It wasn’t until I started (all those years ago!) to coach people in presentations that I realised something surprising.
Most people when they are planning a presentation focus on the wrong thing. And it’s part of the reason why technical presentations are renowned for being tedious and boring.
The majority of people’s first question is:
What will I say?
(Actually, more likely in the corporate world, their first question is: What will I put on my slides?)
The very first question you should ask is:
Who am I talking to?
Every presentation that has made a difference in the world, any presentation that has made you nod, or laugh, or feel inspired to take action has started with this question.
The focus is all wrong
One of the (many) reasons people find planning and delivering presentations so challenging is the focus is all wrong.
Starting with your focus on your own output is crazy.
Imagine throwing a party without knowing who is coming. Deciding on the type of food and drink, the amount of food and drink, the timing, the decor, the entertainment… Very different if it’s your boss and your colleagues versus your six-year-old niece and her classmates.
It’s the same with starting to plan a presentation without thinking who is their to receive it – you can end up with wildly inappropriate results.
Communication must be received
Communication doesn’t happen in the words of the ‘transmitter’, it happens in the minds of the people receiving it. Starting off thinking about what you’d like to transmit makes a presentation into just more busy-work, rather than something that actually creates a result.
If you’re familiar with your audience…
…think about what you know about them – their preferences, likes/dislikes, their character. Also, spend some time getting a feel for what they’re like. Spend a few quiet moments really focusing on what the room feels like when they’re all together. This gives your instincts time to kick in so you make plans that are realistic.
If you’re presenting to strangers…
…guess! No, really. You’re never doing a presentation aimed at just anyone. You’ve always got an idea about who will attend, even if in general terms. Think about what companies they come from, what national culture, what kind of age/seniority, what jobs they likely have, what their level of technical expertise is… You get the picture.
(Tip: if it might be a whole variety of people, mentally plan for whoever might turn up – it’s a key to flexibility…)
There’s a reason every presentation skills book says ‘think about your audience’ but I really say ‘start intensely getting a feel for the people you’re going to talk to.’
This is the first step in how to create interesting presentations…
(photo credit: Ségozyme)
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I’m about to do a demonstration-presentation to some people in two days. English speaking people will be in the room with me, French speaking people will be on a teleconference. I’m wracked with nerves. But, I’ve been teaching computer software for over 10 years –why am I nervous now? Because I didn’t apply everything you said (which I follow to a “T” in a traditional Instructor-led computer class) to this “new” way of teaching.
Thanks for the reminder.
A change of context can really throw us off sometimes.
It’s something I often find when coaching people that they know how to do something in one area of their life, but just haven’t thought about moving those skills to another area.
Glad you caught it in time!