Presentation Training:
Ah-Ha Moments from Presentation Training

If you do presentation training or speaking for a living, you know the reward of when a participant "gets it."  When the subject is presentation training skills, the "ah-ha" moment is wonderful. It's a different moment, a different "gotcha," for different speakers. But it's so validating to the trainer: the switch flips, the presentation training participant sees the light and their presentation style is transformed! Here are my favorite ah-ha moments:

"I can do it without PowerPoint." I've seen this one a lot, where a presentation training student realizes that the PowerPoint is serving no purpose. He knows his subject and discovers that he can communicate it clearly and compellingly without relying on a single visual. In fact, he's better - more dynamic, more conversational, more understandable - than when he was being so tied to the visual.

"The black slide - what a concept!" It's amazing how few people know about this great tool. A black slide simply makes the screen go dark. The result is that there's no visual up and the audience can now focus on the speaker - which is where a speaker wants the focus! So maybe a speaker needs some slides, ones that are purposeful and help the audience. But in between those strategic slides, there's no need for a visual to be up. That's when you insert a black slide. You can create your own black slide in the PowerPoint program, and there's also the option of hitting the "B" key on your keyboard. Either way, there's now nothing on the screen and the speaker becomes the focal point.

"Energy, energy, energy." It's sometimes hard to persuade speakers that they've got to get outside their comfort zone and push their energy level, especially those who are more naturally reserved and low-key. But videotaping during presentation training usually does the trick. When a speaker sees herself as others see her in presentation training, it can be transformational. What may feel comfortable and energized to the speaker doesn't always look that way to the audience. Pushing the energy level - with some vocal variety, physical movement and purposeful gestures - results in a far more engaging and compelling presenter.

"The outline is awesome." This is one of those least expected "ah-hahs." After all, the outline form is not a very sexy topic. Can you imagine hordes of people lining up to hear presentation training about "How to Outline Your Presentation"? Yet it's one of the most common benefits stated by participants in my presentation training: learning how to identify and organize their main points, and then how to sandwich them between an intriguing opening and a powerful close. Using this tool reaps many benefits: it makes a presentation easier to prepare; it makes it easier for the presenter to stay on track and not get lost, and it makes it easier for the audience to follow along. Once speakers learn about it in presentation training and understand its power, they love it!  

"Pause consistently." Handling the pressure of a tough Q&A is a challenge for many speakers. When they learn in presentation training about this simple strategy - pause before you answer every question - it gives them renewed confidence. The beauty of this strategy is that it allows the speaker to think before answering. But as long you're consistent, you've then bought yourself some time for the really tough questions that might naturally cause you to pause, so you look poised.

"Why, What, How and Why Not."  Being persuasive is a tough challenge for many speakers. But discovering this simple presentation training formula for organizing your main points is eye-opening. Learning to answer these four questions gives speaker the flow, the logic and the rationale behind their persuasive objective. Why is there a need for a change? What is the solution you're proposing? How will your proposal solve the problem? And why would they not want to be persuaded (overcome any objections)?

"Wow, humanizing the talk makes all the difference." Most presenters are so focused on the information - getting the facts right, showing the slides, doing a brain dump - they neglect a very important part: making the information real and meaningful and contextual by "humanizing" it. This means anything from giving an example, telling a story or making an analogy. It could be showing a chart or graph, it could be using a prop or doing a demonstration. This is what makes content interesting and memorable.

"A great hook is everything!" Most people have never given this idea any thought at all. The vast majority of speakers start by introducing themselves, maybe saying what they're going to talk about, and then launching into their presentation. Learning the magic of a great hook in presentation training has done wonders for so many speakers. A hook can be a story, a quote, a visual, a prop, an anecdote, a question. It has great advantages: It makes the audience sit up and take notice. It intrigues them and makes them want to listen. It's a great device for moving into the talk in a way that's interesting and logical. And, very importantly, it gets the speaker out of the gate. Those first few moments are the most nerve-wracking - having a purposeful opening that sets the stage and engages the audience's interest is a powerful way to thwart that anxiety and find your stride quicker.

Source: Barbara Busey http://www.compellingspeakercertification.com/

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