Introduction

The increasing use of software such as PowerPoint™ as an integral part of a presentation makes speakers lazy and listeners indifferent. The idea that you can present 'perfectly and convincingly’ using a beamer and a screen full of text and pictures is fiction of the highest order created by salespeople of high-tech equipment. It’s fiction kept alive by individuals who are apparently more interested in having contact with the screen and the factual information than with their audience and its needs.

In this new series of entertaining articles, presentation specialist David Bloch explores the truth behind what he calls 'presentation myths’. When you follow his critical advice, you’ll get more fun out of presenting, your listeners will enjoy themselves more, you’ll drastically reduce your preparation time, you’ll be far more effective in reaching the goals of your presentation ... and you’ll benefit from your enhanced image as a skilled presenter.

Myth: The audience comes for you

'Good morning, everybody. I am ... (followed by the name of the speaker and a large part of his resume) ... Today I’m going to tell you this ... then I’m going to tell you that ... and I’ll spend some time on this ... and I’ll let you see something of that ... and I’ll draw your attention to ... I want to ask you some questions about ... I’m now going to show you ... I’ve just told you ... I’m now going to move on to my conclusions ... I’ve tried to ... I’ve done my best to ... I hope it’s now clear ... thank you for your time and attention ... are there any questions?’

If you recognise this sort of language as used by so many speakers then you could ask yourself whether the speaker considers himself more important than his listeners. There’s a good chance that he even talks about his 'audience’ or 'public’ (impersonal) rather than 'listeners’ (more personal).

Two reasons

Your client - whether (s)he’s a listener, reader or partner during a phone conversation or negotiation - comes to you for just two reasons. In the first place, he wants to feel validated. In the second place, he’s looking for a solution to his problem. Whenever your client feels comfortable in your presence, feels that you have seen him (literally and figuratively), can nod his head in agreement or mumble 'yes’ to himself, then this is the validation or confirmation we’re talking about. Even when you demonstrate that you have insight into your client’s - your listener’s - world, or you simply start defining his 'problem’, then you are already providing him with a 'solution’.

'Listener orientation’

When you orientate yourself to your client’s world, when he can feel he’s important to you, it becomes easier to communicate from his point of view. While you present you can then say: 'You’re now going to see a review of the production figures ...’ instead of the more commonly heard: 'I’m now going to show you a graph of the production figures.’ You write: 'Here is the information you requested ...’ instead of: 'We enclose the information ...’ When you communicate from the standpoint of the receiver of your information you immediately ensure that he feels more involved. And the more you involve him, the greater the chance that you get his commitment to the solution you’re offering.

Credibility

You can imagine that whenever you’re presenting to a client who ultimately is going to be paying you for your product or service, it’s advantageous to maximise your credibility. The more impartial you appear to be, the greater the trust the client will tend to have in what you’re offering. Consider for a moment what the effect is when you reduce to a minimum the number of times you say 'I’ and say instead 'you’!

Advantage

Basically, every client listens to what you have to say and looks for the benefits you’re offering him. Presentations in the 'I’ form tend to be summaries of features or facts; the listener asks himself: 'What’s in it for me?’ and while listening tries to draw the correct conclusions. 'Tries’, because he may give up under the pressure of all the facts and figures coming his way. It is your task to tell him just what is necessary so that he immediately understands what his benefits are and what he can do with your information.

At the end of Myth 1 ...

Imagine you were really famous. Bill Clinton. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Margaret Thatcher. There’s a good chance that someone would attend your lecture simply out of curiosity: 'What’s (s)he got to tell me?’ But in the end, all listeners go to presentations in order to get 'better’, to find out how they can earn more, get healthier, be more effective or successful ... And if you’re not quite as famous as those three personalities, you’re going to have to work much harder to satisfy your clients. If, after reading this first of many myths, you still believe that your listeners come for you, then I wish you good luck on your ego trip!