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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Learn the secrets of successful speaking, communicating and presenting
Do you get nervous when presenting at work? Do you want to showcase your knowledge, influence people and accelerate your career? How to Present reveals the winning formulas that ensure you are a confident, clear and influential presenter every time.
Presentation skills expert Michelle Bowden shares her internationally proven system for exceptional presenting, starting with analysis (plan what you would like to achieve), then design (put your presentation together) and delivery (communicate your message for results). This second edition is fully updated with all new strategies for presenting in online and hybrid sessions. Presenting online can be effective and engaging—you just need to know what to do, and then do it!
How to Present will help you:
- maximise your impact in meetings, conferences and conversations
- manage your nerves so you feel calm and confident
- engage your audience and master the art of persuasion
- structure your message cleverly and with deliver with authority
- command attention and achieve your goals
Whether you're speaking to one person or thousands, live or online, this is the essential guide to becoming an outstanding presenter who is memorable for all the right reasons!
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Seitenzahl: 449
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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Table of Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
FOREWORD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Style and approach
THANK YOU!
INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO THIS BOOK
Top 10 business presentation mistakes
How to get the best value from this book
CHAPTER 1: Persuasive presenting at a glance
Looking at the research
What does all this mean?
Nerves and presenting
Phase 1: Analysis: Be clear on your goals
CHAPTER 2: Working out what you want to achieve from your presentation
Preparing for a presentation with a five-step analysis
Phase 2: Design: Write your presentation
CHAPTER 3: Structure your message
An audience-focused model
CHAPTER 4: Design your presentation
Storyboarding: a magical design technique
Taking advantage of the storyboarding benefits
CHAPTER 5: Script your presentation
Step 0: Hook your audience's attention
Step 1: Build rapport with your audience
Step 2: Assert your perspective using a leading statement
Step 3: Motivate your audience to pay attention
Step 4: Proactively manage audience objections
Step 5: Control and relax your audience
Step 6: Deliver the facts, figures and data
Step 7: Explain the steps for implementing your ideas
Step 8: Provide any other information
Step 9: Summarise your three key points
Step 10: Call your audience to action
Step 11: Manage questions and answers
Step 12: Highlight negative and positive consequences
Step 13: Close with a sizzle!
CHAPTER 6: Finalising your Persuasion Blueprint
Relating the Persuasion Blueprint to the 4MAT System
Looking at an example script
Some final pointers
CHAPTER 7: Watch your language!
Avoid turning your audience off
Using electrifying, polished language in your presentation
Using rhetorical questions
CHAPTER 8: The art of storytelling
A technique for telling memorable stories
Exploring storytelling techniques
Phase 3: Delivery: Captivate your audience
CHAPTER 9: Warm up your mind
Yes, unfortunately, you do need to rehearse
Using the power of your mind to manage your nerves
Understanding the impact of personality on nervousness
CHAPTER 10: Warm up your body and voice
Warm up your body
Warm up your voice
Using tongue twisters to warm up
CHAPTER 11: Managing your nerves
‘Extending the self' to reduce nerves and connect with your audience
CHAPTER 12: Speak with confidence
Using your voice effectively when you present
Making use of technology for in-person presentations
CHAPTER 13: Congruent body language
Understanding body language
Using a lectern
The role of smiling
CHAPTER 14: Engage and entertain
Engaging and stimulating your audience
CHAPTER 15: Dealing with difficult people
Keeping your audience on side
Managing difficult behaviour without causing negative ripples
CHAPTER 16: Using visual aids
Take the test: will your slides be lethal?
The purpose of slides
Presenting technical information
Setting up before your presentation
How well do audiences look and listen concurrently?
Operating the slides for face-to-face presentations
Using a flipchart or whiteboard
CHAPTER 17: Setting up the room for live presentations
The best room set-up
CHAPTER 18: Getting positive feedback
A feedback model to boost your confidence
CHAPTER 19: Delivering your message virtually
Setting up your visual space
A note about hybrid meetings
CHAPTER 20: Engaging online audiences
Setting your boundaries for success
Understanding how eye contact is different online
Using slides in your virtual meeting
Interacting with your virtual audience
AND NOW IT'S UP TO YOU
APPENDIX: PRESENTER CHECKLIST
Phase 1: Analysis
Phase 2: Design
Phase 3: Delivery
INDEX
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
List of Tables
Chapter 2
Table 2.1 Pulling together your topic, goal, purpose and leading statement...
Chapter 5
Table 5.1 Formula for building rapport with your audience
Table 5.2 Alternative words for your WIIFM statement
Table 5.3 Pacing out objections (POO)
Chapter 6
Table 6.1 Five-step analysis
Table 6.2 Fully worked example of the Persuasion Blueprint
Chapter 13
Table 13.1 Some typical stances
Table 13.2 Some common body postures and their meanings
Chapter 16
Table 16.1 The meaning of different colours for use on whiteboards or flipc...
Chapter 18
Table 18.1 The four-step feedback model
List of Illustrations
Chapter 2
Figure 2.1 The Think/Feel/Do model
Chapter 3
Figure 3.1 The 4MAT System for structuring your presentation
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1 Constructing a storyboard
Chapter 11
Figure 11.1 Pattern for making eye contact across your audience
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Foreword
About the Author
Thank You!
Introduction: Welcome to this Book
Begin Reading
And Now It's up to You
Appendix: Presenter Checklist
Index
End User License Agreement
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Praise for Michelle Bowden's system for outstanding presenting
‘I can say that I have personally never seen my team members this excited or engaged about a training course before. A big thank you from me, I can feel your passion for this development from the feedback from my colleagues.’
Darren Hanna,Group Head of Data Intelligence & Analytics Group, Westpac
‘Loved every minute of the presentation skills workshop—it was magnificent. Best course I've attended in my long career and it will leave a lasting impression for me professionally and in life. We were challenged to be great at engaging and persuading our customers in meetings, presentations, virtually and live. Michelle is a one in a million person—engaging, fun, prepared, motivating and inspirational. 6/5!’
Dean Puhalovich,Principal Solution Engineer, Salesforce
‘I've worked with Michelle for many decades to take my presentation skills to the next level. Over the years Michelle's approach has become second nature. I now use her Persuasion Blueprint coupled with her delivery and engagement techniques to ensure that I express myself with influence in any situation from the tearoom to the boardroom. Her formulas are highly recommended.’
Pauline Blight-Johnston,CEO, Genworth
‘I loved everything about Michelle's 3-phase system. It made me step out of my comfort zone and extend myself. I gained many practical tips and pointers from Michelle, her book and her masterclass that are essential for everyday activities, communication, and of course presenting. In fact, over the years I have been compelled to immerse my team in Michelle's formulas so they could all achieve communication success. Thanks a million!’
Candice Fitzgerald,Head Clinical Development & Operations - Regions, Boehringer-Ingelham
‘Your masterclass has made a big difference to our business Michelle. We are engaging so much better with our clients now. Your winning formulas have ensured we are securing more work for the future.’
Joe Fusca,Managing Direction, Graphite Projects
‘I have learnt so much from Michelle and her first edition of How to Present. I used to get super nervous before presenting. Michelle has given me the confidence to design and script my presentation to include storytelling and audience motivation. Still, the biggest takeaway for me was learning to speak confidently. It is a work in progress, but I love that I have a toolbox that ensures I can continue to grow and develop.’
Samantha Middleton,Head of Marketing and Communication,Nelnet International
‘Everyone needs Michelle's wonderful models and formulas for presenting and public speaking. My academic and admin teams and I have been working with Michelle for years to shape compelling presentations that achieve excellent results. Her approach is practical, memorable and will build incredible confidence for you—no matter your current presentation skills level.’
Professor Evonne Miller,Director, QUT Design Lab,Queensland University of Technology
‘I will cherish Michelle’s persuasive presentation skills training for life! Michelle is a wonderful coach. She is very perceptive, an expert in her area and very engaging! I loved Michelle’s ability to build rapport with our group, keep us honest and really help us laser sharpen our focus on what we are communicating about and how we go about it. For someone like me, whose native language is not English, Michelle’s framework and tips are so beneficial and eye opening!! Keep doing what you do best Michelle!’
Mahalakshmi (Maha) Rajagopalan,Program Management Office Manager, Device Technologies
‘I was terrified of public speaking and for 20 years did everything I could to avoid it. 3 weeks after attending Michelle's training I presented to 200 people with excellent results and now I'm actually looking forward to the next opportunity - completely unbelievable! I highly recommend this book and Michelle's masterclass to you if you are nervous when speaking in public.’
Amie Roberts,Professional Life Coach
‘Honestly I don't think today's training via zoom could have gone better! You were outstanding! There is always a slight chance that people won't be as engaged virtually as they would in a live environment. Well you talk the talk Michelle. Your ability to captivate on zoom is as good as any live presentation. I couldn't be more pleased and the feedback from our extensive network has been tremendous.’
Gajan Sundaram,Director of Network Partnerships, Proloan
‘During the lockdown (due to COVID-19) Michelle ran a series of fantastic Executive Masterclasses on Persuasive Presenting for C-level Executives via Zoom for my clients who are CFOs and Finance Directors. Each and every time she captivated the audience from the start. Attendees loved it and got a lot out of it. She really hit the mark with the content and audience described Michelle as, ‘great, awesome, passionate, fantastic, worth listening to, informative, relevant, engaging and compelling!’. They were very impressed with the amount of practical information they could implement immediately. Michelle is definitely someone worth listening to in an area that is so important. She's mastered the transition from live events to virtual presenting.’
Simon Tobin,Director, Tobin McClintock
How to Present
Revised Second Edition
The ultimate guide to presenting live and online
MICHELLE BOWDEN
First published in 2023 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
Level 1, 155 Cremorne St, Richmond Vic 3121
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2023
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
ISBN: 978-1-119-91235-4
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.
Cover design by WileyAuthor photo: Tim Pascoe
DisclaimerThe material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
I dedicate this book to my beautiful, strong, headstrong, clever, funny and confident daughters, Holly, Madi and Annabelle.
My wish for you is that you continue to be happy, healthy and assertive women who achieve your potential through courageous communication.
And to you, Ian, for without you there would be no book!
FOREWORD
At two times in your life, you are totally alone: just before you die and just before you give a speech or presentation.
You have to admit, those moments before you're called to the front of the room or up on stage to address a crowd can be absolutely frightening.
Yet it doesn't have to be this way.
It seems hard to believe, but some people not only are not scared of presenting, but actually delight in it.
There are people who don't ‘um' and ‘ah' their way clumsily through a presentation. These people deliver their point eloquently and effortlessly. And there are people who mesmerise with their words.
And here's the crucial point: these folks weren't born superb orators. They didn't pop out of the womb with a microphone and some opening gags. They learned to speak brilliantly, step by step.
And so can you.
It's certainly a skill worth mastering. Those who can present well often earn more, get promoted faster and get their way more often. In our fast-moving world, it's usually those who can package their thoughts beautifully who get all the rewards.
So it seems you have two choices. Either hide your light under the proverbial bushel, or take the oratorical bull by the horns and learn this speaking game once and for all.
Choose the latter and your challenge becomes simple: finding an awesome teacher. Why is that so simple? Because you're already holding one in your hands.
Michelle Bowden's book is a masterwork of the field. She knows not only everything there is to know about presenting eruditely, entertainingly and potently, but also how to teach her gems of knowledge in a way that's fun and that stays with you when you communicate in life.
So if you've ever yearned to wow them in the aisles and have them hang on your every word, congratulations — you've found the book that can help you do just that.
Learn its priceless lessons, and you'll soon be giving speeches that leave others speechless.
Siimon Reynolds
Entrepreneur, author and professional speaker
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Bowden is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. Michelle's name is such a synonym in corporate Australia for presentation skills that people don't say, ‘I'm going to persuasive presentation skills training', they say, ‘I'm going to Michelle Bowden!'
She is the bestselling, internationally published author of:
How to Persuade: The skills you need to get what you want
(Wiley)
Don't Picture Me Naked
Exceptional Presentation Design
STOP! Your PowerPoint is killing me!
Confident Speaking Vocals
How to Present: Presentation Skills Tips from the Masters
Michelle is also:
multimillion-dollar pitch and capital-raising coach to executives across industry
editor of
How to Present
magazine and producer of Michelle Bowden TV
creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile
®
, a psychological assessment tool that reports on your persuasive strengths and weaknesses in business
Certified Speaking Professional, the highest designation for speakers in the world; Michelle's keynote presentations educate her audiences on the theory and practice of persuasive communication at work and at home.
Michelle has delivered her two-day Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass more than 950 times for over 12 000 people over the past two decades.
Style and approach
Michelle conducts public, in-house and virtual persuasive presentation skills masterclasses for employees from all levels, across all industries. She is renowned for achieving results through learning and laughter. She is an expert, generous and passionate adult educator with the highest standards in relation to behavioural change. Her keynotes, workshops and courses are based on the idea that interaction, high energy and fun, combined with proven theory, create results for your business. Michelle's passion is to see people performing at their best. It's time you worked with Michelle so you can present well, speak up and influence people!
THANK YOU!
I was surrounded by strong, powerful and inspiring adults from a young age, and each of these people encouraged me to stand up and achieve my potential. My confidence-boosting parents were always pushing me forwards, helping me believe I could do anything. Both my parents have a strong belief that there’s no point doing anything unless you’re going to strive to do it properly. And this value has definitely rubbed off on me! Now, as a presentation and influencing skills expert, I am continually exposed to amazing, courageous, inspiring people who are my friends, colleagues and role models. How lucky am I? I can't believe I get to hang out with such motivated people.
This book is a reflection of many of the things all of you have taught me, and through this book we all continue to inspire others to step up and shine their light on others so they strive to be their best. Thank you for your inspiration.
To all my wonderful clients (some of whom appear in the case studies or testimonials in this book, sometimes with names changed) — you are the ones who continue to light my fire. You challenge me and help me to step up as I help you to be the best you can be. I wish you all the power, courage and success in the world.
A heartfelt thank you to my wonderful mum for proofreading my initial manuscript back in 2009 for me. I love you, Mum.
Thank you Syann Williams, voice coach extraordinaire, for all your support and teaching. Syann is a master at helping people uncover their most confident, authentic and charismatic voice.
A special mention to Lucy Raymond from Wiley, who saw the potential of my first book, believed in me and knew How to Present would be a bestseller from the start. And three cheers to the whole Wiley team who helped me to rewrite an already great book that will now continue to help people to stand up and be heard in their lives — even online! I love you all! Entrepreneur Siimon Reynolds, thank you for writing your brilliant foreword in this book. I am so grateful.
And last but most definitely not least, thank you Warwick Merry, CSP CVP, for taking me by the hand (even when I was kicking and screaming) and showing me that virtual presenting doesn't have to be stressful. You showed me that clients sometimes prefer virtual over live presenting, and that virtual training and speaking can, in fact, be a wonderful experience for all involved. Your tips are peppered generously through this new edition. You are a lifesaver and an excellent person!
INTRODUCTIONWELCOME TO THIS BOOK
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to fast-track it to senior levels in business, even when there are other more experienced or expert candidates? Or have you noticed that when it comes to the best jobs, some people seem to have it all?
How come in meetings, a select few have the ability to say exactly what they mean with such confidence, clarity and influence, even when they are under pressure? How do they do that? Do they have some sort of magic or secret?
No doubt you've experienced the opposite, too. Have you ever sat in a business meeting — either online or in person — where it seemed the person talking was just raving on and on about nothing very interesting? Did it seem to you that they might as well have been saying ‘blah, blah, blah'? Did you wish you were somewhere else?
Or what about your own skills? Have you ever run a meeting where you could see the people in your audience glazing over or switching their cameras off as you were talking, making you feel frustrated or inadequate? And did you wish you were somewhere else then too?
The more successful executives and senior people I meet, the more I realise that, regardless of their intelligence and business acumen, these successful people know how to present their ideas in an influential, compelling way. They know how to showcase their professional expertise. They know how to structure their thoughts and connect with people, and they say what they want to say in a way that resonates with their audience. Whether presenting online or in person, they inspire and compel their audiences to take action!
As a presentation skills expert, I have had the opportunity to work with many thousands of people. My experiences have taught me that most people are completely unaware of the hundreds of little tips, techniques and secrets that can combine to create an exceptional influencer who achieves exciting results. I have observed that once people know what to do to influence their audience and actually do it, they automatically increase their success at work and at home.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘Anyone can be an exceptional presenter!'
I've witnessed people's self-esteem and confidence develop exponentially, as they achieve results they never thought possible in their conference or board presentations. I know many people who now close more deals and are more successful in job interviews.
And that's why I wrote this comprehensive book. My wish for you, whether you are already an effective presenter or not, and whether you mainly present online or in person, is that you read this book and use it often to guide and inspire yourself in order to achieve better results for you, your organisation and your audience.
Unlike other presentation skills books, this one is written with a step-by-step approach for businesspeople who are striving to present their ideas with confidence, clarity and influence. It is my life-changing, award-nominated, two-day Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass in a book. To decide which of the plethora of information to include for you, I have used the questions my clients have asked me over the years as we learned together in my mentoring or training sessions. To my knowledge, there is nothing like it on offer, where people in business are introduced to a simple, profoundly practical, step-by-step approach to standing up at work and presenting their ideas.
I approach presenting from a completely practical and readily applicable perspective, based on many decades of experience as a presentation skills trainer, mentor, speaker and author. I have a passion for seeing people perform better than they thought possible, and I'm so excited about this opportunity to share my expertise and experience with you. My intention is to simplify the skill of presenting and teach you what you need to do, one step at a time, so you can speak up and be awesome!
Success in business excites me. So many strong, competent businesspeople have so much to offer in the workplace. This book will not only open your eyes to the possibilities, it will also give you the tips, techniques and secrets to ensure it happens for you!
And invaluable techniques are in the following chapters. Why are they invaluable? Because they address all of the very common mistakes that presenters can make — and I outline my top 10 of these mistakes in the next section.
Top 10 business presentation mistakes
Here are the top 10 things that presenters make the mistake of not doing:
Realise that it's not about them and it is all about their audience:
Most presenters are too focused on themselves.
Remember ‘I am in control':
Many presenters don't realise they must be in complete control of themselves, their message and their environment if they are to maximise the likelihood of behaviour change in their audience.
Analyse their audience before writing the script:
In fact, many presenters don't think at all about who will be in their audience and how that might change the way they should deliver their messages.
Rehearse:
Sadly, most presenters run from one meeting to another, making very little time to even think through what they are going to say, let alone rehearse it out loud to check how it's going to sound.
Warm up:
If you've ever tripped over your words, you will know how much it can fluster you and make you nervous. Tripping over your words also reduces your credibility.
Connect with their audience:
They make PowerPoint their presentation and read it to their audience. ‘Death by PowerPoint' includes relying too heavily on information-packed slides that no-one can read, an approach that does not work.
Use their body to support their message:
For example, they place their hands over their crotch in what is known as the fig leaf, crotch clutch or reluctant nudist posture — gestures that detract from the overall message.
Really look at their audience between slides:
Audiences know when you are there for them rather than for yourself, and indirect or fake eye contact will result in a lack of connection and engagement with your audience.
Pause:
They use filler words like ‘um', ‘ah, ‘and so' instead of pausing. These mannerisms can make you look uncomfortable and will detract from the power of your message.
Call their audience to action and close the presentation with strength:
When a presenter fails to state their desired outcome, the audience will likely simply go back to work and change nothing.
Let's make sure this isn't you — the rest of this book is about showing you how!
How to get the best value from this book
I recommend you read through the chapters of this book and do the activities where possible. Then, when you have a more formal presentation coming up at work, whether online or in person, you can go through the steps one at a time, ensuring that your message is well crafted and that you maximise the likelihood of achieving your objectives.
Remember, it doesn't matter how good your message is if no-one is listening. And it doesn't matter how intelligent, creative or hard working you are if no-one is listening. So let's make sure your audience listens to you when you speak!
CHAPTER 1Persuasive presenting at a glance
Every important presentation should be planned. The good news is that the more practised and accomplished you are at crafting your message, the more efficient and effective you will become.
Exceptional presenting has only three phases:
Analysis — where you work out what you'd like to achieve and, importantly, what your audience needs from you. This is where you ascertain the current state of your audience as well as your own desired state for them.
Design — where you put your presentation together, making sure that you shift your audience from their current state to your desired state.
Delivery — where you communicate the message to your audience so that they are compelled to take action.
This three-phase approach is results oriented. Ultimately, it will help inspire you to:
step up and really be heard by the people around you
structure your message so it's clear and compelling
deliver your message with excellence (no matter how dull you think your subject is!), so that your audience responds positively.
I have watched and then given feedback to many thousands of people over the last few decades. I've helped thousands of people write winning scripts and I'm so passionate about this subject that I've immersed myself in the work of other theorists and subject matter experts. I want to enable anyone with a desire to learn how to present to quickly grasp both the fundamental and advanced skills required to become a brilliant presenter.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘It doesn't matter how intelligent, creative or hard working you are if no-one is listening when you speak up.'
Looking at the research
My 2010 survey of more than 800 respondents from the business world shows that audience members are pretty tough when it comes to whether or not they will listen in a presentation. Conservatively, they give presenters fewer than 5 minutes to prove themselves before they switch off. Most people said they give a presenter less than 2 minutes to prove themselves before they switch off and think about something else. This means you don't have much time at all to connect with your audience, capture their attention and make a positive impression. It's critical you start strong. (Chapter 5 will show you how to do this.)
When asked about workplace presenters they had seen face to face:
50 per cent of respondents thought presenters were a bit boring.
Only 52 per cent of respondents thought that presenters delivered their presentation so that audience members could relate to their message.
Only 38 per cent of respondents thought the presenters understood their needs as an audience member.
Only 40 per cent of respondents found the presenters to be engaging.
And, sadly, only 28 per cent of respondents said that they were moved to action after the most recent presentation they attended.
Death by PowerPoint isn't working!
When asked in the same survey about slide presentations they had seen in the last 12 months:
70 per cent of respondents said that workplace presenters generally relied heavily on PowerPoint slides. This limited their ability to connect with the audience and make their subject matter engaging and memorable.
55 per cent of respondents said that, in general, presenters read from their PowerPoint slides — at which time the audience members mostly chose to switch off and think about something else.
It's clear from this research that business audiences are asking for a new and better approach to presenting that doesn't involve death by PowerPoint.
We know we need development
When asked in the same survey about presentations they deliver at work:
More than 60 per cent of respondents admit to using their slides to help them remember what to say.
Nearly 60 per cent of respondents admit to being frequently nervous before giving presentations, which reduced their ability to connect with their audience.
Only 37 per cent of respondents feel that they are engaging, persuasive presenters.
75 per cent of respondents believe that they would receive more respect for their knowledge and expertise if they were better public speakers.
And my work in the years since my 2010 survey has only confirmed these findings. My most recent survey conducted in 2022 asked businesspeople about their common practice in online meetings. This survey found:
97 per cent of respondents admitted to sharing their screen in online meetings and never selecting ‘stop share' to bring the view back to all the faces on the screen. It was like watching a TV show for the audience — one slide after the next.
93 per cent of respondents felt disconnected in their online meetings (whether they were the presenter or the audience member).
86 per cent of respondents felt increased tiredness or ‘zoom fatigue' after a day of online meetings as compared with their memory of attending meeting after meeting of ‘live' interactions prior to COVID-19.
Virtual platforms aren't (always) the answer
I feel strongly that just because we can use virtual platforms, doesn't necessarily mean we should! Email, phone and, increasingly, good old-fashioned ‘live' meetings are alternative options.
And even though we have the technological capability to share our screen (and render our face the size of a postage stamp to take the pressure off our public speaking), that doesn't necessarily mean we should! After all, it's close to impossible to create a connection, build rapport and persuade someone when you can't really see their face.
What to do about ‘Zoom fatigue'
And, yes, it's not in your imagination! ‘Zoom fatigue' is real. Since the global pandemic of COVID-19, researchers far and wide have begun studying and reporting on this phenomenon that causes us to be more tired in a video call than during a face-to-face live meeting. Video calls force us to focus more intently on the conversation in order to absorb the point, require the audience and presenter to both stare directly at a screen for too long without any visual or mental break, and cause cognitive overload (and confusion) when audio and visual cues are out of sync due to dodgy internet connections.
Zoom fatigue was investigated by psychologist Jeff Hancock and his team from Stanford University. They interviewed 10 322 respondents and released their findings in 2021. One in seven women reported feeling ‘very' to ‘extremely' fatigued after Zoom calls, compared to around one in 20 men. Some experts suggest this is due to what is known as ‘mirror anxiety' — that is, women are more likely than men to look at themselves on the screen rather than at the other audience members or straight into the camera. The researchers concluded that it is important to maximise the benefits of virtual meetings while simultaneously reducing any psychological costs.
Suggested ‘fixes' to the problem of virtual meeting exhaustion are:
video-free meetings — just sound, no camera
guidelines regarding the length of meetings
rules about breaks between meetings
standards outlining how frequently people meet online.
What does all this mean?
All this research into presenting — both face to face and online — means that, 13 years after the first edition of this bestselling book was published, we are still going to too many boring presentations (live or online), where the presenter is not enjoying themselves and the audience is enjoying themselves even less! In some cases, these interactions are causing people to feel fatigue and experience burnout.
Making a conscious decision to take your communication seriously is, therefore, critical. Please know that anyone can be an exceptional presenter. It doesn't matter whether you are presenting live or virtually — you can ‘wow' your audience, you can engage them and compel them to action and, yes, you can have them remembering you for years to come no matter how dry or technical your subject matter. You can enthuse and delight people if you put your mind to it! It's just a matter of knowing what to do and actually doing it.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘Take action today to improve the way you present (both live and online) in business.'
Let's be clear on what presenting means
I believe presenting is any form of communication with another person (including virtually, face to face, over the phone, by email or through the internet). Presenting can be one to one, or with small and large groups. I believe we present both formally and informally. In short, most people in business present every day of their lives — over and over again.
Presenting is about connecting with people through the words you choose to say and the way you choose to say them. When you present, you show people who you are and how you can help them. It's an opportunity to step up and be noticed for what you can offer. Presenting provides a unique opportunity for you to showcase your professional expertise and accelerate your career.
Many people think of presentation skills as the techniques that help you to have a confident voice and good posture, or that help you design your slides. I believe that presenting is not just about an ability to speak clearly with precise articulation and beautiful posture, and it's definitely not about your slides! Of course, presenting does include these things — and it is much, much more.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘Presenting is about connecting with your audience through the use of a clever structure and masterful delivery.'
Many people confess that their standard approach to presenting is to spend most of their time on their visual aids or slide presentation, and then just hope that they can wing the rest. At best, the slides end up restricting the presenter's ability to connect with their audience; at worst, this approach forces the presenter to simply read out their slides to their audience. I'm sure you'd agree that neither of these options is very good for your audience.
Successful, confident, engaging presenters think deeply about their audience, and they are sure about what they are trying to achieve. In short — they do the work! They respect their audience and they master their craft.
If you want to be a confident, influential, impressive presenter, understanding your audience — before you even think about designing what you're going to present — is critical. If you take some time to think about what the current state of your audience is and then work out what you would like to achieve, you'll be much more likely to begin your presentation in a confident frame of mind. You'll also maximise the likelihood of changing your audience's behaviour — which is usually why we present, isn't it? Regardless of whether you wish to sway opinion, introduce controversial ideas or change long-standing policies or redundant methods, understanding your audience will help you feel so much more confident. Chapter 2 gives you the specifics on how to do this.
Successful presenting is also about staying true to yourself. In the business world, many people spend a lot of their time trying to please or impress others. If you find yourself doing this as you're presenting, you may lose a sense of yourself. You may become confused about who you really are, and the result is that the audience can then find it difficult to connect with you. Thank goodness the world is made up of all types of people. And I know that whoever you are, whatever your style, you are gorgeous!
Instead of trying to be someone you are not, just know you are fantastic — and be as good as you can at being you! In other words, focus on your strengths and on being the best you that you can be. That's the key to ongoing confidence, rapport and authenticity as a presenter.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘It's important that you are as authentic as possible.'
Remember, exceptional presenting has only three phases:
Analysis
Design
Delivery
All you need to do is go through these three phases step by step and you will influence your audience to change their behaviour. It's really that simple! And remember the wise words of author and international speaker Marianne Williamson, who said, ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure … We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant …? Actually, who are you not to be?'
Guiding principles for presenting
Through my research and work, I've developed the following guiding principles, which should be your presentation mantra every day you go to work. Your guiding principles are:
It's not about me. It's all about the audience!
I respect my audience, prepare in advance and strive to master my craft.
I understand that structure is essential for both me and my audience.
I will always use proven formulas for structuring my communication, so everyone wins!
I am confident and interesting and I will strive to be as good at being my authentic self as possible.
It doesn't matter how good my message is if no-one is listening! I will do what I can to help them listen.
Presenting is a lot more than a nice voice, good body language and some slides.
Presenting is about connecting with people through the words I choose to say and the way I choose to say them. I will choose carefully!
Nerves and presenting
Of course, this wouldn't be a presentation skills book if I didn't address what many surveys say is the greatest fear in the world — the fear of public speaking! Let's talk about that right now.
Most people feel very anxious before important presentations. For many people, this anxiety can extend to informal team meetings or presentations to colleagues, even if such events occur regularly.
If you are one of the many people who feels nervous before a presentation, you will probably know that this nervousness can present itself in a variety of forms. Symptoms can be as mild as sweaty palms, a dry mouth, blushing or a thumping heartbeat, or can be more severe — through to physical illnesses such as the shakes, vomiting or diarrhoea (to name just a few!). No wonder public speaking is considered to be up there with some of the greatest fears in the world! These awful symptoms can significantly reduce the amount of enjoyment you derive from communicating at a high level with others.
Well, it's time for some good news. Presenting can be fun! In fact, I believe presenting should be fun. Managing nerves is mostly to do with your approach, regardless of whether you are presenting at work or in a conference environment.
Moving from ‘fight or flight' to eustress
In 1915, the concept of fight or flight was developed by Dr Walter Cannon to describe an animal's response to threat. Essentially, you can think of this theory like this: when you are faced with stress (presenting is very stressful for many people) you have two choices:
Fight it:
In other words, you can soldier on and push through your discomfort to beat the feeling. If you choose to fight, you can make the most of the opportunities that emerge and step up and be heard so people know what you are capable of.
Run away:
That is, you could choose to flee, avoid presenting, and delegate the job to a colleague. If you flee, you will avoid the stress and conflict, but you will also pass up the chance to showcase your professional expertise. No-one will know what you actually think or feel about the subject, and you may find yourself being passed over for future opportunities.
This understanding of fight or flight from Dr Cannon can be coupled with a concept described by Dr Hans Selye, who discovered and documented the fact that as humans we experience two main kinds of stress: distress and eustress.
Distress is the bad, or negative, kind of stress that weakens and disables you; eustress, on the other hand, is a positive, or good, stress that enables you and makes you powerful. The main way to turn your distress into eustress is to use the power of your mind and your self-talk to reframe in your mind that you are a strong and confident presenter, and you will do a great job when you present.
Another way to make your stress positive is to try really hard to keep reminding yourself that the presentation is not about you: it's all about the audience. If you can focus your attention on how your audience is feeling and what they need to hear from you, your nerves will immediately begin to dissipate. This is because you have less space in your brain for analysing your own consciousness. In other words, if you are more focused on your audience, you will be less preoccupied with yourself.
You can use a number of excellent techniques to reduce your nerves and increase your enjoyment when presenting — and they don't include imagining your audience naked! What a laugh! I've been told stories time and time again from presenters who were told by their manager to imagine their audience naked, and they either froze on the stage or felt more nervous than ever.
TIP
Michelle says,
‘Imagining your audience naked will not work, so please don't do it!'
You will manage public speaking nerves if you understand your audience (chapter 2), prepare thoroughly (chapters 3 to 8), rehearse (chapter 9), warm up your mind, voice and body (chapters 9 and 10), and connect with your audience by ‘extending the self' (chapter 11) or projecting into the camera (chapter 20).
If nerves really are a problem for you, taking steps to eliminate your limiting beliefs, being yourself, and actively seeking positive feedback (chapter 18) is also important.
Let me tempt you towards increasing confidence by briefly touching on some of these elements before examining the nerves dilemma in more detail through the course of this book.
Common mistakes people make in attempting to reduce their nerves
The two common mistakes people make in an attempt to reduce their nerves are:
They make themselves too dependent on slides.
They avoid presenting altogether and delegate to someone else.
Let's explore this in more detail.
SLIDES ARE NOT THE PRESENTATION
Some people cope with the pressure of presenting by making their slides the focus of their presentation. They simply read from, or heavily rely on, their slides. This is not ideal if you are trying to persuade an audience. For some help on how to design your presentation so that you don't need to rely on your slides, read chapters 4 and 5.
AVOIDANCE IS NOT THE ANSWER
Other people cope with the pressure of presenting by doing their best to avoid presenting altogether! One wonderful client of mine had avoided presenting for 24 years of his career. He had even quit jobs to avoid presenting. In a program I ran recently, a participant aged 24 told me that both his parents had spent their entire careers quitting jobs to avoid presenting. He was on my program to ensure that he wouldn't repeat the negative, vicious and very contagious cycle he observed as a child.
Jenny's story
Jenny attended my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass in 2017. In her introduction to the group, she explained she hated public speaking. She was frequently so nervous she could barely breathe. She admitted to us that she hadn't even been sure she would be able to walk through the front door of the venue where my masterclass was being held, much less sit in the actual training room. And then Jenny paused. It felt like quite some time passed. We all waited respectfully for what she was about to say next.
Jenny took a big breath and then she explained, ‘I'm just so sick of everyone else being promoted ahead of me, taking credit for my ideas, and essentially “stealing” opportunities from under my feet because I am too scared to speak up and own my work, my ideas and my achievements.'
Wow! Powerful stuff, hey? And yes to Jenny! Don't let someone else take credit for your work because you didn't know the presenting formulas to follow. Learn the formulas, express yourself and be rewarded for your efforts. Life is too short to give everyone else a leg up first!
Thank goodness you have this book. Please keep reading!
Top tips for developing more confidence when presenting
No single thing, magic formula or short cut is a panacea for a lack of confidence when presenting. If you feel you are lacking in confidence, consider a change of approach. Begin by writing a slogan in big letters:
IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE AUDIENCE!
And then try the following tips:
Analyse your audience.
Structure your message.
Rehearse until you can't get it wrong.
Breathe deeply using your diaphragm.
Relax your muscles.
Focus fully on the audience.
Use the power of your mind.
Get feedback.
The following sections (and chapters in this book) provide further help in each of these areas.
ANALYSE YOUR AUDIENCE
Spending some time analysing both the current and desired state of your audience is critical. This way you will better understand what your audience needs to hear in your presentation, and you will also be much clearer about what you need to achieve from the presentation. This step is so important because without it you will be creating slides or just winging your presentation with no clear purpose. When you sense during the presentation that you're going nowhere fast because you're unclear about what you need to say and the best way to say it, you may well feel even more nervous!
TIP
Michelle says,
‘Remember the good old saying: perfect preparation prevents poor performance.'
STRUCTURE YOUR MESSAGE
If you have a nice, tight, well-crafted message, and you have designed it with a model that allows you to remember the information without relying on notes, then of course you'll feel more confident.
REHEARSE UNTIL YOU CAN'T GET IT WRONG
Yes, I know that's bad news! I don't know anyone who loves rehearsing — and I'm connected with most of the top speakers in the world! It's a fact that great speakers rehearse until they can't get it wrong. For more information on how to rehearse quickly and efficiently, see chapter 9.
BREATHE DEEPLY USING YOUR DIAPHRAGM
Breathing is something we take for granted. We think and breathe all the time. Unfortunately, one of the most common pieces of feedback that I give to clients in presentation skills training and coaching is to breathe! Although diaphragmatic breathing (chapter 10) does take some practice, it will provide you with many benefits:
You will feel calmer.
Your voice will be more powerful.
You will retain your clarity of thought, because when you breathe deeply your heart pumps oxygen around your body and to your brain more efficiently.
RELAX YOUR MUSCLES
Releasing the tension in your body and simply relaxing is something that takes lots of practice. Just think about all those millions of people around the globe who engage in some kind of meditation, yoga or massage to try to wind down. You may not have the time or the money to go off for a massage the hour before every presentation you deliver. So what can you do to help yourself? Try to ascertain where you hold your tension. Perhaps it is in your shoulders, neck or face. Some people even hold tension in the buttocks. Once you have isolated your problem area, try tensing and relaxing the muscles associated with that area. Do this just before you present — you will be amazed at the difference. Chapter 11 provides some detailed exercises for you.
FOCUS FULLY ON THE AUDIENCE
You may agree that when you are nervous, your focus is on the symptoms that indicate nervousness. In other words, you become aware of your thumping heartbeat, the butterflies in your stomach and an increased body temperature. And often the more you focus on the symptoms, the worse they get — and you feel even more nervous!
A secret called ‘extending the self' can help you to stop being so self-focused. The idea behind extending the self is that if you can find a way to fully focus on your audience, you won't be aware of feeling the various nervous symptoms, and that means you won't feel nervous.
Chapter 11 elaborates on this important technique for you.
USE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND
Many of the best presenters use the power of positive thinking before they present. They imagine themselves as successful, confident, engaging speakers and are often delighted with the results. You should not, of course, let this technique change you into something that you are not. Rather, it should help to bring out an inherent quality that you believe you are not yet displaying. Chapter 9 explores mind power in more detail and includes some fascinating examples.
