Presentation Lessons Learned

from “Present Like a Pro”*

by Cory GrenierGSM Lecture series

*Maxey, Cyndi & O’Connor, Kevin. Present Like a Pro : The Field Guide to Mastering the Art of Business, Professional, and Public Speaking. Boston: Saint Martin's Griffin, 2006.

You design your Outcome

The Audience

• What does the listener need to understand?– Research your audience

• Best communicators focus on the Receiver– Consider How the Message will be Received, not only

on Your Message

• Consider not only what you want them to Think, but also what to Feel?

• Follow-up, what stood out?

The Audience continued

• Credible, Passionate and Engaged

• Show the audience that you believe in your message

• Show through preparation, message and delivery that the audience is important to you.

• Give both what they want and what they need

• Relate to the audience’s situation

Listen to your Audience

A talk to VCs?– find some VCs and ask, “What is the most

challenging thing about what you do”?– Frame your presentation around feedback

Strive for Impact, not Perfection

3202x

Seconds

First four Minutes

• Four minutes will Determine the remaining 40 minutes

• Frame your talk

• Build rapport with the audience

Smile• Smile is a universal expression

• Opening: sip from water, smile and deliver– Form a ritual, like Jordan bouncing the

basketball three time before a free throw

• Smile with your eyes

Determine Burning Questions

• Rapid Pre-wire

• Smile & Handshake

• Speak to the audience first

Idea Collector• Look for lessons in life• Newspaper clippings, the out of the ordinary• Movie quotes• A Photo• Art• Graphs or a profound statistic• Or Question other’s data by asking why?

• Organize your ideas for when you need them

Use Trends

• Audiences like learning trends & anti-trends

• Research trends that can influence your audience’s field

Means of Persuasion

1. Who you are

1. What you say (content)

1. How you say it

1. What they need to hear

You

The talk

Your Delivery

The Audience

Simplicity comes with Mastery of your Subject

A Presentation is Always Longer

• Actual delivery will fuel extra sentences and even adhoc questions

• Plan ahead by cutting the talk to its core

Be prepared with a Back-up• Second Presentation at least 30% shorter

• Work the mike– Fine-tune the volume– Adjust your distance– Aim to add texture & clarity to your voice

• Use Pauses

Open your mouth

– Natural speaking comes from repetition and practice

– Jack Nicholson…concentration and truthful performance.

Think: Value, Receiver, Simplicity

Think Quality

• Unity, lyricism, poetry, and love– Connect to the heart “Stay hungry, stay foolish” *1

– Enjoy the Experience– Demonstrate sincere emotions

"I just love the work…I love to act."

-Jack Nicholson *2

At the End: Express sincere Thanks

• Show sincere interest in others

• Ask what they learned

• Or Share what you learned

Q&A

• When someone disagrees, say “Thank you” for a fresh perspective. – Appreciate them, make them feel safe.– Humility goes a long way

• Never embarrass an audience member• Remember, people love hearing their names

• Motivate questioners with a small reward for strong answers or questions (candy, a company pin, T-shirt…)

Q&A

• Ask back, “That is a particular good question. What do you think we should do?” – Empower the audience

• Employ a metaphor

• Apply an analogy

• Utilize history, “when we look at the trend-”

Use a Checklist

REFERENCES

Maxey, Cyndi & O’Connor, Kevin. Present Like a Pro : The Field Guide to Mastering the Art of Business, Professional, and Public Speaking. Boston: Saint Martin's Griffin, 2006.

*2 Quote: "I just love the work…I love to act.“ “Biography of Jack Nicholson”, source The Kennedy Center, accessed on Nov. 6, 2008, available at :http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entity_id=3779&source_type=A

*1 Quote: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”. Stanford Univ. Commencement address by Steve Jobs, delivered on June 12, 2005. http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

IMAGE CREDITS

“A Libyan blurred smile” by Eric Lafforgue

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By Young Einstein, upload Aug 7, 2006

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“Listen&understand” by Mihaela Muntean

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