| Do a quick search on Google for "presentation | | | | The real challenge lies in those things that we |
| skills" (no quotes) and you are faced with over 18 | | | | might think of as more mundane, or, even worse, |
| million results. Be slightly more specific | | | | bad news for the audience. Dealing with those in |
| ("presentation skills training"), and the results - | | | | turn: |
| rather bizarrely to me - jump to 30.7 million. I'd | | | | Presenting the mundane |
| like to narrow it down to one. | | | | The big questions that arise here are (1) if it is so |
| Enthusiasm. | | | | mundane, why is it being presented at all; and (2) |
| Here, rather than being very detailed about | | | | are you assuming it's mundane and therefore |
| presentation skills training, I'm going to look for | | | | sharing that feeling with others. |
| the absolutely critical things that make a genuinely | | | | This area came to my attention recently whilst |
| inspiring and effective presentation. There is much | | | | watching Steve Jobs present the latest iPhone |
| to be said about body language, tonality, | | | | upgrade. When I saw him do the initial launch, I |
| structure, appearance, visual aids, delivery style, | | | | was amazed, and wanted to get one straight |
| eye contact, repetition, story-telling, and so on, all | | | | away. Despite some non-traditional presentation |
| of which can add enormous value, but, I believe, | | | | skills, here was a man so excited, so passionate |
| without enthusiasm, it means nothing. | | | | about a product that it was almost impossible not |
| I recently had the opportunity to go with a school | | | | to be taken along for the ride with him. I was |
| group to Harewood House, north of Leeds, and | | | | more skeptical about the latest upgrade |
| whilst there, visit the Yorkshire Planetarium. The | | | | though...on paper, the changes seemed so much |
| lady who gave the talk (Mojo - a pretty | | | | less significant than the launch that I was put in |
| unforgettable name) presented really well, and | | | | mind of a new washing powder fragrance or a |
| kept an age range of 4-50+ engaged throughout... | | | | recipe change for a chocolate bar. However, he |
| a pretty tough call. So, how did she do it? | | | | believed in its significance, and put it in the context |
| Well, she had great visual aids (the projection of | | | | of a tremendous journey, and that it what got |
| the stars and planets), but the presentation was | | | | me involved again. |
| pretty much delivered in the dark, so her body | | | | Presenting "bad news" |
| language, appearance, eye contact and so on | | | | "Bad news" does have to be presented |
| were pretty irrelevant. What she did have, and | | | | sometimes - poor financial results, redundancies, |
| what led me to believe it was going to be good | | | | closures, and many other things. There might be |
| before she even started, was bags of | | | | the temptation to "overdo" the positive, leading to |
| enthusiasm, which she happily shared. Astronomy | | | | distrust and cynicism, but it is still possible to avoid |
| is her passion, and every part of her - her | | | | this whilst still giving your audience a reason to |
| tonality, body language, and the words she used - | | | | listen and buy in to what you are saying. |
| expressed this in spades. You couldn't avoid | | | | The real fundamental here is to understand the |
| noticing that she was excited to be there, and it | | | | past, acknowledge the present, but look to the |
| was infectious. | | | | future, and how that can be better than the |
| So how do we ensure that we succeed in our | | | | present. A future article (to be published soon) will |
| presentations in the way that she did? The | | | | look at the power of failure for good, because at |
| primary thing is to actually, genuinely, be excited | | | | times like these, that is more critical than ever. |
| about your material. If you think your | | | | Underlying the ability to have both the "mundane" |
| presentation is dull, the chances are everyone else | | | | and the "bad news" being presented well is a |
| will do as well. Your first step, before any | | | | belief in the future, in what is being said, and a |
| preparation or planning, is to ask yourself "why | | | | passion to make things work better and better, |
| am I doing this?" It might be a fantastic new | | | | everyday. As a presenter, you need to have an |
| product or upgrade, a set of awesome business | | | | over-endowment of this enthusiasm, to ensure |
| results, an exciting strategic plan, or an innovative | | | | that you have more than enough to share with |
| new opportunity. If so, great, because those are | | | | your entire audience. Without that, all the tips, |
| the (relatively) easy ones. | | | | tricks and techniques in the world won't help. |