Seven deadly sins of the confident presenter
We all know the sins of the nervous presenter: Reading slides, quiet voice, looking at the ground – the list goes on. But what we rarely talk about, are the sins of the more confident presenter. The people who present most often, the leaders, or those born with the gift of the gab.
If this is you, you may want to read on…..
Sin 1: Using too many words (the sin I commit most often).
You might feel comfortable talking to a group. You might like the sound of your own voice. But remember – a confident speaker is not always an effective speaker. Choose your words wisely. Strive for sharpness and clarity. Be conscious of waffling, or talking about yourself too much. Say it once, say it well.
Sin 2: Giving a speech (the sin I used to commit most often).
Standing up in the boardroom and swinging into a full-scale oratory. It may have worked for the preacher at Harry and Megan’s wedding. It probably won’t work for you. Business audiences soon become uncomfortable with over the top speeches. Try taking it down a notch or two.
Sin 3: Talking about what you want to talk about.
Preparing for a presentation without thinking about your audience. If your content is not valuable to the audience – why are you giving the presentation? The majority of ineffective presentations are planned around the question “what do I want to talk about?” A much more useful question is “what value can I offer this audience?” If you just want to rant – maybe consider a YouTube channel instead.
Sin 4: Getting visibly annoyed with your audience.
Getting wound up when people check their phones, chat to colleagues or ask questions. Do people starting at their phones annoy you? Well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s time to move on. Try giving them the benefit of the doubt. They might be checking their emails or taking notes. Or even better (but less likely) they may be #tagging you #bestbusinesspresentationever. However (unless you are a secondary school teacher) they are probably not doing it to wind you up or to be ‘disrespectful’. It’s hard to hide frustration at the front of the room – and it’s not a good look. Think like Elsa – and let it go.
Sin 5: Wasting the audience’s time.
Probably the most common sin on the list. Presenters wasting people’s precious time. To avoid this happening I would recommend asking yourself the following questions before sending out your calendar invites. 1) Do I actually need to ‘present’ this? Could I send an email or document instead? 2) Who actually needs to be in the audience? Take a leaf out of Elon Musk’s book and apply the ‘will they offer value’ rule to your invitees. If you just need to tell them something and not engage in any kind of discussion, there may be a more efficient (and less time consuming) way of doing it.
Sin 6: Not preparing.
I often work with leaders who are natural presenters and don’t feel the need to prepare. They are confident ‘winging it’. I used to be this person. I was wrong. Everyone in the room has given up their time to listen to you. Respect their time and make it count. Take time to order your thoughts. Be clear, structured and concise. Preparation will always make your communications more effective. No matter what.
Sin 7: And finally…..acting like a school teacher.
Speaking to your audience in a condescending manner. Asking talkers if they would like to ‘share their conversation with the class”. Welcoming latecomers with comments such as “thank you for finally joining us!” This behaviour is not respectful or appropriate for adult audiences. Don’t do it. No matter what your position is.
To make the shift from a good communicator to a great communicator – check out my masterclass here.