- [Shannon] Welcome everyone, thank you for joining me
for our mini course on Mastering Presentations.
How to Improve YOURS in Under an Hour.
My name is Shannon Alter
and I am delighted to take this journey with you
so that you can take your own presentation
from staid to spectacular.
Quite often I'll chat with clients or team members
or colleagues who will say,
"Gosh, you know I'm just not comfortable
in making that presentation,
or having that communication,
what can I do to improve it?"
And so I'm here to help you with that.
Everything that I show you here in this session,
and everything that I demonstrate to you,
you can take back and put into practice right away.
So let's roll.
My goal is to have each of you be batting a thousand
by the time that you're done.
And so here are some strategies
that we're going to look at,
do you want to go from ordinary to impactful?
I'm betting that's why each of you is here.
So take a look at all of these tips.
We also have some downloadable information for you as well.
Here's our agenda for this session.
And it's just four things.
So first, one of the seven benefits
of communication that wins.
I believe that presentations,
any kind of presentation is really a communication.
And we have to communicate with everyone
in our daily lives.
Sometimes people will say,
"Well, gosh, I don't make a big, big presentation,
or I don't usually talk to large groups."
It's still all pertains,
and I'm going to show you how.
And then number two, what are the five biggest mistakes,
think of pitfalls, or roadblocks
and how could you avoid them?
And number three,
what are some myths and truths
that I know you'll want to hear?
And number four,
what are next steps you can take to implement this yourself?
So you might be saying,
"Hey Shannon, what do I do first?"
Sometimes it's just overwhelming.
I have all of these ideas or all of this information,
how can I get it straight and onto my plate?
So let's look at module one,
I have three modules for you.
So first, we're going to talk about communication that wins.
And in this module,
we'll talk about those seven benefits,
why I think you'll really want it.
Number two, how can you get your message across?
Because it's really
all about not only communication, but conversation.
And that leads me to number three,
how can you turn any communication into a conversation?
I think often when we can have that communication,
but when it's not a conversation,
you can really tell, right?
You can tell when somebody is stiff or staid.
So we'll talk about how to get to that conversation level.
Here are some benefits that I think you'll want to know.
So these are seven benefits of communication that wins.
So number seven, first on my list is be ready.
So if you're ready,
if you can go through all of the things
that I'm going to teach you,
and show you in this mini course,
then you'll be ready,
no matter what that communication is,
not only will you be well positioned
for your presentation or communication,
but you'll be ready, you'll know what to do
and you'll be flexible.
Number six, convey.
You want to be able
to convey your message clearly and concisely.
So we'll talk about that.
Often, people want to include everything
in their communication or their presentation.
And here's the news, you can include everything.
Or maybe you don't want to
because people aren't going to hear that.
Number five, it's about that conversation.
If I could have figured out
how to put this in neon lights with balloons around it,
I would have because it's that crucial.
So you want to be able to make your communication
or your presentation into that conversation.
And I would urge you
to think about how do you chat with someone you know,
and someone you respect?
So it could be a family member,
it could be a colleague or a friend.
Think about that same type of conversation
and what you do there,
and how you can segue that or translate that
into your own presentation.
And number four is learn.
So we'll be very specific here.
How can you learn to structure a presentation
or a conversation?
Because sometimes that's where we go sideways.
We have, again, a lot of information,
a lot of stuff, we want to include everything.
So how can you structure it?
Number three, sometimes we all get nervous.
And so how can you manage those jitters?
Sometimes people will say,
"Wow, I'm so nervous, I'm sweating,
I don't know what to say."
And sometimes you just have to get over it.
Sometimes you need to know
how you can manage each of those things.
And then number two, refinement is key.
So I would bet if I talked with each and every one of you
then you already have some great communication skills
that you can use.
The trick is just using them for yourself
in your own presentation.
We'll talk about that.
And number one is delivery,
how can you put all this together and deliver it?
So let's talk first about getting your message across.
A couple of years ago,
I was asked to coach, a gentleman who was an engineer,
and he was going to speak at a big conference.
And his topic was pretty technical.
And so when we chatted, I said,
"Let me see your slides and what you're talking about."
And I thought, "Hmm, I don't understand what he's saying."
And so that is similar to what we have here on the screen.
It was kind of gibberish to me.
And so my first thought was,
"Okay, who's his audience?"
And that was my question to him,
"Is your audience, a technical audience?
Are they going to understand what you're saying?
Or are they non technical,
and they might just go to sleep?"
And he thought about it and he said,
"Well, you're right.
They're not a technical audience.
It's a lay audience."
And so what we worked on
was how to make him not only relevant,
but make sure his message was concise.
It was clear that people understood what he was saying
so that he could relate that to the audience
that he was going to have in front of him.
So think about your message.
Sometimes, what we do is we may use lingo.
I had a client who said,
she looked at this and she said,
"Ha, my team tells me all the time
that I'm kind of guilty of using lingo
or a lot of technical terms."
So think about how you get your message across.
Clarity counts.
Again, if I could have put this in neon, I would have.
Be as clear as you can.
I like to think of this
as kind of the old journalism school of thinking.
It's five things, who, what, when, where, why.
You might expand that last one
to how, so who, what, when, where, and why or how.
And if you are not clear on that message,
if you're veering right or you're veering left,
you're not being clear.
I also think it's worthwhile
to maybe deliver your presentation
or have someone else listen to it
who is not familiar with what you're talking about.
That could be a colleague, a friend,
it could even be your mom.
So ask them," Hey, am I being clear?
Do you understand what I said?
Or what does this mean to you?"
I'll do that a lot.
So I'll say,
"Hey, this is what I'm thinking,
here's how I want to display it to you.
And I'll take it to someone else and say,
"What do you think?
And immediately, they say,
"I don't get that."
That causes me maybe to rethink how clear I'm being.
So think about clarity,
think of what you're going to include,
and make sure that you're staying absolutely on track.
Go ahead, hook 'em.
I like to borrow this phrase
from advertising master David Ogilvy, open with the fire.
What does that mean?
That means if you've got something important to say,
whether it's in a verbal presentation,
or an email, or a written presentation,
tell us right away,
don't make me wait until the very end to hear something
that was important that I should have heard that
at the beginning.
I was working with a client
who badly wanted to include all of the information
that she was getting ready for a board presentation.
And she was concerned
that she wouldn't be able to answer their questions
or she just wanted to make sure of course,
that everything was perfect.
And so she was including everything
pretty much chronologically.
And I said, "Well, this is great backstory,
you need to know this,
and have this in your head,
because that lends to your credibility for sure."
But you don't need to tell them everything.
Make sure you understand what they want to know
and hook 'em from the start
and then you're going to have all of this
in your back pocket, so to speak,
so that you can address those things as they come up.
And when you hook your audience,
you're painting a picture
of what you're going to be talking about.
So here in this course, for example,
I painted the picture for you
that we're going to talk about
how you can master your presentation,
and some things you can do in under an hour to do that.
So you want to show your audience how it relates to them.
And you'll remember that I did this at the beginning
of this course by saying,
"Hey, sometimes clients, colleagues and team members
will tell me they're a little uncomfortable,
and they want some solid tactics.
And then you're going to reinforce your message throughout.
So whatever your hook was,
you're going to reinforce that again
and again, and again.
Here are some tips I have for you
when it comes to getting your message across,
stand up and look up.
This is true whether you're doing a presentation in person,
or virtually a little different for each
but the same things apply.
I was attending a virtual conference recently
and there was a colleague of mine
who is a really good speaker, very engaging guy,
only I was looking at the top of his head the whole time,
we don't want to do that, we want to see your face.
So stand up and look up.
And surely if you're in a more informal conversation,
you might be sitting down but for example,
if you see me doing a virtual conference
or a virtual presentation,
I'm standing up.
And the reason I do that is I think that when you stand,
things are a little bit different,
you breathe a little bit differently,
your voice might be different,
your posture is different.
So whichever you choose,
you want to be screen ready.
And I use that in the virtual sense.
But think of it in person as well,
we want to see some light on your face,
you'd be surprised how many times people
are actually literally in the dark when they're on screen.
So it pays to go invest
in an inexpensive LED or ring light or something like that,
we want to see you.
Try and look eye to eye.
And you may have heard this before,
but make sure you position your camera,
whether it's your laptop, or external,
so that it is meeting your eyeballs.
Otherwise, you're going to be kind of looking around
at other things and not us.
So think of that camera as me on the other side.
Always, always check your tech,
whether it's for a virtual presentation,
or whether you're in person, stuff can go sideways.
I've been in situations where there's an earthquake,
there's a power outage,
various things can happen,
the tech goes sideways,
I was speaking of a power outage,
I was doing a presentation a few years ago
in a country other than my own,
and there was a power outage.
And so fortunately, we were prepared,
we'll talk about that plan B,
but it was darkest night in our room.
And so I was teaching from my laptop
and I fortunately had my plan B, my iPad.
And so I was able to whip that out and teach from that
and my colleague also had an iPad
and so that's how we did it.
And then last but not least, get some help.
It's okay, whether you're in person or doing it virtually,
to have kind of a producer on the side or somebody
who can help you.
Especially if you're looking at a virtual situation
where you have audience members coming in,
get some help.
What's your job?
All of our jobs, when we do a presentation
or telecommunication is to tell the story.
So it's that who, what, when, where and why.
Tell people what they want to know first.
Why are you here?
So in this virtual course,
we are here to chat about and tell the story
about how you can be able to deliver your own presentation
in the best way possible.
So what's up next?
Let's talk about module two.
So in this module,
we're going to talk about some pitfalls that can occur.
And I already shared a couple with you.
But even the best presenters,
and speakers and actors among us can make a mistake.
So it's great to know what these are ahead of time
so you can plan for them
because that flexibility is key.
So first is not having a plan B.
And I shared with you a situation I had
when there was a power outage.
So I like to have a plan B, that was my iPad,
and a plan C and maybe a D.
So my plan C in that case was,
well, I had my iPad, my colleague had hers,
but we're in a dark, warm room and it simply got too hot
and so we said,
"Hey, we are taking this outside."
That was my plan C.
We'll talk about body language.
So don't forget your body language,
whether you're in person or you're on screen.
I had a client not too long ago
and this was both virtual and in person where she,
when you talk to her one on one,
she was fine.
When she got up in front of a group,
even a small one,
she seemed to shrink inside herself,
if you know what I mean,
her arms were kind of wrapped around her,
her stance was very close
and even her voice got very soft.
And when I asked her about it,
and I said, "Hey tell me about this,
what's going on?"
She said, "Oh, I didn't know I was doing that.
In my head, I'm speaking louder.
Or in my head, I'm using an approachable stance."
Neither of which was true.
So that was something we were able to work on
to get her to do.
Number three, big mistake, being disorganized
for that conversation or communication.
And when it happens, you know it.
You'll be thinking,
"Oh my goodness, I don't really know
what I'm going to say next.
I'm not prepared,
or I thought they were going to talk about this
or want to know that.
You can't account for everything
and you have to be flexible enough
to answer those questions that may come up.
And that's a whole different course
but being organized is key.
Lack of rehearsal,
another case where I'd love to put this
in neon lights times three or four.
Sometimes people will say,
"Well, I want to be spontaneous."
Well, that's true.
That's true, we do want it
to seem like it's conversational, right?
We want to be conversational.
But you have to rehearse and I'll give you an example.
So for me, for example, when I prepare,
I do a certain amount of rehearsing.
And I may have everything on a slide,
or I may have a bullet point or a picture
that I want to refer to,
or I've written out my script in advance,
but sometimes it doesn't come out of my mouth the same way
that I planned.
And so that rehearsal is key.
And think about it this way,
when you attend a play, or a movie,
you see the seamless performance,
you don't see everything that goes on in the background
so we'll talk about that.
And in flexibility,
we've talked about this,
but flexibility is really key
because different things are just going to happen, face it.
So again, if there's no plan,
you're in trouble, you've got to have a plan.
And I think that, again,
I recommend you have a plan B,
and even a Plan C,
because you have to adapt
to what your audience is asking for.
So for example, if I'm doing a presentation,
I or whether for a client or for a conference,
I like to ask what people's challenges are.
And there are a couple of reasons for that.
A, I want to know
and B, maybe there's something they come up with,
that I hadn't thought of,
or, hmm, this is an area that I could answer
in our communication,
because I want to make sure that it's relevant.
So always have that plan.
Structuring your conversation.
This is a big topic for people.
And I have a downloadable tip sheet for you.
So be sure and access that.
Here are six steps that you can take.
First, think about the story.
So what are you trying to say?
So always go back to that roadmap and that story.
if you're veering right, you're veering left,
not going to happen,
you need to think about the story.
Two, outline your thoughts.
So I use the word outline a little bit loosely,
whatever floats your boat here.
For me, I love to use a whiteboard,
I do two things.
So I like to use a whiteboard
and I use that to get all of my ideas out of my head
because I have a lot of ideas
and a lot to say as you can imagine.
So I may write things on the whiteboard,
I might just take a deck of Post-its,
and slap them up there with different things
so that A, I can move them around
and B, I can see what's necessary for the conversation
or the presentation at hand.
And so what I'll do, for example,
if I'm using Post-its on that whiteboard,
or if I'm even writing it down,
say on a notepad,
then things that don't apply,
I can move to the side
because maybe they're great for another conversation,
or maybe it just doesn't apply at all.
So outline your thoughts.
Number three, get yourself organized.
So that's part of it.
When you're going to do that presentation or communication,
figure out how you can organize it.
When I first started out,
I wrote everything down
and I mean on yellow legal pads.
I wrote everything down.
Well, within about five minutes after I got up
to deliver my talk,
I realized this is not going to work.
So you have to figure out what kind of organization
is better for you.
Number four, settle on a topic,
you can't talk about everything in every conversation.
So you'll notice, earlier,
I mentioned a couple of things
that might be in another course
but that we can't detail here.
Or you might say in your presentation,
"Hey, this is worth a whole topic, all to itself."
So settle on your topic.
Number five, have a purpose.
So our purpose here is to show you
how you can master presentations in under an hour.
That's our purpose.
And then number six,
so decide on a style.
It could be formal,
it could be informal.
Are you sitting across the table from someone,
whether virtually or in person?
Or are you presenting in a big board meeting,
for example, what's your style going to be?
And once you have those six things
that will help you structure your conversation,
mind your body language,
we talked a little bit about this.
But whether you're virtual or in person,
think about what that non verbal communication is saying.
So whether your arms are tight across your chest,
you're maybe jiggling,
the change in your pocket,
your eyes are somewhere else,
what is that nonverbal communication saying?
And what is your method of communication?
So think about your body language
a little more expansively.
Again, are you doing it virtually?
Are you over the phone?
Are you in person with somebody?
And number three, think about your eyes and your voice.
So you'll recall the example I gave you a short while ago,
about a client whose voice turned really soft,
or when she got up in front of somebody,
and she wasn't aware of it.
Or maybe if you're in person,
or even online, maybe you turn around
and someone can't hear you.
So think about your voice,
we want to hear some energy from you,
we want it to be strong.
And we want to have that eye contact,
whether you're in person or virtually.
So here's a little trick you can try.
The idea is that you try this task for a full day,
although I tell you, that's kind of hard.
I've done it for a half a day,
and it can be tough.
So what I want you to do is try
and remember the eye color of every person you meet.
It maybe a little more difficult virtually,
but you can do it, try and remember the eye color.
And that's not so that you're staring at somebody,
but it's to kind of get you used to that eye contact.
And then the fourth thing is, of course, smile.
If you're not smiling,
we can hear that in your voice.
So again, we want to hear your smile.
What can a rehearsal do for you?
Again, think of this in neon lights.
So to go back to my example
of thinking about a great play or a movie,
we don't see what happens in the background typically,
we don't see the actors rehearsing their lines,
or setting their marks
or the lighting director figuring out the cues,
or the stage manager figuring out what should happen next.
We don't see all of that.
And there's a reason for that, right?
That's called rehearsal.
So we want to make sure
that we've rehearsed our presentation or communication
to have that same great experience on the audience side.
And for me,
what I like to do is I like to rehearse three times.
And typically I do it three times only.
So after I write or put together my presentation,
I'll rehearse the first time to make sure as I said earlier,
that what comes out of my mouth is flowing, right?
Because sometimes I might make a note
or I might change it around.
So I want to make sure I do that.
So that's my first rehearsal.
My second rehearsal,
if I have the opportunity is about a week
before my presentation.
And then my third rehearsal will be probably the day before,
I don't want to do it any more than three times
because then it tends
to become overscripted and overrehearsed.
So think about what rehearsal can do for you.
And rigor.
So rigor can certainly apply to the discipline
that we're going to use
in putting our presentation together.
But it could also mean in my mind,
a little bit of inflexibility.
And you've got to be flexible,
because people will ask you all kinds of questions,
other things might come up.
Your job is to tell that story in your presentation,
and lead them to where you want them to go.
So what should I look out for?
Let's talk about some myths
and some truths here in module three.
So we'll talk about what you've heard,
and where you could listen best,
some myths and some truths,
and then talk about how you can boost your impact.
So what have you heard?
I'll share a story with you.
When I first started out,
I would have a dream
and you might call it a nightmare,
every time I was going to get up and present,
and it would go somewhat like this,
it would be one of these variations on the theme.
So get to the venue or the office or the ballroom,
and the door would be locked,
I'd be in the wrong place,
or it was the wrong time.
Or maybe I had severe bedhead,
or I showed up in my PJs.
So that was kind of in my mind,
I was expecting that every time.
So that part you just have to get over.
Here are some myths and truths.
One, number one, you can wing it,
Well, even the best amongst us probably don't wing it,
there is rehearsal going on in the background,
you want that conversation to be spontaneous.
And that's the idea of a conversation.
But you need to have that rehearsal in the background.
And that preparation is key.
Number two, no one gets nervous.
Well, not true.
Everybody gets a little bit nervous, right?
And that's okay.
Number three, another myth is that you should put everything
in your presentation,
well, we chatted about how you can get organized.
And that's the first key
to deciding what's most critical to your presentation.
So some truths.
As I mentioned, DYH counts.
So if you've been with me before,
you know that I love this acronym,
given to me by a former boss, actually,
and this is do your homework.
So that doing your homework,
whether it's the organization, the presentation,
that is what really counts,
and will get you to success in delivering your presentation.
Number two, that storytelling, again, is key.
Why are you there?
What's the wider audience there?
What's the who, what, when, where and why?
And then number three,
we want to make sure that we connect, right?
You want to connect with that story
and that's how we're going to convey.
I have a white colored version of this,
so a lighter colored,
but I chose red, because again,
we want to make sure our impact is high.
And so all of these tactics will take you there.
And I have some ninja moves that I think you can use.
So solutions that you can practice,
and here are a few of them.
Number one, owning the room.
So that's again, whether you're virtual,
or whether you're in person,
you want to have that presence,
that's going to make people pay attention.
So think about your voice, your eye contact,
your body language,
how you can own that room.
Number two, get organized, again, repeating it.
So making sure you do your homework,
I'm pretty diligent about that
because everything you do in the background
is going to make all the difference
when you get up to deliver. Rehearse it live.
There's no excuse today for not being able to do that.
That could be in front of a colleague, a team member,
your mom, in the mirror.
So,rehearse it so that you know
what's going to come out of your mouth.
Number four, make sure you hook 'em.
You've got to tell people why they're there.
And don't save it till the very end,
when they've forgotten about it.
Number five, use a little stagecraft.
Remember that seamless effect
that you see as an audience member
when you go to a play or to a movie
and what it takes to get to that point.
And then of course,
what is your final presentation going to be?
That's what you want to practice.
Here's some homework for you.
So again, if you've been with me before,
you know I'm a little fond of giving homework,
and this really works. You can do it.
I do it two ways in my workshops:
I do it either a self video,
so that would be you or two people.
If you have someone else you can do with,
that works great too.
I think today,
we all have various methods to record something,
whether it's online or whether it's using your phone,
I recommend you just take your phone.
And for example,
if you have two people,
you could each video each other's talk
and video and record that.
If it's just yourself,
go ahead and just record yourself.
The reason for this is: it's great practice
and you can see what you do.
So at the very least,
you never want to just rehearse by reading
what you've got or reading your slides,
or snapping through them on your laptop.
At least practice in front of a mirror.
Better yet, do it in front of somebody live.
Even better yet,
video it so you can see what you do.
So maybe you're fidgeting with your outfit,
or maybe you're jingling change in your pocket,
or maybe your eyes are elsewhere,
or your voice is too soft.
That's your homework.
I'd love to hear from some of you,
as to whether this worked for you.
I like to say -finally- put it on the board.
Remember I mentioned to you-
I love to use a whiteboard.
That's a great way to get all of my ideas out
and help organize my conversation.
And I'd like you to think about this-
so a little more homework,
think about what you would put on the board.
And if I'm you, I would put it right in front of you,
say on your phone.
I want to post it on your own whiteboard.
What are you going to do to master YOUR presentation?
What are your takeaways from our course here today?
And some reminders for you:
we want to make sure that we're connecting,
so we have that conversation in order to convey.
Then we want to structure that conversation:
we want to make sure that we're organized in the background.
We have that stagecraft.
And we want to make sure
that we have a plan B, C, and well, maybe even a D.
Overall, we want to tell the story.
We want to let people know why they're there,
and lead them to where we want them to go.
Then we want to rehearse times three.
Now you don't have to actually do it three times,
if that's not your thing.
But you want to rehearse
so that you get that presentation just the way you want it.
I think each of YOU can go from staid to spectacular.
If you'd like to hear more,
here's my contact information:
and of course, you can sign up for my newsletter
to stay in the loop.
I will be doing more mini courses,
so stay in the loop for those.
Thank you for joining us here!