The big day comes. You begin and less than 3 minutes into the presentation, one of the executive attendees interrupts you with, “What’s the bottom line?” Another executive chimes in with, “Skip to your best slide.”
Now what do you do? You can’t think of anything to say now that your perfect order was interrupted. How do you handle this situation–or avoid it from happening in the first place?
The most exceptional presentations happen when you are present. Focusing on your memorized content means ignoring your audience. Follow these 5 simple steps to avoid this disconnect in the future.
Start with an intro that gives the audience the bottom line within 90 seconds. For example, “by the end of this presentation, you will know…”
Talk to the audience instead of the powerpoint. Yes, your audience is reading the slide when you first put it up. That’s alright. Give them time to read it. Read in your head along with them. When you want to speak–face your audience. Make eye contact. You are the presentation; the powerpoint is only an aid.
Prepare 2 presentations: overview and detail. If you can ask ahead of time what the audience prefers, then that’s even better. If you can’t, then start with an overview presentation, and let them ask you for the detail. If you haven’t got the detail to the level you are being asked, then say, “I prepared an overview due to time limits, and I’ll be happy to speak with you offline to cover more detail.”
Prepare for their questions instead of yours. Most presenters know if the audience will have hostile questions, if someone will play devil’s advocate, if most of the group will be afraid to ask questions, etc. Think about what the audience really wants to know. If you get no questions, say, “A question I’m often asked is…”
Watch your audience for body language. You know you’ve got them if the phones aren’t in hand, they are making eye contact, etc. You know you’re losing them if they start to shift in their seats, pick up their phones to check email, etc. Watch, and comment directly. If you’re losing them, say, “I get the feeling this isn’t the exact information you were looking for. Is there another approach I should be taking?”
Bottom line, being present with your audience means you’re having a conversation with them, not reciting or reading a power point.
Terri Sinclair is an award-winning speaker and presentations coach. If you want clear, confident presentations, contact her via her website: www.develup.biz
