So many friend have asked me what I think makes a brilliant presentation. Improving our skills is the only way to learn, grow and to have more impact.
Over the years I have noticed how people say, “I am okay at presentations. I do them all the time”. But they are not always open to improving. They live in a corporate ‘bubble’ and do things the way they have always been done. Corporate speak bores the tears out of a room. And yet, it forms the foundation of presentations, meetings and even 1-2-1 conversations. We still believe that we need to speak to CORPORATE.
But, everyone in corporate is a human being. Why do we feel the need to speak to the ‘logo’? Why do we still not treat everyone in the boardroom as human beings? It does not matter if someone is the CEO, the CFO or the People Officer. They still have every human trait you do. And this means every presentation, conversation, meeting or ‘water cooler chat’ should be in same – sharing STORY!
There is a lot of research about the power of STORY. But I wanted to share some insights about doing a presentation, which will make you stand out. Is that not what you want when you share your message? You do not want to sound like and be like everyone else. Because, you want your presentation to have impact. And most importantly, make a difference to them – those people in the room. You want to spark something in them, so that they fall in love with your message.
Find Your Style
I am not the world’s presentation guru. I have learnt so much from Deon Newbronner (Meaning4Life). I have also watched others to see what I like and don’t like about their presentations. And the audience – I watch them carefully when others are presenting. I like to see what gets them excited and engages them. And, what makes them drift off.
The important thing is to learn all you can. Take time to find your own style and way of doing presentations that are YOU.
My Top Tips for a Brilliant Presentation
Do you need PowerPoint?
Have you thought of other creative ways to present your data? Try something new and different. If you MUST use PowerPoint, it should only enhance your talk. I love using images that illustrate what I am talking about, and KEYWORDS only. The keywords I use as personal prompts only. And if I choose them well, they can be powerful reminders of my message. Reading off PowerPoint is pointless. You may as well send them the slides and not bother with the talk. They can read as well as you can and don’t need you to read to them.
Less is more!
Too much information overwhelms your audience. I know you have a lot to say and tell them about your subject. But a more succinct and powerful message, will give them so much more to think about. And, of course you want them to ask you to do a another presentation in the future. Choose your ONE message for each presentation. And deliver that message with clarity. You want them to leave the room with your ONE message clearly at the front of their minds.
Pace yourself
Once you are clear with your ONE message for your talk, you can pace yourself. It is easy to speak really fast when you have a lot to cram into your presentation. And of course, you will be given a specific amount of time. Remember, you do not need to fill the allocated time! Think about TED Talks. Yes, the maximum in 18 minutes, but some of the most impactful talks are less than 10 minutes!
Once you have a message that speaks to your audience, you can use the remaining time in your slot for questions, observations and input from your audience. This will also give them more of an insight into who you are. And it gives you more material for your next presentation. If they have questions – you can answer them, or research them for future speaking opportunities.
Start with a Story or a Question
This simply grabs the audience. If you spend the first 10 minutes telling your audience who you are, what you have done, and why you are the person who needs to be doing this presentation, you have lost them already. I have done talks when I did not mention what I did for a living, at all. But that day my website had double the traffic. If you inspire, people will seek you out. They will want more of you. And why use your precious message time telling them something they can find online, in a programme, or from the host who will no doubt introduce you?
End with Impact
May speakers feel the urge to end with their bio, or just stop talking. This tends to leave an awkward moment for everyone that someone feels the need to fill. Which means the message falls flat. You have spent X amount of time inspiring your audience, and then you just ‘drop them off the cliff’. Use every last second of your talk to add to your message.
I love using an anchor to start and end my talk. This is a word or phrase that is your message. As soon as you are invited to stand up and speak, start with your anchor. No ‘thank you for having me’. Just your anchor. Sprinkle it at relevant places in your talk. And then, use it as your last sentence. Pause, wait for the audience to think about your message and react, before you sit down.
I love ending a talk with a quote or a question too.
Using Notes
I know notes give us comfort. And that’s fine. It is important to create the environment for you to shine. If notes give you the peace of mind to speak better, then you do need to have them.
But, do not read your notes!
Your audience can read too. If you are going to read your notes, you may as well send the document to your audience. Then you don’t need to stand up and speak to them. It will save you and them a lot of time and energy.
People want to hear you SPEAK! Not READ! I know you have a lot to say, but we come back to the message. Craft your message so that you can SPEAK from the heart. If you have a brilliant document of content, use that on your website. Create a super-blog from each talk, or use it in a series of blog posts.
P.S. This can become your book 🙂
But a TALK is just that. A TALK. Not a READ! If you really do need notes, use them as prompts with keywords. And I would suggest you don’t hold them. Have them on a lectern or on a table. Even if you have to walk over to them to get your next prompt. This will give your audience time to absorb what you have said. And you time to breathe.
When you read, you lose your voice, flow and personality.
Story! Story! Story!
Theory can be read in a book, online or in a programme. But story is what will make your audience sit up and listen. Often your audience knows the theory you want to talk about, because that is why they invited you in. You are the expert in your field, yes! But you are also special. Your story is unique to you! And your message will land with greater impact when you use story to illustrate your ideas, point and all that dry theory.
There are so many different storytelling techniques. You can explore different styles and find what works for you and your message. But in the simplest form, choose your ONE message for your talk. Think about stories that highlight and illustrate your message and share those. And, if you have 6 points to emphasise in your message, choose short stories for each, or 2-3 stories to ‘colour’ all 6 points. The amount of stories you use in your talk will be determined by the time you have been allocated.
Link your content to story. And don’t feel the urge to say, “I am going to tell you a story”. Just tell it.
Be the Change in the World
Why do what we have always done? If we all do the same thing, we will never stand out. And as a speaker, your message is important enough for you to want to share. Share it with YOUR STORY.
There is no such thing as ‘corporate’. There are only people. Speak to PEOPLE and you will change the world.
