Improve your presentation physiology

We have all sat through presentations where we have disengaged from the presentation.  Looking around a room at wall art or scribbling on a notepad.  Was this your fault or an issue with the presenter?  

So often we see presenters showing signs of nerves whilst presenting. Looking down at their feet rather than the audience in front of them.

Well at The Presenters Handbook we aim to improve the physiology of presenters. The question is do some of the areas mentioned in this video ring true?

If you need support in improving your own physiology whilst presenting, contact us at The Presenter's Handbook. Visit our website and whilst there answer a few questions to get instant feedback on your presentation ability.

Reluctance to change

The reluctance to change for the better, never fails to surprise ‘The Presenter’s Handbook’ team. It appears at times as if the term ‘Professional Development’ needs to come with a health warning. 

A case in point came from a business lunch recently attended, supported by the local chamber of commerce. A salesman from a sponsoring company was given the opportunity to address the 30 diners for between 5-10 minutes.  Seeing many presentations of this type, it was obvious from body language that the presenter was nervous from the outset.  As is natural in these circumstances a count started, listening for repeated words. These repeated words are one of the audible expression of presenter nerves.   

During the brief presentation the presenter mentioned the phrase ‘OK’ over 20 times. Over that short period of time this was the lasting memory of the presentation. It diluted the corporate message.

After the presentation an email arrived from the same presenter offering product support and thanks for attending the meal. 

As ‘The Presenter’s Handbook’ had spoken to the presenter prior to the meal, we offered the presenter some free support,  as we had new equipment to trial.  A win win situation – A presenter gets to improve their presenting skills, and we improve our product offering. The presenter though shied away from this opportunity.

This got us thinking – Why is professional development such a reluctant force?

This reluctance to change is inbred it seems. Many theories highlight this point. As humans we are bred to survive, accepting a sign a weakness is not in our nature.

Professional development does not have to be an admission of weakness though. It should be seen as a position of strength, wanting to progress and improve your standing. If you embrace professional development whilst others are standing still, who will be lower down the food chain? It certainly will not be those who embrace continual professional development.

The question is are you ready to embrace change in yourself or your organisation?

Collaboration - A dynamic presenter.

Collaboration is a key factor to improving your presentation skills.

Consider last months sales presentations or last months company presentations.  How well did they go? What measures did you apply with regard to feedback?  Was getting the order sufficient? How did the audience react during your presentation? Were you script perfect? Were all the questions answered with positive language or support?

All too often the answer to these questions are unknown. It is estimated that in the region of 30 million PowerPoint presentations are created each day.  With other online presentation solutions available, this figure will grow. But so will the number of presenters applying no measurable analysis for their own professional development.

Collaboration - the act of working together with one or more people in order to achieve ....

Having a colleague tell you that a presentation went well is not a sufficient level of feedback for a serious business executive. They may have a vested interested in telling you it went well. Not willing to annoy a senior colleague would be a classic example. Also they may be wishing to improve their own standing within an organisation at your expense. Consider this. Is it the same colleague commenting on this presentation that viewed your previous presentations?  If not how can they offer any form a measureability? 

For those striving to improve and develop presentation techniques, new tehnology for the corporate environment is available.  Viewing your own presentation will highlight small negative factors that can be rapidly eradicated from your presentations. 

 Video analysis - A key component

For instance did your colleague tell you or have access to the following:

You said "Uhm" - 12 times during a question session.

The audience body language changed significantly when a specific point was mentioned.

You were static for 6mins 20sec of your 10 minute presentation.

A measured level of improvement contained within your history of presentation analysis.

Allow electronic comments to be added remotely by your mentor.

This detail of analysis allows you the presenter to become a more dynamic presenter. 

We all know that first impressions are important and these should not be underestimated. During a presentation though, it can be the idiosyncracy of the presenter that leaves a lasting impression.

Working and collaborating with experienced professionals offering an indepth mentoring service, allows this idiosyncracy to be eliminated from presentations. The feedback offered is bespoke to your specific needs and importantly remains private between you and your mentor.

For further information contact The Presenter's Handbook.  Also find out how good a presenter you are by taking our online questionnaire.