The Four Ps of Presentation

Judy

Carter first started practicing her presentation skills by speaking to her

cocker spaniel in her living room. Others start by watching their moving image

in a mirror. Or by playing to an audience from an improvised stage set up in a

home or office. While these practices may seem silly, their results are not.

"People

who get noticed and promoted, people who sell themselves and their ideas, know

how to give a presentation," says Carter, a local organization development

consultant. "Whether it's one-on-one, one before a board, or one in front

of hundreds, powerful presentation skills make you look good."

You

not only look good; you sound credible and feel confident. You learn to get

your message across in minutes. Others begin to perceive you as a spokesperson.

The overall effect is to heighten your visibility with audiences and

decision-makers. Visibility undergirded with professional competence translates

to higher job satisfaction and promotability.

Carter,

who once presented to an audience of one, now teaches how to make professional

presentation skills work for you. Here, Carter's "Four P's of

Presentation," a snapshot of insights and training tips she's honed

through years of professional experience.

normal'>PLANstyle='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Research your audience.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Call a group leader or

event organizer to brief you on its size and demographics. Find out how much

they already know about the subject matter, and how they will use what they

learn.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Research your roomstyle='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>. The size, configuration,

acoustics and furniture arrangement affect how you move about in your audience.

Locate microphone and audiovisual equipment and outlets, marker boards, flip

chart stands and supplies. Just before show time, double-check that everything,

including your notes, is in place, in sequence, turned on and working.

normal'>PREPAREstyle='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Distill your talk to an

outline.

Referring to bullet point messages, you'll avoid sounding like you're reading a

script. You can include pertinent information and natural asides without losing

track of your next point. Penciling small notes on the side of overhead

transparency borders or in the margins of flip charts helps. Restate critical

information a second time, but no more.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Offer facts.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Make people feel like they

got a good value for their investment of time and money. Acknowledge sources of

quotes and supporting materials. You may even offer a printed list of sources.

If your topic is sticky, informing your audience of facts and providing context

will provide perspective and increase their comfort level. Forget beating

around the bush. Be clear. Be relevant. Say what you need to say and move on.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Avoid hard-to-read graphics.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Make them big, brief, and

colorful. Five lines on an overhead is maximum. People must get the point of

text, charts or graphs in five seconds. Don't read your graphics, elaborate on

them. Darken the room for short periods only, and keep some lights on.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Use props.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> And present them as if they

were gold. People love show-and-tell. It brings your subject to life. Also,

speakers feel more relaxed and appear more at home with their message when they

rest a hand on a pointer, pen or projector remote control. At most, use a

podium as a side table; remove it as a barrier between you and your audience.

Save handouts and pass-arounds for the end unless the audience is using a copy

of your outline to take notes. When possible, invite people to see materials

and ask questions after your presentation.

normal'>PRACTICEstyle='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Rehearse.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Say your presentation aloud

as many as 10 times. Pace about 100 words a minute. Start with various sections

of the presentation, so that you know every part inside and out. Listen for

easy-to-understand language, flow of ideas, smooth transitions and places where

pausing to take a breath will underscore a thought or provide a segue. Practice

with a business colleague for honest, constructive feedback. Or videotape

yourself to catch rough passages, poor handling of props, distracting facial expressions

or habitual repetition of movement.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Edit to clarify messages.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Cover basics early to keep

your audience with you. Choose simple over complex words. Remove unessential

words and phrases. Exorcise technical jargon and acronyms. Rearrange sections

so they're easily comprehended orally. Look for points where prepared props,

audiovisual aids and audience participation techniques are logical and useful.

Avoid trite filler phrases such as, "Thank you for having me." And

never apologize for any part of your presentation.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Avoid telling jokes.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Unless you're very, very

good at telling jokes, don't. If you're adept with jokes, start with one, and

then use them here and there to spice a point. If you're not adept, poor

delivery of bad jokes is all they'll remember. Also, be sure selected jokes

won't offend.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Announce your availability.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Join a speakers' training

group and let managers know you're interested. Watch, learn, get involved and

take advantage of coaching opportunities. Practice preparing and presenting talks

to community groups. Confidence comes from repeatedly elaborating on a theme or

two that you know well. Suggest that your company take advantage of your

presentation skills.

normal'>PRESENTstyle='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Ask your audience.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> What do they expect to walk

away with from the presentation? Ask that those with experience in the subject

share as you go along. If you sense restlessness or a lack of comprehension,

acknowledge the issue and request their assistance. If you get stuck answering

a question, you'll have willing backup.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Exercise participation.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Involving the audience in

ownership of a seminar sparks its success. People feel satisfied and retain

more when they're actively engaged. That's why good presenters use paired

audience exchanges, team projects, group brainstorming, handouts and

audiovisual support. A few smartly timed change-ups in techniques and pacing

keep people interested and awake, especially after lunch. Always maintain eye

contact and monitor body language to see that you're connecting with your

audience. Sometimes it's helpful to pause and ask how you need to direct the

talk to speak to concerns and needs of the group.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Watch your body language.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Shake out your limbs before

entering the room. Remove things that bump and jangle from your pockets. Wear

stationary jewelry. Check your appearance for closed buttons and zippers. A

handy drink of water helps maintain a constant tonality of voice. Then stay on

deck, ready for your introduction. Take a few slow, deep breaths before going

on. Once on, walk and move around naturally. Good posture helps keep both feet

flat on the floor, so you avoid shifting weight from one leg or hip to the

other. Use periodic controlled head, hand and arm movements to illustrate what

you're saying. Make steady eye contact with everyone or every section of your

audience. Work the room.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Stay focused.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> You want your audience to

walk away retaining a few key messages. Tailor everything you do to that goal.

If you encounter a heckler, plead efficient use of the time together as a

reason to move on. Conclude by summarizing your main points. Introduce your

finale with "In summary..." one to three minutes before you stop.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Plan for Q&A.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Many speakers prefer taking

questions during the presentation. Others ask the audience to hold these until

the end. Either way, allow time to answer questions at the conclusion of your

prepared talk. Make it a practice to repeat every audience query. This allows

everyone to hear, ensures correct interpretation, and gives you a moment to

process an answer. If you don't have an answer, say so. Ask for a succinct idea

from an audience member. Or promise to research it and get back.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Never run over time.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Planning, preparation and

practice will enable you to finish on time. If time runs short, skip planned

sections and get to the conclusion. An alternative, if the forum allows, is to

ask a rapt audience if they would like to stay five to 10 minutes longer to

cover a bit more information. If the scheduled session is longer than 30

minutes, build in breaks. These may include audience participation exercises as

well as short adjournments.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Forgive yourself.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> Smooth over mistakes in

delivery, and your audience won't notice. Blips and fumbles serve as tools to

learn and improve. You'll always be better next time.

"Public

speaking is one of mankind's greatest fears," says Carter. "You'll be

able to do it and do it well if you know your subject matter, understand the

art of presenting and practice, practice, practice. Finally, visualize yourself

up on stage, doing a wonderful job and getting a standing ovation."

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Judy L. Carter, a lifelong

learner, teaches a four-hour workshop on the "Four P's of

Presentation" at Edison Community College's Center for Professional

Development.

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>S. Alison Chabonais is a

freelance business writer and public relations consultant.style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>