In case you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to present someone else’s slide deck, watch this video to learn what to do!
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Present Like a Pro
Engage and involve your audience early and often, especially on Zoom. Conor Cunneen (IrishmanSpeaks) asks the audience a question as attendees are entering the Zoom room, before he has even been introduced. One of his favorite questions to ask: “What was the first live concert you went to and how was it?” Simple enough but wait till you see the energy, excitement and connection that happens as you respond to the audience’s answers with questions such as, “Jack, was everyone dancing at that concert?” or “Mary, so your father went with you?” This is a better icebreaker than any staged one.
Next time, vary the question: “What was the first wedding you attended, and what do you remember?” or “What’s your favorite city and which one do you hope to go to some day?” or “Which movie would you gladly watch over and over again and why?”
Just like Conor, jump in and talk to your audience even before you are introduced, and prime them for a good time! Just make very sure you are not focusing on only one of your buddies. Nobody likes to hear ‘in jokes’…it reminds them of high school!
Next time you invite someone to update your team, try interviewing them instead of asking them to give a presentation. They will like it better (no formal prep!) and you and your team will be able to ask questions that really get to the heart of what is needed. This works great with quality and safety data, financial information, construction updates, and finding the mood of some of the staff.
Top tip: get rid of the tables and bring the chairs up close to you and the one you are interviewing. This creates a sense of community and intimacy and helps support the one being interviewed. Distance of any sort (as well as tables!) creates spectators instead of participators.
Try it! Take the risk and see what happens. Let me know how it goes!
Mission. Moment. Mess. Elevate your public speaking skills by embracing a simple yet impactful framework I share with my professional speaking students: Mission, Moment, Mess. Dive deep into your personal narrative by reflecting on your core mission, a life-altering moment, or a challenging mess you've navigated through. Transform these reflections into compelling stories, and practice telling them aloud. Watch this video to learn more…
Next time you give a technical presentation, REMEMBER while the data and insights you share are crucial, what truly captivates your audience is YOUR unique perspective. You're the expert in the room - the voice they've come to hear. It's your interpretation, your take on the information that adds invaluable depth and makes the session truly enriching. Watch this video to learn more!
Next time you're presenting, remember: Dessert First! Give your audience what they're craving right from the start. This small shift in presentation strategy could make a big difference in the impact of your message. Watch this video to learn more!
How much jargon has slipped into your day to day work and even your presentations? ADR, JAHCO, NQF, PAYOR MIX, HIPAA, RAPPS, TIPS, CHIRP?
Remember your audience is coming from chaos: emails, children, no breakfast, traffic, a request for a divorce, an elderly parent with another fall. So, consider this: spell it out, say the words, explain in lay terms what the term is and what it means. And mostly what its importance is for this presentation: for THIS presentation.
It is too easy to rely on what we think the audience knows...they don’t often know the most important part of your presentation which is ‘your take’ on the data, the stuff, the topic, the thing that they came to hear about. They all have a number of boxes in their heads and your jargon and your content is ready to go into those boxes with a self-assured “Oh, I know what that means!”
Make sure that your take on things has no prepared box. Be different enough to present what has to roam from box to box so that they cannot dismiss what you say with “Oh I know that!” Instead they have to respond with “Uh, I never heard it presented that way before!”
Are you still beginning your presentations with the classic line, 'You probably want to know a bit about me?' Stop right there! Your audience is eagerly anticipating the valuable content you're about to deliver. Dive right in, and capture their attention from the start! Watch this video to learn more...
Do you have a presentation coming up? Trust your expertise! You don’t need written notes or even a slide deck! Just capture the audience’s attention and share your knowledge with them. Watch this video to learn more!
Audiences can either READ or LISTEN…not both at the same time. Think about this when designing your presentation slides. Watch this video to learn more…
Pay attention to the ‘outlier’ evaluations from your presentations. They come up with some of the most interesting ideas! Watch this video to learn more…
“The only way to teach responsibility is to give it.” Remember this next time you are presenting. Don’t give your audience all the answers, let them do some of their own work. Watch this video to learn more and let me know what you think…
Give your audience REAL content. Something tangible that they can take away and put into action. Watch this video to learn more….
Top presentation tip - use an interesting image in your first slide, and let discussion (or even the objectives of the presentation) come from it! Watch this video to learn more...
Jump right in to your presentation content! Normally that means cutting out your first 10%. Watch this video to learn more!
A TOP presentation tip: Dessert first! Satisfy what your audience wants early on in your presentation. Watch this video to learn more…
A TOP TIP for your next presentation to ensure the audience isn’t just looking at your powerpoint, they are actually listening to your wisdom.
Ask yourself “IS IT NECESSARY?” when designing your next presentation. Watch this video to learn more about this top presentation tip and let me know what you think!
Next time you're watching a presentation, think what YOU are like as an audience member. Don't only evaluate the speaker, evaluate your level of engagement, the energy you are giving them. It's a two way show and you will get out of it what you put in! Watch this video to learn more.