{"id":3539,"date":"2023-07-04T11:51:18","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T11:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tessardavis.com\/?p=3539"},"modified":"2023-07-04T11:51:18","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T11:51:18","slug":"did-your-last-presentation-fall-flat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tessardavis.com\/did-your-last-presentation-fall-flat\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Your Last Presentation Fall Flat?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Have you ever given a presentation that fell flat, Reader?<\/p>\n
I have.<\/p>\n
There I was, pouring my heart and soul into a presentation I had worked on for freaking hours.<\/p>\n
But, as I glanced out at the audience (only for a second because I was trying to remember what I was going to say next), I saw people flicking through their phones.<\/p>\n
Checking Twitter no doubt.<\/p>\n
Or that very important work email.<\/p>\n
Someone had actually nodded off!<\/p>\n
Oh man, I wasn’t even keeping people’s attention enough for them to bother to stay awake.<\/p>\n
It sucked.<\/p>\n
Here’s the lessons I learned on how to stop it happening:<\/p>\n<\/div>
I made this mistake every single time I spoke.<\/p>\n
I practiced, practiced, practiced.<\/p>\n
I rehearsed so many times that all I could think about was the next line. Even when I was saying a sentence I wasn’t even thinking about the words coming out of my mouth.<\/p>\n
\nWhat is my next section after this one?<\/p>\n
\u200bHow am I doing for time?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It took me years to realise this was my problem.<\/p>\n
How could I expect my audience to concentrate on what I was saying when I wasn’t even concentrating on it?<\/p>\n
Once I came to grips with this being my problem, my presentations and teaching changed entirely.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>The Solution: Get Out Of Your Head And Connect With Theirs<\/h2>\n
I guarantee this is where you’re going wrong:<\/p>\n
1: Your Timing Is Crappy<\/h3>\n
I used to just wing my timing, keep an eye on the clock, and wrap up before I got wrestled off the stage.<\/p>\n
Good timing doesn’t happen by chance, and winging it is a terrible way to go.<\/p>\n
Whether it’s a meeting, a conference, or a pitch, we all have a time restriction.<\/p>\n
Our audience has lives and other things to be getting on with.<\/p>\n
Let’s be real. Nobody in the history of mankind has cried because someone finished a presentation early.<\/p>\n
But I am livid when someone runs over. It tells me that they haven’t planned problem, and that they don’t care about the audience.<\/p>\n
Good timing comes with planning. Aim to talk for 80% of your allocated time.<\/p>\n
If you finish early, everyone wins.<\/p>\n
But it gives you some leeway to go longer than you did when you practised.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>2: Your Slides Are Your Crutch<\/h3>\n
As soon as I see someone’s opening slides, I make a judgement.<\/p>\n
I know, I’m a terrible audience member.<\/p>\n
But I completely switch off if someone’s first slide is shit.<\/p>\n
Because it tells me that they are only thinking about themselves.<\/p>\n
Please don’t tell me that putting everything on slides helps your audience. I call nonsense.<\/p>\n
They put it all on the slides….for themselves.<\/p>\n
It’s normal for us to worry that we won’t remember what we’re saying.<\/p>\n
If I need notes, I print them out and hold them in my hand.<\/p>\n
If I want my audience to have more info, I print them out handouts.<\/p>\n
If I want my talk to be accessible, I make sure there’s an audio loop.<\/p>\n
Or use an interpreter.<\/p>\n
Or have captions.
\n\u200b<\/p>\nStop blaming your slides.<\/p>\n
Liberate yourself from them. You’ll feel better, I promise.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>3: You’re Obsessed With Showing Off Your Knowledge<\/h3>\n
When I coach presenters most of them feel worried that the audience won’t think they are good enough.<\/p>\n
It seems like we all have a giant case of Imposter Syndrome.<\/p>\n
What happens when we feel this:<\/p>\n
We begin with a long intro to explain who we are.<\/p>\n
We stress that someone will leap up and explain why we are wrong\/stupid.<\/p>\n
We cram everything we know on the topic into the presentation so the audience can be in no doubt as to how knowledgeable and expert we are.<\/p>\n
99% of the time the audience knows who you are. You are on the event program, or they can Google you.<\/p>\n
You have their attention.<\/p>\n
Don’t show off.<\/p>\n
Try to think about it from their point of view.<\/p>\n
Less ‘what do I want to teach them’ and more ‘what do they want to hear from me’.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>I make mistakes every time I present my ideas.<\/p>\n
The best way you can move forward – don’t accept that where you are now is where you’ll always be.<\/p>\n
Presenting well is a skill that can be learned like everything else.<\/p>\n
Get out of your head and be there with your audience.<\/p>\n
See you next week.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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