I recently gave this speech early at a seminar for women starting new ventures. At the conclusion of the seminar, each was scheduled to make a presentation of their business ideas to an audience of mock investors. All were understandably nervous. More than anything, they wanted some tips re technique as many had never done any public speaking. They may have lacked experience with that but they more than made up for it with the passion of their ideas. I thought a simple checklist might be the way to go and I was right. They understood the simple basics below without being overwhelmed and were able to employ (most of) it in their presentations.
Hope this helps.
Just as there are 5 “P”s in Marketing (product; positioning; price; promotion; placement) there are also 5 “P”s in Presenting.
Early in my career as a product developer and marketer, I was asked to make a product presentation to a big customer. I had little time to prepare and hoping for some sage advice, I consulted with a seasoned colleague who had made her mark in advertising. She was the kind of person who kept her head while all around her people were losing theirs. Holding up three fingers, she ticked off what she said were the basics. “Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em; tell ‘em; then tell ‘em what you told them.” Not exactly the road map I’d hoped for but what she meant was actually quite simple: Posit your theory; elaborate; restate it. I know what you’re thinking, that’s it?! Well, it goes without saying that you should be qualified to speak on the subject and hopefully your knowledge is infused with enthusiasm so that you’re interested and therefore, interesting. But if you are a novice, know this, just as there are 5 “P”s in Marketing (product; positioning; price; promotion; placement) there are also 5 “P”s in Presenting:
- Prepare! Know your material including answers to any questions that may be asked. Just as a prosecuting attorney would never ask a question for which he doesn’t already know the answer, don’t bring up a point that you’re not prepared to plumb. Know your venue! Arrive early and familiarize yourself with your presentation area and/or podium. Test the A/V equipment; microphone; and remote control. Learn how to navigate through PowerPoint quickly should someone ask you to return to a prior slide. Run it from your hard drive for faster response time. Bring a backup of your presentation on a flash drive. Do not distribute hard copies beforehand. The rustling sound of those who will undoubtedly skip ahead is distracting to everyone.
- Practice! Don’t memorize your pitch word for word like an “I Can Read!” primer and don’t read from the screen verbatim. That’s a surefire snooze. Refer to key words in your presentation and “extemporize”. (You’ll know you’ve practiced these smart segues but audience members won’t.) Create moments where you can pause for dramatic impact. Use props that force you to remove your arms from your sides and your feet from the floor.
- Posture! Sister Mary Sunshine was right, don’t slouch; stand up straight! Don’t hunch your back and fold into yourself so that you’re projecting into your chest. Keep your shoulders back and you will find that you are speaking out naturally and authoritatively. Don’t shift your weight from foot to foot; the only thing you should be tapping is your inner orator, not your feet.
- Poise! Don’t stand rooted to the spot. Walk across the stage easily and effortlessly, make eye contact, nod if you agree with something someone has said and laugh if it’s funny. Be warm and receptive to the audience and they will be to you. Don’t get ruffled if heckled; have a ready but genial response.
- Pace! Try not to rush through just to get it over with. Where’s the fire? If you’ve been given an allotted time, by all means practice with a stopwatch and adjust accordingly. Your audience will relax if you’re relaxed. If you are speaking at breakneck speed, points will be missed. Similarly, if you are talking so slow that people can feel their fingernails growing, their brains will shut down.
- I know, I know, I said there are 5 “P”s, but there’s really one more that should be utilized throughout: Porcelain! As in teeth. Smile. Early and often. Smile as you make interesting points, smile as you pause, smile at audience members. Inject levity. You may be presenting the driest of subjects but that’s no reason why you can’t enjoy yourself while doing it. Just as brevity is the soul of wit, levity is the goal if you want to be a hit.
