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A science site I follow on Instagram recently posted about a museum docent who hosted learning lectures for children. The reader explained that, in these lectures, the docent delivered her first line with the kind of panache you might hear from a wrestling match moderator. “Every time you passed the room where she was giving a presentation, you’d hear something like ‘WHO’S READY FOR CEPHALOPODS?!?!’ and the kids would go absolutely nuts cheering.”

Chances are, most of the kids in that room didn’t know much or anything at all about a cephalopod or why they should be excited about it; even the word itself leans technical and dry. The docent, however, captivated her audience early with energy and an unspoken promise that what they were about to hear would be thrilling. In this month’s newsletter we’re going to share strategies for how you can be energetic and convincing when connecting with your own audience.

Lock them in early

To lock in her listeners immediately, the science museum lecturer applied the most basic principle in public speaking: know your audience. Children tend to meet cheering and excitement with… cheering and excitement. When you’re planning a presentation for a group, think of their common thread. Is there a similar motivator? Are they working on the same project? Are they tied by an overall mission?  Are they employed at the same general level in the organization?

Here's an example: I once read that what can make a manager’s job so difficult is that they are constantly playing two roles- problem solvers and problem owners. If speaking to a room of new leaders maybe start with an anecdote that illustrates the tension between these two objectives. It’s a way to let them know, “I see you and the challenges you face so it’s worth listening to what I have to say.”

Sharing statistics can also be an effective approach to storytelling. Tell them about an outcome of your agency’s work or about a problem your agency is tasked with solving. Just remember that statistics can feel technical and boring to some people, so be sure to digest the numerical findings and say succinctly what makes them powerful. “This year, we crushed 90% of our goal and this is why….”

 

 

Prepare attractive materials

When preparing your visuals, try to honor different learning styles by layering them into the presentation. Some learn best through narrative, others need to see bullet points, and many need examples or proof.  We’ve talked about engaging your audience early but the visuals help keep their attention up until your conclusion.

Bullet points let listeners know what the most important takeaways are. But an occasional video or graphics could help keep them present and on their toes.  

Here are basic design principles for developing presentation slides:

• Short and snappy!

 

• Use different styles and colors to highlight important points but be judicious. If you emphasize too much, nothing seems important.

 

• Group related elements together under headers so that listeners understand the salient points. Headers such as “Potential Gains”, “Possible Issues”, “Goals” keep your message clear and focused.

 

• Create a clear visual hierarchy by using different font sizes and boldness to direct the audience’s attention. For example, each slide might have an A-head and B-head. The A-head introduces the major point on that slide, the B-head includes supporting information.
  
• [A-head] Overall Mission
  
  
  • [B-head] Steps to achieving our goals

 

• Repeat colors, patterns, and fonts to give the slides an overall visual coherence.

 

• Make sure each slide has “negative space” to avoid a cluttered look and to give the elements room to breathe.

Reveal your Authenticity

After all the preparation and practice, try to make sure you don’t seem too stiff or formal. While your research and visuals demonstrate your expertise on the topic, audiences also want to see the real you. The way you hold your hands when you tell a story, your natural smile, or the occasional self-deprecating joke reveal something about your authentic self. Chances are, showing a bit of the “you”—beyond what’s on the presentation slides— not only helps you feel more comfortable, but it will put your audience at ease too.

If things go sideways, use this improv technique

Tina Fey has spoken about the improv technique, “Say yes and….” On an improv stage, when an actor has set the scene, the other actors in the troop know not to simply agree with whatever they say, they know that improv becomes funny when they add something to the narrative and keep it moving. If you experience a technical problem, like you’re accidentally on mute or slides freeze or an image won’t finally load, say to yourself “Yes, and…that image won’t load properly so I’ll tell them what I wanted them to see and let’s keep moving.” The slides are stuck so “yes, and…. I can keep on talking through the main points and tell them to grab a piece of paper to jot this down.”

If you lose your internet connection, go into your settings and activate your personal hotspot. You’ll see a Wi-Fi password there. Then, if you check the internet settings on your laptop connect to “iPhone” and type in your password. If using Samsung, the same function appears under “Mobile hotspot.” So, if the wireless connection fails you during a presentation, “Yes, and…. Does anyone have any experience with [the items on this slide] while I activate my personal hotspot?”

Make sure you’ve made your point

Winston Churchill once said, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous wack.” The wrap up for your presentation should be a final “hit” of those main takeaways. You can do this through a bulleted list (“So in conclusion….”, a call to action (“Now that you know these [state specific points], I urge you to…”) or opening the floor to discussion on these topics (“Would anyone like to share on [state specific points]?”).