Management fundamentals
/ 01 September 2009
How to make presentations
Nothing strikes fear into the heart quite like presenting to a roomful of people. But, as Scott Beagrie explains, with passion, positive thinking and practice, you too can master the art of perfect presentations
Whether you’re giving a pep talk to your team, making a business case to the financial director or addressing a large audience of stakeholders, the extent to which you will be taken seriously largely depends on your ability to present. While some individuals are naturally gifted presenters, most of us have to learn how to do it the hard way.
Surveys frequently reveal that public speaking is considered more daunting than any other business activity and while it’s comforting to know that many feel the same way, if you want to scale the management ladder you can’t afford to shy away from presenting.
Khalid Aziz, founder of executive communications consultancy, the Aziz Corporation, reckons that over the last 10 years, there’s been increasing recognition of the importance of developing powerful presentational skills when it comes to effective leadership and management. ‘Fundamentally, it’s all part of leadership,’ says Aziz. ‘Depending on which studies you believe, anything from 60-90% of leadership is about communication. If you produce the best analysis and offer the best judgement, but can’t present your case effectively, it will all be wasted.’
01 Consider the message and the medium
While the message is vital, how you convey it is equally important. That means knowing who your audience is and having a solid appreciation of what it is they most want to hear and how they’ll benefit from listening to you. Having identified the target audience, define your message and what you’d like them to do as a result of what you say. Is it a call to action or do you merely want to inform the audience about something? Do you want to motivate them, explain an initiative or encourage them to embrace a new method of working? The answers to these questions will dictate the tone, choice of words, style and composition of your presentation. A golden rule is never to talk down to the audience, but don’t overestimate their level of knowledge either.
02 Get – and keep – the ear of your listeners
Your opening three lines are crucial so make sure your introduction is attention-grabbing – use an interesting quote or earth-shaking statistic to make them sit up and take note. It can be easy to go off the point, so come up with a ‘roadmap’ of the presentation that you can follow which at the same time informs your audience of where you are taking them, with signposting at regular intervals along the way. The duration of the presentation will have a bearing on the number of key points you want to get across, but generally it should be limited to two or three to prevent it becoming confusing and ineffective.
The focus of the presentation should also change approximately every five minutes to keep the audience from switching off. If you come across as weak, muddled in your thoughts or dull, you will have created an impression that will prove difficult to shift.
03 Watch the clock
Don’t exceed your allotted time, particularly when the general trend is to restrict the duration of presentations. ‘The time allowed for presentations, particularly upwards to, say, executive committees and main boards, is being reduced all the time,’ says Aziz. ‘You’ll be lucky to get 10 minutes – that’s just 1,800 words. You have to make every word count, and the presentations have to ‘cut to the chase’ early.’
04 learn your lines
The vast majority of people are under-prepared for their presentation, with many speakers leaving it to the last minute, believing they can wing it. But to deliver a flawless presentation there is no substitute for practice, practice and more practice. Begin any fact-finding or research three to four weeks beforehand to have sufficient opportunity to go through the material thoroughly. Write your first draft with at least one week to go to allow time to revise it, plan your visuals and, most importantly, practise. Once you have rehearsed the address by yourself and are satisfied, put it to the test with colleagues. Make sure rehearsals include any technology or props you intend to use on the day.
Remember, if you’re trying to inspire the audience or bring them round to your way of thinking, you have to both believe in your message and show enthusiasm and commitment.
‘The worst mistake seen in so many presentations is failing to be passionate about the subject,’ says Aziz. ‘How can you convince the audience if you appear unimpressed with the subject matter?’ So again, check with colleagues whether this comes across in your delivery.
05 Turn nervous energy to your advantage
It’s entirely natural to feel nervous and even accomplished speakers frequently admit to experiencing stage fright in the run up to their performance. Channel the adrenalin rush that nervousness produces to energise your presentation but be careful not to let anxiety get the better of you. Help to increase your confidence levels by developing the habit of positive self-talk: tell yourself that you are a good speaker and that the audience will be eager to hear what you have to say. Positive visualisation, where you picture yourself totally in control and giving a first-rate presentation, will also greatly improve your chances of success.
The way I see it: Khalid Aziz, Aziz Corporation
Q. What mistakes are commonly made when giving presentations?
Preparing slides first is the most common. Because it’s easy, too many people fire up the PowerPoint and start writing slides. All too often this results in a presentation which consists of the presenter reading out his or her notes on the slides. You should work out what you want to say first and then decide what graphics you need to support your case.
Looking at the screen rather than the audience is another common mistake.
Q. What key techniques would you personally use when presenting?
Eye contact is crucial: at the beginning, at the end and at every ‘point of passion’ when you are either asking for or giving commitment. You have to professionalise your enthusiasm for the subject and keep the energy levels up. If you are bored with your material, the chances are your audience will be too.
Q. What’s the best way to develop presentation skills as a manager?
The first thing is to be bold and overcome any natural fear of presenting. Don’t avoid presentations – embrace them, but give yourself time to prepare. Then it’s a matter of flying hours. The more you do the easier it gets.
Q. How have advances in technology changed the way presentations are given?
In a way technology has got in the way of presentations. Graphics should be visual aids to the audience and not crutches for you. The best visual aid is you and increasingly we are trying to persuade our clients to minimise the use of PowerPoint, or eliminate it altogether.
However, microphones can help in presentations to larger audiences. As a rule if you are offered one, use it. It means you can save your voice and use the ‘slack’ to put more passion into your presentations.