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Twelve ways to make a better presentation than anyone
else
by John Graham
There are times when good isn’t good enough––and making
a presentation is one of them. In fact, it should be at the top of the list.
This is one activity that isn’t “just a game.” When it
comes to presenting, coming in second is never good enough.
For presenters, “doing your best” is irrelevant––the
goal is to be the best. And it’s possible, even for those
who do not see themselves as presenters.
Most presentations are less than stellar performances because those responsible
for them fail to recognize an essential principal: the extent to which a
presentation can influence listeners.
It isn’t just what we say that counts; it’s very much how we
communicate that makes the difference. That’s what presenting is all
about. Here are guidelines for making persuasive presentations,
whether you are speaking to one person, a committee, or a large audience.
1. Don’t charge ahead––take charge. It’s
over in the first 60 seconds. How you are perceived and evaluated
is determined in the opening seconds of your presentation. The first impression
lasts. And that’s the way you want it.
In the first minute, the listeners––whether one or 1,000––must
have a clear, powerful, and indelible impression that what you are about
to say is important because it benefits them. If the opening is
weak, confused, or dragging, you will have made an impression that is difficult
to change. In other words, a presenter must lead from the start.
2. Aim at the audience. Whether you are speaking to co-workers
or making a sales presentation, the listeners are your customers.
Who are they? Where are they coming from? What’s bothering them? What
do they want? The answers to these questions shape the tone and set the
texture of your presentation. If you don’t address these issues, you’ve
lost your audience.
Have a clear understanding of how you’re going to focus the presentation.
Are you educating, providing new information? Do you want the listeners
to reject a particular plan or program? Or do you want them to embrace one?
Or both? Everything in the presentation should move toward your objective.
3. Give it a strong theme. Tie it all together in
a neat package. Remember, complexity confuses, so the goal is to make your
presentation clear and memorable. One seminar leader, for example, talks
about the inefficiency (he calls it “stupidity”) of cold calling.
He wraps the session around a central theme: “Cold Calls Kill Sales.”
And he keeps driving home that message throughout the seminar as he introduces
the participants to what he considers new, more effective ways to attract
new customers.
4. Get the right focus. Most presenters fail because they are all
wrapped up in what they want to say and ignore what the listeners want to
hear. You’ve heard it a hundred times: “We’re the oldest,”
“We’re the biggest,” and “We have an impressive
list of Fortune 500 customers.” It all sounds great––to
the person giving the presentation. But the listener says, “There’s
nothing in it for me.” Whether it’s a sales presentation or
an educational seminar, it is not about you. The spotlight belongs on the
listener.
5. Present the right benefits. Salespeople tend
to get excited about features, even though they know it’s the benefits
that sell. There’s a good reason why this happens: features are
fun! Essentially, features are toys. “ Can you believe it; this
machine makes 100 copies a minute.” Benefits are hard work because
it means understanding the customer’s requirements. Does the customer
need 100 copies a minute? What is the customer looking for? You need the
answers before the presentation if you are going to focus on the benefits
that count for the customer.
6. Connect with the listener’s
head. If anyone thinks emotions don’t play a powerful role
in business decision-making, just consider the ill-fated dotcoms or, more
appropriately, the “dotbombs.” Hundreds of millions of dollars
poured into these companies that never had a chance to turn a profit. Why?
Because a lot of people wanted to believe that there was a pot of gold at
the end of their rainbow. Driving it all was unadulterated emotion.
While there is a place for emotion, presentations must make sense to the
listener. And that means using facts that connect with the audience.
7. Make the presentation exciting. Even if the information
in a presentation is accurate and important, the presentation can fail for
one major reason: it’s dull. Remember, dull doesn’t do it.
How do you see yourself when you’re in front of a group? Are you a
salesperson or an instructor helping listeners understand a new idea, product
or service? The correct answer is neither. You are an actor with a major
role to play. The presentation is your stage.
Every salesperson is an actor on a stage. Every customer is an audience.
And every audience expects a top performance. If the audience doesn’t
get what it expects, you will get an unmistakable thumbs down, not only
on your presentation but also on the deal you’re asking the audience
to sign off on.
8. Personalize the presentation.
Boilerplate works for boilers but not for presentations. Listeners know
when they are getting a “one-size-fits-all” proposal, speech,
seminar or training session. If it isn’t customized for a specific
audience, it doesn’t fit.
The audience must feel that you are talking directly to them. This is accomplished
by including facts, information, statistics, other data, and graphics about
them, whether it is a company, an association, or an industry.
9. Get the audience talking. Few presenters understand
the importance of listener participation. They want to get going and get
through it. Good presentations are dotted with listener interruptions.
While it’s a good idea for one person to speak at a time, it should
never be just one person who speaks during a presentation. The best way
to get an audience on your side (and keep it there) is to get the listeners
involved in the presentation. One seminar leader feels so strongly about
audience involvement, he intersperses provocative questions throughout his
sessions. The participants are encouraged (disciplined) to listen because
they know the “quizzes” are coming.
10. Keep
it moving. It may come as something of a surprise but making a
presentation is one instance where fast is better than slow. Here’s
why. The average person speaks about 125 words per minute. This same person
thinks about three times that rate. This is why people often say, “As
hard as I tried, my mind kept wandering.”
Moving quickly does not create a retention problem if you combine an effective
use of visuals with your presentation. If the audience can hear and see
at the same time, they are more involved.
11. Hand out
the hard copy. Don’t allow anything to interfere with connecting
with your audience. You want everyone’s attention directed at you,
so don’t hand out the handouts before the presentation. Wait until
you have finished. However, giving the listeners an outline with space for
notes is one way to keep their attention focused, while making it easier
for them to follow you.
12. It’s a show!
While there are occasions when a presenter is simply “delivering a
paper,” they are the exceptions. Even then, there may very well be
great interest in what could be a new finding, a discovery, or some long-awaited
report.
Nevertheless, most presentations––including proposals––should
aim at capturing the listener’s imagination and attention––and
this requires drama, particularly having all the conditions just right.
This includes the room set-up and arrangement, the temperature of the room,
the chairs, the lighting, the sound system, and the A/V equipment. Will
the doors bang as someone comes in? Will phone ring––including
cell phones? Distractions destroy attention––and when that happens,
a presenter loses points.
In other words, the right conditions create the best show. In fact, that’s
the way to think about any presentation. It’s a show, and like any
show it must be appropriate for the audience and applause (including the
acceptance of a proposal) may very well depend on the quality of the performance
as well as the quality of the content.
Are presentations so crucial that they demand such thorough planning and
execution? The answer is yes. More often than not, they are pivotal.
That creates immense pressure, of course. And once it is given, there’s
no chance to repeat it. Like any other form of art, the artist is deeply
involved. Those who present know that it is not just what they say that
is on the line; they are on it as well.
This is why presenting is not a matter of just doing one’s best. Presenting
is a matter of being the best.
© 2004 Graham Communications
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John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications,
a marketing services and sales consulting firm. Mr. Graham is the
author of four books on marketing and sales, including Break the Rules
Selling: Success Strategies that Beat the Competition (Superior Books).
Mr. Graham writes for a variety of marketing and sales columns for
business and trade publications and he presents his Magnet Power presentations
at company and association meetings. He can be contacted at 40 Oval
Rd., Quincy, MA 02170; by telephone at 617-328-0069; by fax at 617-471-1504;
or by email at j_graham@grahamcomm.com. The web site is grahamcomm.com. |
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