Presenting skills can make or break a person’s business career. There are ten primary concepts of presentation coaching. In order to make an effective presentation, the following skills must be incorporated into the presenter’s overall strategy.
As in ancient Japan, seven lessons from the bath use bamboo as a metaphor. The teaching is to be like the revered plant in presenting, as well. The first lesson from the bath is to go with the flow, and be flexible without breaking. The second lesson is to exude confidence, regardless of one’s size. The third lesson is to always be prepared. Fourth, it is important to overcome adversity by harnessing one’s innate power. The fifth lesson involves freeing ourselves from preconceived ideas about things. The sixth lesson is to remember to commit one’s self to the process of continual growth. Lastly, the seventh lesson requires that one be useful by being simple (Reynolds, 2011).
In addition, the eight step process of presentation development requires the creation of solitude, removal of distracting stimuli, getting offline and practicing without a computer, the identification of a focal point, i.e. a core point, brainstorming, paring down ideas and editing them, sketching images, and creating software for visual information. Thus, developing one’s presentation in solitude ensures a unique, Zen-like clarity of thought. Removing distractions promotes creativity and clarity of thought. Building presentation material off of a central, or core point, gives the presentation focus and definition. Brainstorming is simply the process of idea generation. By paring down ideas and editing them, the presentation becomes more polished and manageable. Sketching images helps the presenter envision key concepts of the presentation, and helps him realize which concepts will benefit from visual aids. Lastly, presentation software, such as slides, are very informative, and help engage the audience with attractive visual stimuli. Such visual software makes the presentation more interesting, and also helps the audience members retain information better (Reynolds, 2011).
A presenter cannot be effective without some familiarity with P.U.N.C.H. PUNCH is an acronym that stands for Personal, Unexpected, Novel, Challenging, and Humorous. At least one element of the PUNCH concept should be a key part of an effective presentation. Presenters, in order to establish a personal relationship with their audience should relate a personal experience to the audience, without being too long-winded. Moreover, the presenter should avoid long self-introductions, but beginning with a personal story can be effective. By saying or doing something unexpected, the presenter surprises his audience, and, in effect, enlivens them. Novelty comprises an approach where the presenter makes use of some surprising fact, story, statistic, or even striking imagery to keep the presentation fresh and informative. Being challenging requires a presenter to present something that goes against conventional wisdom, or assumptions. Presenting common knowledge that can be read in books or other literature materials creates boredom, and a presenter needs to ask provocative questions that make the audience both think and want to pay further attention. Lastly, humor is imperative in keeping the audience engaged, and the presenter is also able to establish emotional connections. Without humor, the presenter runs the risk of losing the interest of the audience, or coming across as too “dry” and boring. Humor is what humanizes a presenter, and makes the presenter more likeable, thereby reinforcing the overall message of the presentation (Reynolds, 2011).
Indeed, fear is an enemy, but once recognized, can be utilized to the presenter’s advantage. Presentation is important, and fear only hinders effective communication. Moreover, showing fear in front of an audience makes it appears as if one lacks confidence, thereby compromising the quality of the presentation. There are several ways to manage fear, including reappraisal and labeling. That is, by labeling one’s discomfort as fear, this negative emotion loses much of its power over the presenter, allowing him to be more self-confident and effective. When reappraisal is utilized, the presenter re-frames the flight-or-fight response, and diminishes its effect on the person (Reynolds, 2011).
In addition, tapping an audience’s emotions is crucial to presentation success. Thus, it is vitally important to establish a rapport with an audience, on an emotional level. When the presenter is able to tap into the audience’s basic emotional responses, the message is stronger, and received more readily by the audience. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the presenter to build emotional rapport from the outset of his presentation. Audiences tend to respect, and listen better to speakers who have established an emotional rapport with them (Reynolds, 2011).
Moreover, involving an audience through participation increases a presenter’s likelihood of success. The presenter can establish a variety of approaches that can be used to hold the audience’s attention, involving them, thereby ensuring that a connection is established right from when the presentation starts until its conclusion. Generally, people learn better through their personal experience than by reading. Although it is extremely difficult to keep the audience in active participation (on a physical level), a presenter can use conversational language in such a way that the audience keeps responding to various issues in different ways. For example, a presenter must mix things up a bit, in order to prevent the audience’s attention from flagging, and from losing interest altogether. Participation can rely upon questionnaires, surveys, and requesting “volunteers” to raise their hands (Reynolds, 2011).
Of course, effectiveness and success are important, and this is the point where having a sticky ending is crucial. The acronym, S.U.C.C.E.S., means to end with a strong conclusion that the audience will take away with them. Simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories are essential to making the ending of a presentation sticky. Perhaps, the most important component of the S.U.C.C.E.S. acronym is keeping the conclusion of a presentation simple. Thus, simplicity is a watch-word in most aspects of any presentation. Unexpectedness comprises a degree of unpredictability during the presentation, which helps the audience pay attention and not become bored too easily. Concreteness refers to ending the presentation on solid footing with a conclusion that is memorable, and relevant. Credibility may entail the reiteration of one’s authority to present information related to the topic, thereby solidifying the reputation and integrity of the presenter. In addition, it is important to conclude the presentation on a positive note, again appealing to the emotions of the audience and strengthening the presenter’s rapport with them. Finally, keeping the final message simple at the conclusion of the presentation helps ensure that audience members retain the most important points. Often, too much complexity ruins the ability of the audience to retain the overall points of the presentation. Lastly, keeping the conclusion simple reinforces the strength and consistency of the overall presentation (Reynolds, 2011).
Preparing well on the day of presentation adequately assists one in understanding what the presenter needs to focus on, and helps him achieve clarity of thought. Inadequate preparations can cause the presenter to lack the required stamina and lose confidence, which can affect the presentation significantly. Thus, an effective presentation requires adequate preparation on the day of the presentation, preparation which may include appearing early, and greeting members of the audience with a handshake and/or a “hello”. Such a reception of the audience serves to establish an emotional connection with audience members before the presentation is underway (Reynolds, 2011).
Lastly, solitude must be practiced immediately before a presentation. This practice offers the presenter a chance to reflect on what the presentation is all about, and what needs to be done in order to be effective. Spending time alone enhances a person’s creativity, and also keeps them away from numerous distractions that may jeopardize the quality of their presentation in some unforeseen way. Moreover, it prepares the presenter for any unexpected and/or unwanted circumstances which may arise during a presentation. Time alone enhances the clarity of thought for the presenter. Before a presentation, it is important to focus on one’s breath, and practice mindfulness. Thus, spending a few minutes alone before a presentation allows the presenter to relax, gather his thoughts, and compose himself (Reynolds, 2011).
References
Reynolds, Garr. (2011). The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or
Without Slides. Retrieved from
https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780321717900/cfi/6/8[;vnd.vst.idref=frontm
