2. Agenda
1) Why are we all here? Forming the Objective
1) Content
1) Delivery: it’s all about you; and then it’s all about
the audience
1) Your questions
1) What now?
3. (If you) forget everything else…*
Prepare thoroughly:
Ask, Plan, Create, Rehearse
- Know your audience;
- Objective = Structure = Content
Be your (authentic) self
....and you’ll be fine
*in this presentation
4. 1) Why (are we all here)? Forming the objective
5. How to form your objective
Ask yourself (and your audience): what’s the purpose of
your presentation?
Think about the impact you want at the end
The objective needs to be concrete and specific, SMART -
you need to be able to tell the audience clearly what
they will get out of your presentation
6. How to formulate an objective - Ask:
Why am I making this presentation?
What exactly am I trying to achieve?
Why has my audience come here?
What is my audience expecting of me?
What do I want my audience to know?
What do I want my audience to think (feel!)?
7. Formulating your objective, general to specific
To
After one month,
participants will be able
to articulate 3 key
learnings - one from
each section of the
presentation - and apply
it in a customer facing
setting.
From
I want my presentation to
be memorable
8. Bteots, pwbat
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
“Immediately utilise this framework and
resources to logically develop, create and
deliver their future presentations, and do so
with increased confidence.”
(This is my objective for you)
9. 2) Content
Plan the structure first
What will best serve your audience?
Illustration ✔, Distraction ✖
Time
10. 2) Content - Plan the structure first
Suggested structure
Begin with a clear introduction that gives your message immediately and
points to the structure that will follow
Develop the points of your message in a logical order in the body of your
presentation
At transition points, refer back to your main message
If you have a formal question time, put it before your closing section
To close, summarise what you said and finish by repeating your main
11. 2) Content - What will best serve your audience?
● Ask? What mode(s) of delivery might suit them; what’s
the overall aim of your session (e.g, to inform, educate,
persuade?)
● Audience preferences will naturally vary - use a
balanced approach: storytelling; compelling
graphics/visuals; data (appropriately used!)
● There is healthy debate about the various Learning
Styles theories - approach with caution!
12. 2) Content - Illustration ✓, Distraction ✖
http://www.socialenterprise.academy/scot/making-the-connection
There
you are,
joining
the head
and the
heart!
14. 2) Content - Illustration ✓, Distraction ✖
Nancy Duarte, Resonate, via Sparkol.com
One way of engaging a Soc Ent audience?
15. 2) Content - Time (How long is this going to take?!)
Adaptable
to the
actual time
you have
http://p2i.eval.org/
16. 3) Delivery - Authentic approach
When people think you’re trying to influence them,
they put their guard up. But when they feel you’re
trying to help them, to muse your way to the right
answer, or to be honest about your own
imperfections, they open up to you. They hear
what you have to say.
Susan Cain, on the Power of Powerless Communication
18. 3) Delivery - a few common fears
I am so nervous...
Flipping heck, tech fail!
My audience look really bored
They (will) hate me
19. Get to your venue early for: equipment checks; feeling organised and
settled; positive visualisation; owning the space
Deep breaths/jumping up and down, whatever works to release your
nerves...
Remember that nerves are also your friend - having butterflies shows
you care and will give your delivery energy
Cliché alert: seriously, what’s the worst that can happen here?
3) Delivery (pre-delivery to be accurate)
20. 3) Delivery - Start positively!
First impressions…
Your body language speaks volumes - be aware (SMILE!)
Your tone of voice - enthusiastic?
Slow it down (possibly!)
Some opening words...
Welcome - thank the audience for being there
Introduce yourself and give a reason for them to trust you
Why am I here? What do I want you to learn/leave with?
How will we get there? Your plan for the session; how long?
Questions, comments, concerns - check in
21. 3) Delivery - Body Language
Like and trust - how do your audience feel about you?
- your body language and tone of voice will greatly
influence their feelings
Practice will help you develop your natural style
Enthusiasm is welcome; be careful not to distract
Sadness, anger, irritation - these will show too
Tone of voice:
- beware monotone
- bring energy, enthusiasm, pace (not too fast or slow)
22. 3) Delivery - Main content
Give your most valued message early on
Develop it using a variety of relevant methods and styles:
storytelling, stats, images, interactivity(?)
Keep awareness of your audience and yourself: mind your
(body language) and adapt accordingly
23. 3) Delivery - Endgame
Stay strong, in all ways (voice, body
language)
Loop back to your opening message
Bring things together...or loosen them a little?
(A question could initiate action that you
want them to take)
24. 3) Delivery - Personal reflection
In your previous presentations:
What’s gone well?
What’s been less successful/utterly
traumatising?
Watching other presenters:
Your most admired (TED anyone?)
25. Awareness
- your body language and your tone of voice
- your audience
- time
Connection, (via Contracting and Clarity)
Bottom line - within the first 10 minutes, give
them the good stuff
3) Delivery - Back to our ACBs
26.
27. 5. What now? (And now, the end is near)
Remember this...
Prepare thoroughly:
Ask, Plan, Create, Rehearse
- Know your audience;
- Objective = Structure = Content
Be your (authentic) self
....and you’ll be fine
28. 5. What now?
As a result of this Presentation,
I’m going to: (make it smart!)
david@cvdc.net
29. Some resources you may find useful
A good overview (on presentations)
Setting Objectives
Connecting with an audience
Body Language; Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on it
Storytelling; more on storytelling
Timekeeping
Interactive version of Nancy Duarte’s Resonate
Dan’s your man! (some great tips on his site)
Potent Presentations (from the American Evaluation Association - lots
of good resources there)
30. Thank you for having me!
david@cvdc.net 07410 169 104
www.cvdc.net
Editor's Notes
Hello hello, my name’s David.
Thank you Julie for your introduction.
I’m delighted to be at the helm of this presentation about presentations;
My aim is that it will help soothe your soul and make the night before your big event a restful not a stressful one by giving you a concrete structure on which you can hang your presentation.
My bit should be done in around 45 minutes and of course that allows us time for any questions, which just so you know we’re not going to have at the end, but just before the end.
And then it will end. I hope that makes sense. It will as we get there!
Bio: In time honoured fashion, here’s a little about me.
My professional background is as a CA, which is where my presentation skills were forged - in classrooms in secondary schools in front of 30 or so eager young minds ready to hear about what their options were.
Over the years I’ve delivered hundreds of workshops and presentations; I lived in Toronto for 8 years and whilst there I worked at the University of Toronto, facilitating many careers oriented workshops
At a blue chip sales training company I spent some time on the design side and
I also gained the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education’s highly regarded certificate in Adult learning.
I currently operate under the name CV/DC which is a careers coaching and CV writing business.
And, although I couldn’t call myself a social entrepreneur, CV/DC has community at the heart - meaning if someone wants to use my services, I operate a pwyc system
My contact details are on the screen and
Whaddya say? Let’s boogie.
To make sure that you’re giving the group of people sat eagerly in front of you what they want, it would pay to ask them some questions first.
Once you’ve done that you’re in a good position to form a rock solid, razor sharp, laser-guided, finely-honed objective.
Next you can create the presentation, built with your objective always top-of-mind: does your content serve your objective?
This section will take a look at how you deliver. I’ll say this over and over again: Authenticity. Be Yourself. How you do that is down to you. Ultimately though, you’re not doing it for you, you’re doing it for the audience so this section will ensure you work for them and with them to make it so
What might you like to ask me? I’ll do my best and what I don’t know I’ll jolly well try and find out for you
What do you want them to walk away with? The end of your presentation needs to be strong.
LET’S GO!
Ultimately I would like you to remember these TWO KEY THINGS
Now we’re going to look at the process of how you as the presenter can create an Objective for your presentation, whatever that might be
NEXT SLIDE
Are you making a sales pitch for your own enterprise?
Are you responding to a client’s request for a presentation to their stakeholders?
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
Beware variants that can make letters ‘do’ a similar thing e.g., Attainable b/w Realistic - synonymous
Let’s look at an example next slide.
As far as your actual objectives themselves, the best way to create them is to ask yourself logical questions about your presentation. The answers to these questions will form the basis for your objectives. There is no limit to the questions which you can ask yourself, but a sample list might look like this:
CLICK THROUGH TO LIST
Why am I making this presentation? - to inform, advise, educate?
Once you’ve answered these, you should have information enough to formualte a SMART objective; when you’ve created a specific enough objective, you can begin to PLAN the content. Not create - plan.
go to slide
On the next slide is my objective for you...
4 click throughs.
FIRST CLICK = Bteots, pwabt
This hasn’t just changed to a Welsh language presentation. And that could be the worst acronym ever.
If we were all in a room together I’d ask for suggestions as to what this might stand for. Just for fun.
SECOND CLICK = By the end of this session.
THIRD = “IMMEDIATELY…”
FOURTH = This is my objective for you
TRANSITION POINT
Figuring out your objective is a key part of BEING PREPARED - it creates the internal logic of the presentation. It also puts you in touch with your audience and their needs and as such will help for a more authentic you.
It’s worth spending time on.
Now, it’s Content time!
A few words on our content agenda
From bitter experience I can assure you it’s not a good move to open your software and just plunge in to creating what you might think are amazing looking slides, visuals etc. Without a structure in place you’ll only waste time editing. Lots of time.
Your audience will respond to a variety of different media and it’s a good idea to have a mix in your presentation
To that end, make sure your use of graphics et al supports and reinforces the message
Finally we’ll look at a way to figure out your timings according to content
FIRST UP - WE NEED A PLAN!
Ladies and gentlemen, a confession: Structure is not my strong suit.
There, I said it.
(My strength is connecting with people - in this context, actually presenting the presentation).
In this particular instance I am therefore grateful to Dan Steer (and his wonderful blog to which I have included a link in the list of resources at the end)
ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR STRUCTURE, YOU CAN START TO ASSEMBLE THE CONTENT. BUT IT MUST SERVE PURPOSE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, LET’S GET A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL
From Wikipedia my friends, so it must be true:
“There are substantial criticisms of learning-styles approaches from scientists who have reviewed extensive bodies of research. Indeed, the weight of evidence against learning styles should imbue teachers, instructional designers, trainers, professors (and all education and learning professionals) with strong skepticism about using learning-styles approaches in attempts to improve learning outcomes.”
After your research, you’ll have the power to put in what visuals you see fit.
What follows are 3 examples which illustrate some useful points on content...
I was searching for an image that conveyed how a connection to both logical and emotional responses is very powerful.
When I found was this I thought hmmm, interesting. Looks relevant. I’ll use that.
But oh no, another confession: it kind of breaks the rule I’ve given above. It doesn’t really show what I want it to.
It’s not that it’s completely random, just that I’ve had to augment it to make it fit what I wanted to say.
“So, David, why are you using it?”
Glad you asked.
I had another look at the text it was with and - not to get too meta about this - but when I read the story that accompanied the image I really wanted to include it in the Content section.
“Why David, why?” I don’t hear you ask.
Because: telling a story is a key component in one’s armoury when creating compelling content.
I thought this would illustrate two ideas at once - the power of a compelling visual and the power of a good story.
You may think differently. Let’s see...
Here is an excerpt of what Neil McLean of Social Enterprise Academy Scotland wrote, reflecting on a presentation he witnessed as part of the 2014 Social Enterprise World Forum.
“At one of the workshops I attended, a familiar face from the States was speaking ( Kevin Lynch, CEO of the Social Enterprise Alliance). Bear in mind that many people these days are talking about cultivating social innovation: incubators are springing up all over the place, European policy is moving from social enterprise towards social innovation and investment discussion is also considering this "new" phenomenon. I was intrigued to find out more.
So when I slipped in the door to my workshop slightly late, you can imagine my surprise at the very moment I sit myself down, I hear..."OK – so what is social enterprise?" Really? Nineteen years after the term was published in Leadbetter's book, we're still talking about this! That's it, I'm leaving. Going back to the networking room for some more cookies and chat. But before I did, he produced a picture that stopped me.
It looked something like this: (pic on slide).
It showed how social innovation is a function of the head; social entrepreneurship is a function of the heart and social enterprise is the thing, the body if you will, that carries these things around. Suddenly the connections made sense…”
(He goes on to discuss other thinking on this but I believe his conclusion demonstrates why the connection he felt on seeing the image was so powerful).
He wrote:
“Maybe if we think about it in this way, we can allow genuine collaboration of these three types of people - in and across different types of organisations, to work in genuine partnership. All of which are critical if we're going to affect real social change.
As social entrepreneurs, isn’t that the raison d’etre, no more no less? Even acknowledging the triple bottom line, you know that Neil isn’t alone in his belief that social change is the only driving force for many social entrepreneurs
And this image made it all come together for him.
Now, true, the presenter hadn’t personally asked Neil what he wanted from the presentation. But he clearly knew his audience well enough.
Experience also counts for a lot.
Let’s move on
This illustrates better the idea of head and heart. Another example, and related to the previous slides theme.
This illustrates simply the idea that change can be effected when all three elements - knowledge, passion and organisation, work in concert
One more...
My last example is of a simple but effective use of image and comes from Nancy Duarte.
Sparklines are a way of mapping presentation structures. Graphic designer Nancy Duarte uses sparklines to analyse famous speeches graphically in her book Resonate (there’s a link on the Resources page for you).
She argues that the very best speeches succeed because they contrast our ordinary world with an ideal, improved world. They compare what is with what could be.
That sounds aspirational to me.
WE MUST ALSO ASPIRE TO KEEP TO TIME...
The final slide in Content covers time and also a suggested presentation structure in one neat diagram.
TRANSITION POINT
Structuring your content is a huge part of BEING PREPARED - for example, you wouldn’t necessarily memorise your entire presentation but you might be able to recall the key transition points; these might act as triggers and if your tech failed, enable you to at least put your main message across.
The content is your chance to illustrate those points that you really want to illustrate
We’ll now move on to the Delivery of your presentation...
I’ve used the word authentic a number of times already, and there’s more to come - because I think that it’s your key to becoming a really good presenter. This quote sums up nicely the fact that you need to consider how you are perceived in that room, and then to remember that you’re there to give something to the audience.
They’ll only receive that something if they perceive you to be trustworthy, they can ‘do business with you’ - in short that they like you.
Do any of these strike a chord?
I think that perhaps it would be nice to draw upon various modes as and when desired
But, you won’t be surprised to hear me say that your authentic self is the key here.
That woman in black and white looks scared...what might make you frightened?
Preparation will deal with a lot of your nerves (being early on the day is a very good start) but think about the fact that this is in your head and ask - what exactly is is that I’m worried about? Get physical! Connect with your breath, take a walk outside
Do all you can you can to ensure there are back-up options - cloud based presentation, memory key, bring your own laptop, bring a printed version
Maybe take a closer look. It may mean engagement with difficult material. But if they are bored - check in with the. You’re there for them - so ask - is this not working for you? See if you can adapt for them. It may not work, but you’ll probably win points for trying
Unlikely. If there is hostility in the room it’s almost certainly down to antagonism toward the topic, or some other external factor, rather than you as a person
THINK ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE IN A CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICAL WAY
GET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
PRACTICE - THE MORE YOU DO OF THESE, THE MORE YOU’LL LEARN; BUT KEEP ON LEARNING
This is more about the time immediately preceding your presentation and I hope is more like a checklist for you
As I said on the previous slide, there are some obvious things to ensure you can deliver, no matter what happens
Why do I hope you’re nervous? Because that adrenaline is going to help. Provided you can manage it. Which I know you can.
ARE YOU READY...YOU’RE READY! LET’S GO...
And we’re live in the room!
It’s the old old adage - your first impressions count. And you don’t have to have said a word to have already had a (possibly overwhelming) impact on your audience. Be open and welcoming - use eye contact to connect with a couple of audience members. Use hand gestures; look at the whole room (lots of speakers favour one side of the room). Make sure everyone can hear you. Nerves can make us gab - slow down. And SMILE! It’ll make you feel good too!
Have you ever been to a presentation where one of the first things the presenter says is “I’ve been asked to do this at the last minute, so sorry if it’s not great” or “I’m really nervous so I hope you’ll bear with me.”
All downhill from there, friends. Expectations = lowered.
In the moment it’s easy to think that these confessions are (passive-aggressive) ways of getting the audience on your side; surely they’ll be sympathetic to my plight?
No
They’re expecting some golden gifts to drop from your mouth, not a miserable mumble that their next hour is going to be bum-numbingly dire
Instead - tell them what you want them to remember first, then clearly and briefly explain how they’ll do it. Here’s where you set minds at ease by being clear and concise and telling them how the session will run.
Depending on how you feel, questions can be handled as you go along, or you can make a clear, polite request to jot them down and save them till later
Start positive! STAY Positive!
As you start your presentation...on the next slide we’ll look briefly now at aspects of body language...
Your message will have real impact if your audience like you and trust you
Again, you need to be authentic and the chances are that your style will develop over time, so don’t stress if you feel ill-at-ease the first few presentation you make
If you’re over-excited, waving your arms everywhere, and prowling the stage it’s more likely you’ll take away from your audience’s retention of your content
At the other end of the spectrum, negative feelings that you hold can easily bleed through too
How you speak and how quickly is crucial too of course. No one wants to hear a flat one note performance. Or be so rushed through they can’t focus on anything. Consider altering your volume and tone when looking to emphasise a key point and slowing down.
AWARENESS IS KEY as is practice!
Many people say that after a few moments any nerves they were suffering have dissipated :-)
This fact along with the preparation that you’ve done, should allow you to enjoy developing your message and it’s key themes
Use a variety of methods, egs Pros and Cons, Grouping Key points into 3s, Storytelling
Keep your awareness - mood, time
Don’t simply let the presentation fizzle out - tone of voice etc are all crucial
What did you promise? Show them you delivered!
What do you want your audience to do next?
Now, although I’ve titled the slide Endgame, we’re not there yet.
The next slide looks at a way to help you continually refine your presentation performance.
After you’ve done any presentation, it’s valuable to invest some time in looking at your performance; reflecting on our experiences can often bring good insight; an impartial observer is very useful for that too (even though having a colleague in the room can bring an extra layer of nerves!)
Writing down your terrors, imagined (most likely) or otherwise can be therapeutic. After all, these are only thoughts, not reality. Challenging those thoughts and seeing what the worst is can help diminish those until they eventually fade away
HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO HELP WITH THAT REFLECTION:
What’s gone well - look at ways you can incorporate more of what you’re good at into future presentations
The less successful...analysing what you might do differently next time is useful too, but remember don’t beat yourself up over one “bad” gig; experience counts for a lot, when it comes to recognising what might go wrong and dealing with it when it does
Before we go to your questions, it’s back to school for a quick summary on delivery
You’re probably glad you didn’t go to my school!
AWARENESS
Non-verbal communication has HUGE sway when it comes to other people’s perceptions of us. You must learn to tune in to what your body is expressing
Being aware of your audience and their needs is crucial. As a result of your excitement/adrenaline/eager anticipation (note I didn’t say nerves), it might be tempting to ignore your audience and focus on you - on just getting this presentation done!
Keep track of time - rehearse so you know when you need to be at certain points
CLARITY, CONNECTION, CONTRACTING
Have a chat at the beginning and introduce yourself if you don’t know the participants - it will help your nerves and create positive vibes before you’ve even started
Establishing yourself at the beginning as someone with integrity (having a clear objective and letting people know what they’ll be doing); who is friendly (smiling and hopefully introducing yourself to participants) and drawing up a contract - these are all key elements
Contracting helps both presenter and audience because it can share the responsibility or, put another way, bring in additional engagement:
“I understand that you would like to learn about x, is that right? Are there any specific things that you’d like to see covered?”
The sweaty palms moment in this could come if someone suggests something that you haven’t included. However, that’s not a problem. Explain that as a result of your research beforehand, you’ll cover these things and then additional material can always be provided at a later date. Even if you can’t swing the tanker around, demonstrating that you care enough to ask will give you some grace points
BOTTOM LINE: Telling them your key message at the beginning and then reinforcing it through your main content is a tried and tested method of engaging
BEFORE I GET TO MY BOTTOM LINE, I’M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO YOU, MY AUDIENCE, AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME
You haven’t forgotten already have you?
OK...
If…
you’ve spoken to the people you’ll be presenting to (or relevant ones in the organisation);
you’ll know what they want (by asking them good questions)
If…
you’ve created the content carefully - planning first - and aligning your words and pictures to the message, leaving lots of space to breathe
If…
you’ve practised what you want to say - not to memory, but to familiarity;
If…
you’ve got to the venue early, with your back-ups prepared, and checked that everything is working
Then all you need do is be yourself…
If not, then
Your audience will sense you’re faking it - think about what you bring that’s different to anyone else
NOW, IT’S OVER TO YOU
Ladies and gentlemen with just 2 slides remaining (and they’ll be quick) I want to ask you to think about what you might do differently as a result of viewing today’s presentation. Try and make your objective as SMART as possible.
And I would love to hear from you: any thoughts comments, questions, concerns that you have had from today and that you mightn’t have had a chance to express, or that you may still be stewing on.
So have a think about that, but not while I go to my penultimate slide...
There are, as I’m sure you know, simply loads of resources online. This is a tiny selection that I’ve found useful
It’s very easy to get caught up with the wealth of material - knowing when you have enough is crucial, otherwise you’ll never leave the planning/design stage!
THANK YOU...
As Billy Connolly once said, you’ve made a happy man very old.
Thank you for being social entrepreneurs - I salute you!
It’s been a lot of fun, thank you for listening and thank you to UnLtd for agreeing to host me.
Please get in touch with any questions, comments, concerns.
All the best, make sure you have fun.
