Chairman of the Bored...It's Your Choice


by Ricky Nowak - Date: 2007-04-12 - Word Count: 1189 Share This!

If you've noticed people not only looking at their watches but shaking them during one of your meetings it's time to consider the following strategies to wake up and engage the hearts and minds of your staff and family members!

There is no compromise on professionalism when delivering information in a meeting these days. Expectations of content, accuracy and accountability are high and people demand to be enlightened and informed - rightly so. The primary focus is on the transfer of information and if you're lucky, sometimes that information will even be delivered in an appealing, memorable, or entertaining manner. However if you've noticed people not only looking at their watches but shaking them during one of your meetings it's time to consider the following strategies to wake up and engage their hearts and minds.

First you must be really serious about making a difference in your presentation style and be prepared take some drastic measures. Next, organise a video recorder and tape your prepared presentation. Then ask your wife, husband, children, partner, dog and cat to watch it and ask for their feedback. If the cat is the only one left in the room (and that's because she fell asleep), ask the others for honest and constructive comments about style and delivery - leaving the content out of it for the moment. Then once you have cursed your partner for not knowing what they are talking about, silently disinherited the kids, and overcome the pain and angst of being barked at by the dog, take a deep breath and thank them for the greatest gift of all - valuable feedback and probably the most honest you are most likely to ever hear.

Now it's time to consider your audience- not you or your ego and frame the presentation as though you were the one sitting in the audience. Presentations should be targeted to meet the specific needs, wants and emotions of your audience. You risk losing their interest and focus after 2 minutes if there is no relevance to their financial, emotional or physical well-being. By all means, use your experiences to frame the presentation but whether you are talking about the share market or investment, retail or food, media or entertainment, you have to W.I.I.F.M. - they what to know what's in it for me. And if the answer is not much, you may as well pack up and leave before you bore them to sleep. So, frame up the content in a variety of three different styles concentrating on moving between an audio, visual and kinaesthetic (hands-on) style. Then deliver it as though each person was the only one in the room and you were speaking directly to them. Make the presentation personal and consistent with WHY they have come to listen to you in the first place. If you are an expert in the topic, give them assurance that by the time they will leave the presentation they will have both a greater understanding and knowledge of the topic and will be able to apply the information given. Let them know what to expect, how they can use the information, and the direct benefits to them.

If you are in the position of presenting information to Associates, Board members, Shareholders, Staff, Donors, Sponsors or even a School Parent's Association, do it with life and energy - otherwise you will simply be known as Chairman of the Bored

Try this Presentation Audit prior to standing up and speaking next time.

1. The same principles apply to Presenting as they do for Negotiation. Most of the work is done prior to the presentation and you must be extremely prepared. Find out who will be present, what existing knowledge they have of your topic, their genuine interest, or otherwise. What is framing your presentation ie other speakers, action and follow-up, venue suitability. What is their expectation of you, have they heard you speak before and if so are you using different material. Write and supply your own introduction or if they are, check it. Are you committing death-by-PowerPoint, or hypnosis by presenting one method of delivery. If so, imagine you are a participant at your own presentation, and rate yourself on the effectiveness of your presentation. Are you using a variety of audio visual aids, concepts of thinking and are you clear and to the point.

2. Be Aware of how much time you have to stand and deliver. Be clear in what you must say, what you should say, and what you could say if you have time. Stick to your plan, topic, and time. Speakers who get distracted find they run short of time then rush and try and fit an hour's presentation into 10 minutes. This is a totally unacceptable and leaves the audience feeling frustrated and your message confused. Practice the presentation and leave time at the end for questions, discussion and plan of action. A great speaker stops talking before his audience stops listening.

3. If supplying handouts tell the audience they will be receiving them at the end, or you will email or send them out, otherwise some will focus on the paper and not on you. Also having them flip pages over can be distracting for them and for others.

4. Try Snow White's honest approach to feedback "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - who is the most boring of them all". And if the answer is YOU, remember these statistics. 55% of your presentation is conveyed through Body language, 38% through tonality and only 7% is attributed to content. A common problem is having too much information. If you over prepare you will overwhelm your audience with statistics and facts they are unlikely to remember. The average person concentrates for up to 8 minutes, so it makes more sense to present with enthusiasm, with mobility at the platform and in a voice that projects energy and variety in tone ensuring your audience retains facts and figures.

5. Deliver information by using Props as aids. This is not a gimmick but a proven tool for maximizing recall. Limit PowerPoint (it's too repetitive) and go back to entertaining and educating people in a way that is memorable and relevant to their experiences. Find metaphors to illustrate concepts. Items illustrating to goal setting, diversity and perception are ideal, for they are creative fire our imagination which is greater than knowledge.

Listen to other speakers, work out what you like, what you don't and be prepared to adapt your style to the different audiences or groups you speak to. If the communication response you got was not the one you wanted - don't simply say the audience was dull. Even Margaret Thatcher with all her confidence and experience was nick-named T.I.N.A. standing for There Is No Alternative. Her style never waived, her delivery was predictable and too many, was seen as aggressive. Ask yourself what your style looks like - is it inclusive or overbearing?

Is your style congruent with what you are saying and will it encourage people to act on your words not simply to listen to them! It is not often what you say, how you say it, but the way in which you make people feel that will get results!


Related Tags: ceo, present, director, speaking, public speaking, presentation, chairman, speak

Ricky Nowak CSP MAICD MCEOICertified Speaking Professional | Corporate Trainer | Executive CoachDirector, Confident CommunicationsRicky Nowak, The Communication Catalyst, builds top performing teams and individuals by delivering programs, innovative solutions and accelerated coaching techniques.http://www.rickynowak.comPO Box 2047 Wattletree Road East Malvern Victoria 3145+613 9500 9886 | ricky@rickynowak.com Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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