Presentation Skills – Jay Leno Does It, Do you?

The following happened when I was in Orlando a few days ago. It bugged me so much I had to write about it.

So there I was, along with Dave, standing in the front of an almost empty meeting room. Dave had heard me speak to a group of managerial accountants in Boston. It went over so well, he invited me to present to a group of 425 college accounting students. He knew my abilities and trusted my judgment.

So there we were, along with the AV guys, setting up the room for my motivational speech, “Want to be Good, Great, or a Champion?” I asked Dave how many students he expected? He told me “at best” 425, but we both surmised that the room had been set up for many more.

Now, it’s a fact that people do not like to sit in the front rows. It is human nature for people to want to be comfortable. We tend to spread out, so that we are not too close to others if we don’t have to be. That’s why most people prefer to cluster in the back, leaving rows and rows of empty seats up front.

This is not fun for the presenter. Speaking is intimate; a speaker looks to connect with the audience. And rows of empty chairs become an invisible barrier, one that literally and emotionally creates distance between a speaker and the audience.

Did you know that when Jay Leno took over the Tonight Show he added rows of chairs and extended Johnny Carson’s stage to allow him to get closer to the audience? Like Jay, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to connect better with the audience.

Dave had given many presentations himself. So he understood the problem immediately. He and I agreed that we should either remove some chairs or tape off the back rows, forcing people to fill in the front first.

The event planner for the organization came into the room just then. We asked her if she could take care of doing just that. She replied, “We’ll just have the room monitors at the doors ask everybody to sit up front.” She then ran off to handle another issue.

Dave and I look at each other in shock. “WHAT? They’ll never listen. It doesn’t work that way!” Granted, she was trying to be helpful and thought she had solved the problem. And yes, she had about a million things to attend to. But the fact was, she just didn’t get it. She never had to give a presentation before. She didn’t understand the effect a row of empty chairs had on the speaker.

At almost every conference I’ve spoken, I’ve noticed that they put out way to many chairs: “Just in case.” Just in case what? In case people walk in off the street to go to an accounting conference? Not very likely.

If you have a track record of 100 attendees, even with better promotion, you still have a good idea as to how many people are registered, and how many people might register at the door. So be reasonable. It looks better when tables and chairs have to be added-much better than having lots of empty seats.

In her defense, this was only the second conference so there was not as much of a track record. Yet, I still believe it is better to put out fewer chairs than you need. It lends an air of “excitement” when you need to set out more. Too many empty chairs gives the perception of “low turn out” or “this meeting can’t be that good.”

In the end, it turned out not too bad in Orlando. As people came in last minute, they did not go to the front. There were five rows on the left side of the room that only had 1 person. It could have been much worse.

Event planners: Yes, it is easier to have all the chairs set out ahead of time. But are you going for easier, or a better event? Speakers will do better when the setting is optimal. Attendees will have a more fruitful experience.

Speakers: It is our job to create the best atmosphere, to generate the best connection with the audience. Sometimes we may have to gently educate the event planners. If they are not opened to it, keep in mind that speakers are just one part of their event. Whether we are a big part or not, we must not let our egos ruin our reputations. They are the ones paying you. Do everything you can to optimize the setting for your speech.

Be like Jay: Take responsibility and make the room the best setting for you. If NBC had said “No,” do you think Jay would have thrown a hissy fit? Do the best you can with what you have.

Using Dashboard PowerPoint for Your Presentation

Dashboard designers often use programs or applications in order for them to create a dynamic and professional looking performance dashboard. A dashboard or commonly known as the executive dashboard is used by many businesses today so that they can determine how well their company is performing in various aspects. The executive dashboard is just one of the several types of this business tool in which the main aim is to measure the performance status of the entire company.

Another type is the project dashboard which is utilized to gauge how successful a business project is. A dashboard is similar to the car dashboard wherein you get the health of your engine. Typically, this contains graphs and charts with labels so that the viewer can understand what the images represent. The dashboard is very straight forward. You can get the information you need by simply glancing at the graphics. Most of the time, the images are color coded so you can easily determine which among the business areas are in trouble. The most important thing here is that the dashboard that you have made is simple and can be understood by the one who is viewing it. You can also use dashboard PowerPoint to present to your colleagues the current situation of your business.

As you know, it is easy to use PowerPoint, which is a very user friendly application. Utilize the slides there and create your own executive dashboard PPT. You can use tables, graphs and charts here by inserting them into the slides. The metrics, KPIs and the measures that you are employing for the dashboard can easily be captured by the graphics in the dashboard. To make it easier for the audience to grasp what you want to say, you can separate each of the metric or the KPIs into various slides so that you can address specific business concerns one by one.

One of the best things about using a dashboard PowerPoint is that you can present a series of information to your audience without them losing interest. You can pick a metric or an indicator that you will show to the viewers and then you can explore the details about it. During the executive or the project dashboard discussion, you should be able to hold the attention of your colleagues or even your employees. This is the representation of a good discussion. At the end of the meeting, they will be able to understand whether your company is in good shape or not. If it is the latter, they can lend a helping hand to the organization so that it can achieve the goals and the mission of the business.

The dashboard PowerPoint is centered upon the user. The topics that you will be discussion are your choice. One thing that you have to remember thought is that you should be able to show your audience all of the metrics or the topics that you will be discussing. Then, after that, you can just click on the subjects in which there is a need to give further details on.

Ten Qualities That A Good Presenter Should Possess

In the corporate world, presenters are crucial to closing a deal, establishing good relationships with other companies, influencing others to be part of the company, and many others. With these good advantages, it is important that a presenter possess superb qualities to achieve and enjoy the benefits it offers. The question is what these qualities are. In a study conducted for qualities of a skillful presenter, there are 28 qualities that emerged. Some of these qualities are listed below.

1. Confidence. A presenter should be confident in what he presents no matter his lack of knowledge. Oftentimes confidence exceeds knowledge so if you are to present, make sure you embody this quality.

2. Clarity. A presenter should be clear on the information he relays and should leave no doubt to his audience. This is the reason why it is important for every presenter to research what he would present and prepare for any questions that may be asked of him.

3. Commanding. A good presenter should be authoritative. He should know how to own the room in a way that every participant attentively listens to him and participates in every activity he asks.

4. Understandable. A good presenter should be understandable to his audience. This is actually a crucial part in presenting otherwise the whole goal of presenting is defeated.

5. Natural. A good presenter should be natural in a way that everything from the presentation or multimedia used to the delivery of the message is polished. This can be managed through constant practice of your presentation.

6. Credible. A good presenter should be credible in a way that he is convincing and believable to his audience.

7. Adept verbally and non-verbally. A good presenter should use great words and should show great tone, volume, and correct pacing. He should also be able to enunciate the words he is speaking. Also he should possess clear communication with body language. This includes body movements, gestures, posture, and facial expressions.

8. Animated. A good presenter should be animated in a way that he is lively and enthusiastic when presenting. There are different kinds of personalities that compose an audience. It is crucial that you should be able to learn to entertain each one of them to avoid getting them bored.

9. Relaxed. A good presenter should be relaxed and comfortable in what he does. A relaxed person is neither tense nor anxious.

10. Focused. A good presenter should be focused especially to the topic at hand. No matter the problems at home or at work, he should learn how to manage these worries for it not to show when he presents.