Not to put to fine a point on it, but many times the weakest link in your presentation is…well…YOU. As presentation veterans we learn the craft and find our own voices. We develop a comfort zone, get past the jitters, add catchy openers and memorable closings. In short, over time, we learn how to give great presentations. However, even the best presentation can be sabotaged unwittingly by a not-so-savvy presenter.
It’s precisely when your presentations get really good that you enter into dangerous territory. As our presentations get stronger, we get more confident – maybe even cocky. When you’re standing in front of a group, clicking through your images, cracking your jokes, rattling off your stats, it’s easy to get the impression that your presentation is all about you. In truth, it never is.
While most of the skills we talk about here involve investing oneself in the presentation process, it’s also important to know when you are getting in the way of your own message. You’ve done the hard work of creating a compelling talk. Don’t undermine it by distracting your audience from your message.
Delivery Person
If you want to get to a place where you become seamlessly meshed with your presentation you have to practice it until you simply disappear within it. When you are under-prepared you tend to ramble and fidget. You also tend to reach for jokes that aren’t there or overcompensate in other ways as you teeter on the edge of flopdom. Drill you pres until you have it down cold. Then you’ll be able to get to your points instead of getting in the way.
Don’t Gag on Gags
While we love to use humor and humorous props when we get up in front of a crowd, these tactics can quickly wear out an audience. If you have a rib-cracking opener, by all means use it. If you have a knack for off-the-cuff hilarity, let if flow naturally. But never allow yourself to be put in the position of reaching for jokes and props to fill in for a dearth of information or a lack of clarity. There is nothing funny about desperation.
Make Your Audience the Hero
When thinking about presentations as storytelling, it’s tempting – even natural – to want to cast oneself as the protagonist. This is a mistake. The next thing you know your talking about your CV or your company’s history instead of the matter at hand. Make your audience the hero of your story. Speak to them about the challenges they’re facing and then relate your brilliant solutions. Remember, it’s not about you.
