Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

INTRODUCTION
The ability to present with impact is a critical skill for informing, consulting, deciding and inuencing around critical business issues and outcomes. E ective presenters combine both a high level of competence and condence both are essential for success. This Compass Point guides you through the practical steps and techniques needed to prepare, deliver and engage with an audience through impactful presentations. We provide guidance on how to size up your audience, deal with tough questions and gain feedback on the outcomes. Above all we seek to instil a personal condence in putting your message across so you can turn your own nervous energy into a positive performance. Often we attend an event when a speaker gives the most amazing speech which is both informative and motivational. When reecting on the content of the speech we remember the key points and perhaps the stories or the analogies that were expressed to emphasise key aspects of the talk. Also, there is a lasting memory of a condent person who spoke well with a commanding voice and presence. The question is how did the speaker do that, how did they become so good, how do they speak with such condence and lack of visible nerves? The rst lesson in successful presentations is that Planning is everything. This Compass Point will give you clear guidance on how to plan at every stage, in order to present yourself with impact. This will be done via a comprehensive check list which is in three parts - Preparation, Delivery and Review

PREPARATION
It is often said that planning is everything and in the case of presentations, this is undoubtedly true. Before any detailed planning of any presentation, it is vital to start by asking some key questions.

KEY QUESTIONS:
What is the overall purpose of the presentation? What is the business context? Who are the audience (type/numbers/backgrounds)? What do you know about their expectations? What time has been allocated for the presentation? What will be the location and environment? What equipment will be available/needed? What research and information are you likely to need? What are the most di cult issues or questions likely to be raised/discussed? Are you doing this presentation alone or with someone else?

Once clarity has been established, it is possible to move onto the planning stage for the presentation.

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

PLAN:
Create a brief project plan from the date of delivery back to your start date. Plan to include: Creation of presentation content. Production of visuals and hand-out materials. Rehearsal/dry run (include any co-presenter in this process). Location and equipment check. Preparation/rehearsal of di cult questions. One of the best ways to plan a presentation is through the creation of a mind map. These were invented by Tony Buzan and are a very e ective way of gathering and sorting information in a logical order. Such a map for planning a presentation might look like this. Branding Video Images Photos When Where Length Who Total Internal External

Visuals

Details

Conclusion

Audience

Presentation
Introduction Objectives

Content

Structure

The key advantages of using mind mapping techniques to create a plan for a presentation are: The most creative and e cient way to record and recall information. Left brain logic and right brain creativity. Start with a symbol or picture in the middle. Radiate from it key words on the lines. Use more pictures/symbols and words. Build up each area, thinking creatively. Enclose each area as you complete the section.

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

Once there is clarity about the plan, the design phase can be undertaken to rm up the objectives, build the structure, and populate the content.

DESIGN:
Purpose Statement design a purpose statement for the presentation. This is all about giving
information, asking for a discussion and persuading others of a certain course of action.

Key Objectives Create 3 - 5 key objectives which should detail what you are to achieve and include
the message you are trying to get across to the audience. Ideally go for three key messages, with a maximum of ve, anymore will be di cult for your audience to remember or follow within the presentation.

Determine the Outcomes decide on some outcomes for your presentation i.e. what is your picture
of success? How would you like to leave the audience feeling/thinking at the end of the presentation (Be clear about what the audience need to gain from the presentation)?

Emotive Think carefully about how the subject matter could be made exciting, energetic and
compelling.

Other Presenters Ensure that you hold meetings with the other presenters/contributors to review the
purpose, objectives and outcomes of the presentation (if required).

Outline Elements Scope out the key elements you wish to include in the beginning, middle and end
of your presentation. This will allow you to structure your presentation so that it all ows together.

Overall, keep it simple, short and signicant.

STRUCTURE:
A typical structure for any presentation will broadly follow this three stage process: 1. Tell them what you are going to tell them. 2. Tell them. 3. Tell them what you have just told them. In more specic terms this might look like the following: Describe the objectives/purpose of the presentations. Arrange the sequence of themes/messages/arguments that need to be covered.

Overview

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

Identify the minimum essential information for each theme/message. What examples/evidence do you have to support your case? How can those examples relate to the audience? What is the main message of each sub theme? What rhetorical questions can be used and where? Any humour, or asides that can be introduced?

Body

Summary

Prepare reiteration of the main message of each sub-topic. What is the one key message for the audience to take away?

Finally

Prepare visuals and materials to deliver the message and provide cues. Prepare hand-outs and/or supporting information. Do a nal check that you have covered everything.

REHEARSE
Rehearsal with all parties is essential. Practice the full presentation out loud with others in the room. Time the presentation and test that all visuals have relevance and adds to the key messages. Decide what notes you need to support your presentation and practice how you will use these. Amend and improve the presentation based on the feedback from the rehearsal. Undertake a nal run-through and anticipate key questions and how to answer them (will you take them on the run or at the end? you decide.)

PREPARING FOR QUESTIONS

Decide the split between presenting and answering questions 50:50 is a good ratio for professional presentations. Brainstorm the most di cult questions you are likely to be asked. Rehearse how you will respond to each type of question. Decide who will take responsibility for dealing with which questions by topic/type. Audiences ask questions to check understanding, clarify or ask for additional information. You need to understand when you are asked a conditional question e.g. are all your investments made in consideration of green environmental policies? It is important to understand the stance of the questioner before answering the question. As a speaker you should welcome question time, as it shows interest and gives valuable feedback on the attitude of the audience. When questions are asked give the briefest response possible to satisfy the audience. Immediately following your response, ask the questioner if your answer has addressed the question. Without this the gap in understanding may still exist.

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

ON THE DAY
Check that the all equipment works (try it out). Conrm any other venue arrangements. Meet with the presenting team and check that everyone is well and deal with any concerns/nerves. Ensure there is a clear understanding of each persons role and input. Decide who will chair the presentation and answer the subject matter questions. Relax yourself and create a positive picture of success. The best way to do this is to ensure you are fully prepared. Mingle with the audience before you start this will help you to connect with them and engage part of the audience at this early stage. Just before you are about to speak, take three deep breaths, pause and focus on a few friendly faces in the audience.

DELIVERY
Pace
Not too quick, not too slow and vary in order to demonstrate urgency (quicker), and importance (slower, more measured). Speak with a clear, distinct voice (open mouth, deep breathing) vary tone for e ect (e.g. higher pitch for lighter moments, lower pitch for more serious points) avoid a single monotone sound that becomes boring for the audience.

Tone

Volume Eye Contact

Ensure that everyone in the room can hear you (check at the outset if you are unsure). Keep your volume constant varying only for emphasis and e ect. Look at the audience as often as you can, taking in all participants. Avoid staring at presentation screen, ip chart, the oor or a single point at the back of the room.

Pause

Avoid being too rushed or feeling that you have to speak constantly. Use pauses at the end of each section to gather your thoughts before you move on to the next theme. Also use pauses after really important points so that the message sinks in with the audience. If you are a naturally animated person then use this attribute to move your body position to create emphasis. If you are a more static individual then decide on a body stance that feels natural and comfortable. Measured use of your hands can be a powerful means of providing emphasis to your presentation; however avoid using any gestures to excess as this can distract the audience from your central message.

Stance

Gestures

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

Enthusiasm Smile
Show your interest, enthusiasm and belief in the topic and this will then rub o on the audience and make your message more credible. Try and nd natural opportunities to smile at the audience; this will relax you and them. Be careful however to ensure your smiles are not forced.

REVIEW
Following the presentation, go through the review process and ask the following questions: What feedback do we have/can we get from the audience? What went well? How can we build on these successful practices? What did not go so well? How can we overcome these issues next time? What do we need to do di erently for the next presentation?

FINALLY - THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AUDIENCE

As part of both your preparation and delivery always have the needs of the audience at the forefront of your mind. This means: Finding out exactly who your audience for your presentation will be, and what are their likely expectations. Discovering who the key opinion formers are in the audience and what their hot issues are likely to be. Watching and listening closely to the audience as you present what are the facial expressions and body language telling you? Are they bored, animated, agitated or just disinterested? Being prepared to change your tone and style of presentation to respond to the reactions of the audience remember the meaning of communication is the response you get so if you are not getting what you expect from the audience then change the way you are presenting. Always remember that the people in the audience are your customers for the presentation. Serve them well.

ACTIONS:
1. Take the opportunity to watch someone closely who is good at making excellent presentations note down what it is that they do really well that creates impact with the audience. Review this list and see what you can learn for when you next make an important presentation. 2. Use the checklist of preparation, delivery and review actions above to help you prepare your next presentation. In particular think really hard about the audience and what they might want/expect from

Personal Communication Skills

Present Myself with Impact

your presentation.

OTHER RESOURCES
Below are some of our personal recommendations for the next stage of your developmental journey. Learning Quest has an extensive library of resources tailored to those seeking to take control of the navigation of their development. You may want to try:

How do I...Present an E ective Business Case? How do I...Assert Myself Positively? How do I...Manage Stress? How do I...Adapt my Communication Style? Our work is the presentation of our capabilities - Edward Gibbon