The number one complaint at large-scale meetings, according to a 2016 event survey, is still executive presentations. That’s not news to any of us who have sat through (or given!) many of them. Yet when respondents tell us the presentations contain a lot of recycled content, are difficult to follow, poorly rehearsed, and uninspiring, what can be done?
Certainly a speech coach, professional speechwriter and outside professional presenters help tremendously – if your organization has the budget. If you do not have that sort of funding, or find those solutions still are not getting the level of attendee action post-event you would have hoped for, here are three do-it-yourself black belt presentation power-fixes. You can do this with or without the help of a coach, writer or additional paid presenter. In fact, you should do these no matter what.
LISTEN. Listening might seem counterintuitive when you are being asked to talk, but as an executive within an organization, you are likely to know your attendees as well or better than anyone. They tell you what they care about, what keeps them up at night, their successes and their hopes going forward. Start there, instead of your talking points. What is in it (your message) for them? What if you addressed those fears, hopes, successes and struggles, and acknowledged them as you are presenting your points. If you do, they feel heard, and your content feels more like it was built with them in mind and is just the solution they need.
LEAD. Often presenters are assigned a spot on conference agendas simply because it is expected of them. They go through the motions of presenting – but their content is not really new; it is just reworded. The result is they insult their audience by acting as if it is new content, creating a disconnect. They then will have the unfortunate reputation for simply wasting their audience’s time. The answer is so simple it eludes many of the brightest leaders – be transparent! This is not a book report on your successes. This is an opportunity to be visionary and to create dialog. Leadership is built on constant feedback and participation.
LAUGH. Few executive presenters utilize humor beyond an opening joke. The presenter who laughs at the irony of situations, or the common mistakes we all make, even as he or she is providing the solutions, engages the audience on a number of levels:
Laughter aids the absorption of information
Laughter makes presenters more human and likable
Laughter diffuses tension around tough content
The presenter who does these things thoroughly, will connect with their audience. A cleverly worded speech, with carefully rehearsed gestures, facial expressions and cadence can certainly appear polished – but the Listen, Lead and Laugh approach will also demonstrate real respect for your attendees. It is this speechwriter’s opinion that demonstrated respect is of far greater value. What do you think?