| The "show" in 'show and tell' presentations, is slowly | | | | presentation. Start with what you know about the |
| making a comeback in corporate America. It's a | | | | audience's perceptions and assumptions of the issues |
| development that is long overdue. Long, dense, dry | | | | you're presenting. What will it take for them to invest in |
| text projected on conference room screens around | | | | something new? |
| the country has too long passed for the "show" criteria | | | | 2.) No passion, no presentation. |
| of executive presentations. The more text and the | | | | Every presentation is an opportunity for the presenter |
| fewer the graphics in presentations it seemed, the | | | | to share a passion. If yours are about something else, |
| more the presenter was congratulated for having | | | | a mere transfer of data for instance, find another way |
| prepared well. | | | | to get it to the people who need it (like hitting the send |
| To the long-suffering audience who had to endure | | | | button). This is the difference between in person |
| these presentations, there was little reward in the | | | | presentations and other ways of sharing ideas. If |
| effort, except getting to the end of them, where it was | | | | people are going to invest their time and energy to |
| hoped, a few signs of life might still be found in the | | | | come and listen to you, you won't be successful if you |
| unscripted question and answer session. | | | | merely "tell". You must show them your ideas through |
| So why are we coaches beginning to see some signs | | | | the passion with which you present them. |
| of progress? Why is it increasingly acceptable to | | | | 3.) Get visual. |
| deliver shorter presentations with more graphics and | | | | Written text projected on a screen is not a "visual". If |
| less text? Why is it now becoming acceptable to | | | | you use slides, find a way of representing your ideas |
| present ideas using a few simple visuals or props, or | | | | that have real and instant impact. Never use text to |
| even, on their own merit with no slides at all? | | | | "say" what a visual can "show". |
| Call it the rise of presentation personality or simply the | | | | 4.) Presentation is performance. |
| maturation of that long-derided but necessary business | | | | Don't present what you haven't practiced or don't |
| tool: PowerPoint. Maybe it simply has to do with the | | | | believe in. This isn't acting. To present well, be wholly |
| groans emanating forth from every executive suite | | | | engaged in your material and ideas before trying to |
| when word filters out of another request to put | | | | communicate these well to an audience. Take your |
| together, or to sit through, one of these dated | | | | preparation seriously. And for heaven's sake, come out |
| presentations. | | | | from behind that lectern. |
| Whatever the cause, there is increasing recognition of | | | | 5.) Show leadership. |
| another, more successful communication method | | | | Your reputation for leadership is enhanced or reduced |
| available to executives; one best illustrated by the | | | | with every presentation. Seek to hit a home run then, |
| energy-infused performance style presentations of | | | | every time you're "on stage", no matter your |
| dynamos like Apple's Steve Jobs. | | | | perception of what's at stake. It may seem unfair, but |
| These new wave of presentation skills share some | | | | the leadership skills you display during your presentation |
| common attributes: | | | | are the ones that will be used to judge the whole of |
| 1) The audience takes center stage. | | | | your work. Even if you don't yet have a leadership title, |
| Good presenters ask themselves what their audience | | | | your moment in front of people is pivotal in determining |
| needs and wants from each presentation. Great | | | | if and when you'll be given one. Think about what |
| presenters center their presentations on those needs | | | | leadership looks and sounds like to you-and infuse your |
| and wants and make the audience integral to the | | | | presentations with nothing less. |