Creating the Image, Respectable for Presentation
Imagine your board room and you're standing up front in shorts and t-shirt munching on peanuts and planning with the team for your playoff game. You're not the captain giving a fire-em-up speech. You're the new coach who has gained the team's confidence so much that they wanted you up there to show them how they can be better as a team.
You need to be well-groomed for a successful presentation. Don't show up in your Saturday clothes, but feel like that. Be ready to orchestrate emotions and interest. Be ready for both laughter and boredom.
To excel at putting yourself on display, you need to first consider your appearance, which includes clothing that will be common among the group and comfortable to you. Second, prepare compelling questions that promote discussion, and can elevate you as the expert in your subject.
An icebreaker idea is a golden moment where all the players are recognized. You can seperate the most comfortable ones from the rest by observing who participates in the icebreaker. When you need to use someone as an example, the responder will make the presentation more recognizable. And, you can focus your talk on those who didn't respond to the initial "fun" question or activity.
Some attendees who sit back quietly will challenge you if they see a weak point. Be ready to back up all your theories with facts or historical examples of your product being employed.
Keep in mind, the purpose of your presentation is to inform and generate excitement. Don't overwhelm the crowd with all your bells and whistles. That's not what this is about. You want to generate participation and discussion. You want feedback, so make the group comfortable first.
Colorful markers, power points and handouts will keep the visual sense alive. No matter how well you're groomed, you will become familiar and stale. Don't let it lead to resentment among the crowd for keeping them there that long. (which is a relative term, dependent on your production) If it starts heading that way, and there aren't alot of laptops and stuff to each person, have everyone sit in a different table after some time. Have the back of the room to get up and move to a new seat and let them take their time. Let the people up front move if they request to. Don't announce a break. If somebody asks to be dismissed for the bathroom, tell them you will be starting back very shortly. And don't wait for all to get back. Your time is more valuable than theirs.
Some more advice:
-Leave your jokes at home. Mix in some stories and keep the audience participation to questions only. No stories from them.
-Prep with the problem-solver attitude in mind. Nobody cares about your company's history. People want to hear solutions.
-Make the props memorable. Use them, not show them. And keep the power point slides to a minimum, using them as a background for your mood and setting.
Show your team you appreciate them letting you speak. Let them know you are available by email and send a short note via email to a couple of them and ask for their feedback.
- by John Homa 2/26/2008
You need to be well-groomed for a successful presentation. Don't show up in your Saturday clothes, but feel like that. Be ready to orchestrate emotions and interest. Be ready for both laughter and boredom.
To excel at putting yourself on display, you need to first consider your appearance, which includes clothing that will be common among the group and comfortable to you. Second, prepare compelling questions that promote discussion, and can elevate you as the expert in your subject.
An icebreaker idea is a golden moment where all the players are recognized. You can seperate the most comfortable ones from the rest by observing who participates in the icebreaker. When you need to use someone as an example, the responder will make the presentation more recognizable. And, you can focus your talk on those who didn't respond to the initial "fun" question or activity.
Some attendees who sit back quietly will challenge you if they see a weak point. Be ready to back up all your theories with facts or historical examples of your product being employed.
Keep in mind, the purpose of your presentation is to inform and generate excitement. Don't overwhelm the crowd with all your bells and whistles. That's not what this is about. You want to generate participation and discussion. You want feedback, so make the group comfortable first.
Colorful markers, power points and handouts will keep the visual sense alive. No matter how well you're groomed, you will become familiar and stale. Don't let it lead to resentment among the crowd for keeping them there that long. (which is a relative term, dependent on your production) If it starts heading that way, and there aren't alot of laptops and stuff to each person, have everyone sit in a different table after some time. Have the back of the room to get up and move to a new seat and let them take their time. Let the people up front move if they request to. Don't announce a break. If somebody asks to be dismissed for the bathroom, tell them you will be starting back very shortly. And don't wait for all to get back. Your time is more valuable than theirs.
Some more advice:
-Leave your jokes at home. Mix in some stories and keep the audience participation to questions only. No stories from them.
-Prep with the problem-solver attitude in mind. Nobody cares about your company's history. People want to hear solutions.
-Make the props memorable. Use them, not show them. And keep the power point slides to a minimum, using them as a background for your mood and setting.
Show your team you appreciate them letting you speak. Let them know you are available by email and send a short note via email to a couple of them and ask for their feedback.
- by John Homa 2/26/2008
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