No excuse for poor presentation
Posted on January 31, 2011 at 5:10 pm, by aspect
Here’s a thought for you: The next time you know you will have to stand up in front of people and present to them don’t immediately go and prepare your slides or write your script. First ask yourself this simple question: “Am I boring?” I know, it’s harsh, but the simple truth is it doesn’t matter how cool your content is, if your presentation and performance style isn’t any good whatever you do is going to fall flat. If your answer is ‘yes’ or even ‘maybe’ then my advice is to go and get some training. When I say training, I’m not talking about presentation training but performance training – did you know we are in the theatre business? Delivering a good presentation is just like playing a part in a play or a TV series. The audience has to believe every word you say; they have to engage with you. So no matter how uncomfortable it feels to take that first step, getting some acting skills will be a huge benefit. Energy sells, and data repels. Your enthusiasm and passion will always make a greater impact on people than facts. Engage with your audience. Don’t tell people what you want them to learn, allow them to discover your insights. It’s usually down to you to make this change. Unfortunately, audiences are often all too willing to listen to unaccomplished presenters. Yes, we may fill in the evaluation form but we never actually give that brutal bit of feedback that could make the difference – “their voice was monotone, they overran, they didn’t convey enough passion, they were anchored to the spot, they need some training!” All these things can be worked on but you have to recognise they need work first! Author: Simon King-Cline
Live for the planning…. simples!
Posted on December 16, 2010 at 3:14 pm, by aspect
Failing to plan is planning to fail… simple. When it comes to the world of events management ‘What? Why? When? Where? How?’ may sound like the ramblings of an inexperienced amateur but it is, in fact, the beginnings of an all-important plan. Whether you have one year or one week to organise an event, it always come back to the planning. Simple right? Like all things in life, structure is needed. Think of planning an event like cooking for a dinner party. If you don’t study your recipes and prepare a shopping list you could easily forget a vital ingredient! My advice would be to create a system that works for you but – however you choose to go about it – here are a few key pointers to bear in mind:
- No.1 is the most obvious but also the most fundamental – scope out your project critical path in full. It will force you to think through the whole project from beginning to end, as well as highlighting key deadlines.
- Decide how the attendees should feel at the end of the event as they walk out of the door, and then work back from there. Everything you plan and do should be focused on achieving these objectives. It’s not just about what you say but how you say it – the décor, the tone and style, the pre- and post-event communication, the onsite activities – every element should work together to deliver your message.
- Put yourself in the audience’s shoes (believe it or not most people forget about the audience when planning an event!) Think through the whole flow of the event through their eyes – it will help you iron out the practical elements and identify any logistical wrinkles.
- Make sure the audience is engaged all the way through the event and delegates are interacting and sharing their opinions. They should be working hard at an event – not falling a sleep in their chairs!
- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse – strong messages and content are worthless if they are not delivered effectively.
