"We Don't Do It That Way"

“Good morning, my name is Jack, and I’m here to talk about the budget for 2006, and here’s my first slide . . . .  Blah, blah, blah . . . .   Are there any questions?  No? Well, then, uh, thank you.”   

Yawn.

Is what you hear (and then, unfortunately, model) most often something like this?

Perhaps the biggest battle I fight with clients and students is over the organization of presentations.  They (you?) just don’t want to give in to the idea of complete, detailed, focused introductions and conclusions.  Yet, after trying it out a couple of times, most people  agree that they sound more convincing and feel more confident. 

So, in case you’ve slipped a little, or if you don’t hear my voice in your head any more, or if you haven’t “suffered through” my presentation training, here’s a refresher.

“But, In Our Organization, We Just Don’t Do Presentations That Way.”

Uh, huh.  I know. 

Nevertheless, consider Jack’s all-too-typical presentation.  Is the audience engaged?  No.  Does the audience know what the presentation is about?  Yes, sort of, in general.  Does the audience know specifically and personally what’s in it for them to listen.  Absolutely not.  Did they pay attention well enough to ask a question?  Probably not. Do they know what they are supposed to do now?  Um, that would be a no.  Do they feel like the speaker cares about them at all.  Nope.

So, Jack, maybe you need another approach, yes?   Try this:

Do Your Homework First

Of course, you will not begin selecting material until you have reviewed what you know about the situation (problem, corporate culture, external environment) and your audiences (who they are, what their concerns are, what you want them to do).  You remember that this preparation will help you focus your presentation by using only information that is most relevant for your purpose and your audiences’ needs.

Okay, repeat out loud: “Yes, I will do my homework.”  Thank you.  Moving on . . . .

Get Your Listeners Involved with Your Introduction

You must accomplish three things in your introduction:

1.  Attention-grabber: Engage your audience’s attention and arouse their interest

2.  Agenda: Inform your audience exactly what you are going to talk about

3.  Benefit: Encourage your audience to listen by telling them, specifically and personally, why they should listen to you; i.e., what’s in it for them.

 Start with a great attention grabber.  Becoming comfortable with an attention grabber seems to be one of the hardest obstacles for a speaker to overcome.  However, you have many, many options.  The only rules are that the attention-grabber must (1) relate to the speech and (2) be appropriate for your audience.  (I still remember the student who wrote S-E-X on the board and then said, “Now that I have your attention, I’m going to talk about . . . .”  Neither relevant nor appropriate.)

 Here are some appropriate options:

·   A startling statement or statistic (if it supports the argument you are making in your presentation)

·   A rhetorical question (if you are sure the audience would answer the way you want)

·   A quotation (if you can deliver it smoothly)

·   A story (if you have time)

·   A humorous anecdote (as long as it’s not a joke that could insult someone in your audience).

An old stand-by is a reference to the occasion or event where you are speaking (if you can relate it to the purpose of your speech).  However, if someone introduces you, you might have to say something in response to the introduction before you actually begin your presentation.  Refer to the occasion at that time, then pause, look at your audience, and deliver a better, more dynamic attention-grabber from the list above.

Remember, avoid attention grabbers that sound apologetic, might offend, or employ gimmicks.  And, no, your wonderful voice or contagious energy or great new suit work will not count as an attention grabber.  You must have excellent material, too.  Well, actually, you must have excellent material first.  

Tell your audience what you’re going to talk about.  You have more options here.  You may choose to simply share the purpose for your talk.  If you are doing a longer presentation, you should run down the agenda items.  However, be careful that you don’t scare your audience away with too much information up front.  For example, if you are talking about re-organization, you might say that you are going to discuss the plans for the roll-out and then the impact on everyone.  If you are too explicit about your agenda, you may disclose information that you need to explain first.

Make it about them.  I don’t need to remind you of the importance of answering your audience’s question, “What’s in it for me?”  At the same time, it’s easy to assume that they realize the benefit because that benefit is obvious to you.  Never assume.  It’s also easy to fall into the trap of stating a benefit for the company but not for the individual listeners.  So, ask yourself, “Why, specifically and personally, should my audience listen to me speak?”  Then tell them exactly that.

Keep the Body Simple

Most people do a pretty good job with the middle of the presentation.  You know what you need to say.  You will do better, however, if you remember some key ideas:

1. Keep main points to a minimum.  I’m a “three” person unless I have a really good reason or a really long time.  For example, my strategic communication model has five main points, and I use that for case analysis.
    

2. Organize information based on your goal.  Are you informing, persuading, giving bad news?  Be sure that everything you say is important for you to meet your objectives.
    

3. Select material that focuses on benefits for your audience.  Don’t just talk about an idea or a process.  Tell the audience what that idea would mean to them or how the process would effect their work.
    

4. Enhance your points with PPT slides, numbers, examples, stories—anything that will help your audience remember what you said.

 Leave a Lasting Impression

 You have three last things to do in the conclusion of your presentation:

1. Summary: Exactly what you want your audience to remember
    

2. Action: Exactly what you want your audience to do
    

3. Final statement: What last and lasting verbal and visual impression you want to make on your audience.

 What do you want them to remember?  Summarize the essence of the main points, not the headlines.  The biggest mistake I have noticed over the years is the tendency to summarize only the solution, not the problem, too.  Be sure you remind the audience of all the most important points in your entire agenda.

 Do you want your audience to ask questions?  This is a good place to put Q&A.  You can also take questions before your summary or after your action step, but always end with your final statement, not an unprepared answer to a random question.

What do you want them to do?  Be specific here so there is no misunderstanding about your expectations.  Review your introduction.  Does the action step in your conclusion reflect the purpose for your speech?

What do you want to leave with your audience?  This is your last shot.  Save your most memorable words.  Repeat your slogan.  Show the picture of your ideal world as a result of your proposed solution.  What you show, what you say, and how you say it should be a triple-powered display that insures you have made your point.

Pause.  Then, you may say, “Thank you.”  Your audience, of course, will be on their feet, applauding. 

Remember

Grab your audience’s attention, tell them what you’re going to talk about, and then tell them what’s in it for them to listen to you.  Keep the body of the presentation simple and focused.  Then remind your audience of the most important points you made and exactly what you want them to do.  Close with dynamic words, visual aids, and delivery.  In other words: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.  It works every time.

And perhaps, in the future, the common phrase about presentations in your organization will be, “We want to do it your way.”

Notes:

If you become the presentation trainer in your organization, consider The Presentation Skills Workshop: Helping People Create and Deliver Great Presentations, from The Trainer’s Workshop Series, AMACOM Books.  Click here for more information.

If you would like to suggest Dr. Bienvenu's presentation skills training for your organization, click here for more information on that workshop and contact Sherron at sherron@chinup.net for more information.