Embracing the challenge to completely shut down the laptop for an extended period of two and a half days, to immerse oneself fully in training, is far from easy. Yet, the astounding results that emerge are nothing short of remarkable!
This training was centered around the riveting topic of Advanced Presentation Skills, with the mantra of Practice, Practice, and more Practice resonating throughout the sessions. Over the course of an intensive 18 hours of instruction, every participant had the opportunity to showcase their skills through a minimum of six presentations of varying lengths, ranging from quick 2-minute briefings to comprehensive 10-minute lectures. The presentations were a balance of individual efforts and collaborative group projects, encouraging personal growth and team dynamics.
Guiding us on this transformative journey was our highly proficient trainer, Terry, a seasoned coach with an extensive 20-year experience of living in China. Not only is he fluent in Chinese and the local Shanghainese dialect, but he also ran the entire session in English, showcasing his impressive linguistic versatility. The entire training experience was indeed a rich tapestry of learning, growth, and development.
The Power of Why
My first lesson was understanding the importance of starting with ‘Why’. What is the underlying reason for the presentation? It may be to influence others, to establish a personal brand, to demonstrate leadership, or to build relationships, among other things.
Crafting Your Message
Reflecting on this leads to two crucial considerations:
- Purpose. How will you measure the success of your presentation? What is your end goal? The reasons could be varied - to share, to persuade, to make a request, and so on. Identifying this purpose is critical as it shapes the core of your presentation.
- Audience. Who are you addressing? What are their roles and responsibilities? Understanding your audience is key to tailoring your message effectively.
The Art of Delivery
Next, we come to ‘How’, which formed the crux of our training sessions.
We worked with a simple formula:
1 + 2 = 3
- ‘1’ represents the objective
- ‘2’ encapsulates all the elements we utilized, with the audience being paramount
- ‘3’ signifies that no more than three items should be presented in a single section
Mastering the Presentation Structure
Bear in mind, human decision-making tends to be driven more by emotion than logic. Therefore, establishing an emotional connection with your audience is crucial. Do this by weaving stories, creating contrasts, and using ‘You-phrasing’.
- The Opening
- Initial greetings such as introductions and duration of the presentation
- An inventive start
- The subject
- The agenda
- The Content
- Agenda point 1
- Agenda point 2
- Agenda point 3
- The Close
- Summary
- Concluding remarks
To ensure full alignment, remember that how you convey your message is significantly more important than what you’re saying. This can be likened to a 90% to 10% ratio. In striving to achieve this, consider these four personas:
- Albert Einstein - The Professor
- George Barton - The General
- Mother Teresa - The Counselor
- Anthony Robbins - The Motivator
Each character can offer unique insights into your content, and you can blend them as per your needs.
#leadership #presentation #suzhou