Do you ever feel like you are talking, but no one is listening? You see a lot of heads nodding in the affirmative when you are speaking, but the things you wanted done just don’t get done at least not in the way you asked. This may happen with those you manage, your customers, your spouse, or your kids. It can be frustrating.
Imagine this, you love your job, but you want more money and you know that the only way you are going to get it is to go ask your boss for a raise. You will need to convince him that your performance justifies more money without making him feel like you are threatening to leave. A perceived threat could jeopardize your relationship and therefore your future with the company. Does this make you nervous? Will you be able to craft and deliver a convincing presentation that will result in a raise?
We are all presenters. We all have the need to persuade others to our way of thinking. It doesn’t matter if you work as a manager, salesperson, educator, truck driver, or technician. At one time or another, it is important for you to convince someone else you are right. Even in our personal lives as spouses, parents, and volunteers we have the need to successfully express our ideas and opinions so others hear us and act accordingly. By improving our skills as presenters, we can have a positive impact on almost every area of our lives. We will be more successful at persuading others to see things our way. This can result in better pay, more opportunity, and greater peace in our relationships.
However, it isn’t easy getting and keeping people’s attention in the busy, noisy world we live in. We can lose our boss’ attention in the blink of an eye. How many times has someone been talking to you about something they felt was important and your mind wanders? You remember that phone call that you failed to return last week. Your stomach growls and you start wondering where to go to lunch. You are distracted from the beginning because you were in the middle of a very important project when your colleague walked into your office. I know I am guilty of not fully listening at times, so I know others fail to hear me as well.
When this happens, it is easy to blame people for not listening. However, if we were better presenters of our ideas, then we would be able to capture our audience’s attention, recognize when we’ve lost it, and reel them back in to maximize our results. Presenting our ideas is a skill just like any other. There are simple tools and techniques that we can learn to help us become more effective presenters.
I have been working on improving my presentation skills lately and here are three excellent books that I have read and would recommend to everyone.
- The Exceptional Presenter: A Proven Formula to Open Up and Own the Room
by Timothy J. Koegel. I would start with this book first. It
- Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2007 to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire
by Cliff Atkinson. We have all heard the old saying, “Death by PowerPoint”. I have been in presentations where I would have rather been beaten with a rubber hose rather than see another slide. This book will give you a step-by-step methodology for building a presentation that is engaging and entertaining. I have used the techniques myself and they absolutely work. Please read this before doing your next presentation using a PowerPoint slide deck. You will be happy you did and so will your audience!
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This book goes more in depth as to why some ideas stick in people’s minds more than others. It is a comprehensive guide on how to tell a story in a way that makes it unforgettable. It examines things such as urban legends that have spread like viruses on the Internet to help us understand the power and persuasiveness of a good story. It is longer than the others, but well worth the time. The formula provided is easy and works really well.
We can all improve in this area. No one closes every deal, gets their way in all situations, or wins negotiations without exception. We may feel that our presentation skills are near perfect or far from it. Either way, we stand to benefit from polishing our existing skills and learning a few new tricks.
I absolutely guarantee that if you read and practice the suggestions in these books you will be amazed at how much more successful you will become at getting your ideas across. Remember, we are all presenters. We all have the need to improve our skills in this area. Some of us need more help than the rest of you. I have personally seen what these ideas have done for my life. I encourage you to give it a try and see the results for yourself.
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Thanks for the tips Jeff. I need to develop my Power Point skills….a lot. Actually, I don’t HAVE any right now.
I’d love to see a book review on “Beyond Bullet Points.” Power Point is one more thing that I’d love to learn this year.
Ron
@Ron – I will consider doing a book review on BBP. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Jeff,
I LOVE “Made to Stick”, so I may just have to check those other 2 books out. My presentation skills could definitely use some polishing
@Peter – I really loved “Made to Stick” as well. Did you read “The Tipping Point”? I think they referred to it a lot in “Made to Stick”. They are both excellent books.
Great Tips and Excellent Photo…hehe