|
Presenting to people at all levels
How do you deliver a presentation when faced with an audience
of different levels and interests within an organization?
It's one thing to present material to your peers, or those who
look up to you for guidance, and another to present
to participants of various educational backgrounds whose levels
of work experience differ in extremes. Making an impact on your
audience is key. Yet, how is this done?
First and foremost, know the message you want to convey to
your group. Are you presenting material to persuade the audience
of something? Are you there to educate or inform? Work with the
result you want to gain from delivering your talk and take it
from there. Once you know your message, the way you present it
will differ according to who is in the room listening. Speak
in simple, clear terms. Address the fact that there are different
participants in the room and why they are there. Make everyone
feel included and part of your presentation by answering questions
and posing your own. This is extremely powerful.
Second, deliver your material with openness and enthusiasm.
A strong leader always makes his team feel important. In this
instance, motivation is key. Not only should you allow others
to share their ideas and comments during meetings or less-structured
presentations, but you should also praise others for doing so
regardless of whether you agree or disagree with what you hear.
An idea is an idea. Down the road, Tom or Sally will feel comfortable
and motivated to come back to you when a need arises and something
promising is shared.
Third, avoid stereotyping your audience. The only thing
you can prepare for is the content and, to a certain degree, how
you will behave. You will never, ever know what your participants
will say or do until you deliver your actual presentation. This
is a good thing. A certain level of spontaneity is powerful and
will keep your audience awake, involved and alive. Assuming that
all of your staff think and feel the same is wrong. Assuming
that only certain people will absorb your message is also wrong.
The latter depends on what you do during your talk to make everyone
feel included.
Presentation skills is much more than delivering a powerful message
and displaying strong body language. It is about connecting with
others at different levels. Strengthening your people skills,
and taking the time to understand what others want and need can
help you along your professional journey. Communication is only
part of the game. Sometimes you need to go beneath the mask to
find the truth.
Posted: December 2006
(c) 2006 Nicole Attias & Associates
|
