
If you’re presenting in a competitive situation, try to be the last presenter
Start with goals and objectives* Why will you benefit from this presentation?
* What will be covered during this presentation?* How will I be conducting this presentation?* When can you ask questions?
GUIDING AN EVENT THROUGH SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
Effective Communicators:
Present experiences and lessons learned
Share customer case studies and success stories
Summarize the key takeaways and lessons learned
Never announce that you’re about to end your presentation
End your presentation with a bang
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
Now that you’ve completed todays training, you should be able to:
Successfully prepare for presentations.
Delivering effective presentations (In person and Virtual) by incorporating the best practices discussed in today’s training.
Guide an event through successful completion: Encourage group contribution. Use ice breakers or collaborative/hands-on breakouts. Communicate complex ideas simply.
IN SUMMARY
Q&A
CALL TO ACTION
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you have got it made!“
~ Jean Giraudoux