Successful Lunch Outcome for There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
The 'Dog and Pony Show' - our first of a series of lunch-time sessions entitled "There's no such thing as a free lunch" dealt with the secrets of a good presentation. We looked at what makes and breaks a presentation, and our suggestions for pitching the perfect presentation are 'presented' below:
We made our first group work hard for their lunch…
1. Always Carry a ‘Non – Techie’ Backup, in case the computer breaks, or there is a power cut etc (Bring a backup 'raspberry and apple pie' if your presentation is full of pie charts!)
2. Handouts or Email, so that people have something to refer to later. It is also a useful tool when conveying your message to others and in case anything was missed during the presentation.
3. Crib Notes, to keep you on track if you lose your place and to ensure you don’t forget anything important, or to assist in overcoming stage fright.
4. Pick the Right Public Speaker for the job. Depending on the audience and the place, the topic or the objectives.
5. Tailor Presentation to the audience, considering their objectives and expectations.
6. Don’t Wing It! Most relaxed confident presenters have researched and rehearsed their presentation many times, to get to the level of ‘2nd nature’ we all admire. Know your stuff, and practice the structure and flow of your talk beforehand. Feedback from others or from videoing yourself can show you unexpected weaknesses.
7. Be Memorable, through humour, or an unusual prop, as well as through very good and clear content. Remember the best presentations you have attended yourself and try to emulate the good parts. Try to do something a little different.
8. Use a Speech Writer, if it suits you. All the ‘big wigs’ do and speech writers have training and experience in captivating an audience.
9. Use Honest Dialogue, and if someone asks you a question you aren’t sure about don’t be afraid to say so. You can always find out after.
10. Practice Practice Practice! ‘nuff said.
11. Know When to Stop. Its easy to ramble when you are nervous, try to keep to the point and read your audience. If they start to look bored or tired try a different tack or finish faster.
12. Enjoy Yourself! It’s a great feeling when you have a good rapport with an audience and they laugh at your jokes and seem to be enjoying your presentation. If you have followed the above steps then you will feel more confident and prepared, that will come though in your presentation and will allow you to relax more and be yourself. Laughter helps people remember!
13. Multiple Presenters can add variety, comedy and freshness to a presentation by segmenting the session and diverting the attention of the audience to something new.
14. Know the Environment you will be presenting in. What facilities are there, and what do you need to provide yourself. Do a test run if possible.
15. Be Prepared for all eventualities. Always try to have a plan B.
16. Keep the Techno-babble to a Minimum. Apart from a miniscule percentage of the population, most people will be frightened or bamboozled by techno-babble. The more excitedly you expound techno-babble the more frightened your audience will become. Communicating the ‘benefits of the technology’ to the audience rather than ‘how you got there technically’ is often the best way forward.
17. Keep in Mind the Benefits Your Audience Will Gain. Many people are taking time out of their day to listen to what you have to present. Try to ensure they gain maximum benefit from their time with you.
18. Encourage 2 Way Conversations, Rather than Lecturing. This adds spice and interest to presentations, and allows interaction and mutually beneficial input. Ask the audience questions and get their feedback on issues.
19. Look at Your Audience when you are speaking, not at the screen on the wall behind you, which can often accidentally happen when reading PowerPoint slides.
20. Get Your Point Across; through repetition (marketers say repeat 3x before message sinks in); through eye contact with key decision makers in the audience; by heading off any potential issues before they are raised (‘firing torpedoes’)
21. Charisma is Key! If you have none at all, then get someone else to present. For most, charisma comes with the confidence gained through knowledge of the subject matter and the audience. As you relax the charisma and rapport will come. Passion and enthusiasm also help enormously.
22. Refresh your Audience. Food and drink breaks can sharpen the attention, provide some social and networking time and relax your audience. People are happier when they are satiated. Just don’t provide too much or your audience will fall asleep!
23. Keep the Message Clear through a good structure containing summaries, and conclusions. Repeat key points and try to avoid any confusion.
24. Get Feedback Finding out what ‘winds up’ the audience about the process helps with your future strategy, also to get feedback on your own presentation can help improve your skills for future presentations. It is also a confidence boost to receive good feedback – which is lovely. A follow up email thanking the audience can also add value to the experience, and provides them with your email details easily.
25. Have a Point of Closure where you surmise and conclude. Any actions can be referenced, or agreed upon here.
26. Variety is the Spice of Life. Interspersing videos, interactive questions/answer times, discussion and visuals, props and games can all increase the enjoyment of a presentation whilst still effectively conveying your message. We looked at a few techniques including ‘Mogulus’ the free online TV broadcasting channel and ‘VuVox’ an interesting way to present a moving wall full of links to video, songs, text, and images. It can provide a multimedia ‘crib sheet’ as the presenter moves along the wall and can be used to reach a wider audience. Web sites below.
www.mogulus.comNot bad for an hour!
Oh yes, and I almost forgot, we did concede that PowerPoint has its uses too, especially for producing handouts.The video of our discussions is available to our members click here to view. The 30 minute clip is called Dog and Pony, in the "On Demand" section of the videoscreen. Happy watching!
Our next lunch session is on Promotion and Advertising and will take place on 25th September. We will be taking registrations very soon so please be quick to respond or you may miss out!
Email this item to a friend
Printer friendly version
Add your own comment
Receive new comments by email