Tweet

Presentation Show and Tell: Presentation Skills for Senior Executives

Written by: Aileen Pincus

Article Overview: Mastering presentation skills takes understanding the "show" element of show and tell. More and more executives are beginning to do just that, with an emphasis on seizing their moment in front of an audience. Here are some top tips you can use to power up your presentations and join them.

Presentation Show and Tell: Presentation Skills for Senior Executives

The "show" in 'show and tell' presentations, is slowly making a comeback in corporate America. It's a development that is long overdue. Long, dense, dry text projected on conference room screens around the country has too long passed for the "show" criteria of executive presentations. The more text and the fewer the graphics in presentations it seemed, the more the presenter was congratulated for having prepared well.

To the long-suffering audience who had to endure these presentations, there was little reward in the effort, except getting to the end of them, where it was hoped, a few signs of life might still be found in the unscripted question and answer session.

So why are we coaches beginning to see some signs of progress? Why is it increasingly acceptable to deliver shorter presentations with more graphics and less text? Why is it now becoming acceptable to present ideas using a few simple visuals or props, or even, on their own merit with no slides at all?

Call it the rise of presentation personality or simply the maturation of that long-derided but necessary business tool: PowerPoint. Maybe it simply has to do with the groans emanating forth from every executive suite when word filters out of another request to put together, or to sit through, one of these dated presentations.

Whatever the cause, there is increasing recognition of another, more successful communication method available to executives; one best illustrated by the energy-infused performance style presentations of dynamos like Apple's Steve Jobs.

These new wave of presentation skills share some common attributes:

1) The audience takes center stage.

Good presenters ask themselves what their audience needs and wants from each presentation. Great presenters center their presentations on those needs and wants and make the audience integral to the presentation. Start with what you know about the audience's perceptions and assumptions of the issues you're presenting. What will it take for them to invest in something new?

2.) No passion, no presentation.

Every presentation is an opportunity for the presenter to share a passion. If yours are about something else, a mere transfer of data for instance, find another way to get it to the people who need it (like hitting the send button). This is the difference between in person presentations and other ways of sharing ideas. If people are going to invest their time and energy to come and listen to you, you won't be successful if you merely "tell". You must show them your ideas through the passion with which you present them.

3.) Get visual.

Written text projected on a screen is not a "visual". If you use slides, find a way of representing your ideas that have real and instant impact. Never use text to "say" what a visual can "show".

4.) Presentation is performance.

Don't present what you haven't practiced or don't believe in. This isn't acting. To present well, be wholly engaged in your material and ideas before trying to communicate these well to an audience. Take your preparation seriously. And for heaven's sake, come out from behind that lectern.

5.) Show leadership.

Your reputation for leadership is enhanced or reduced with every presentation. Seek to hit a home run then, every time you're "on stage", no matter your perception of what's at stake. It may seem unfair, but the leadership skills you display during your presentation are the ones that will be used to judge the whole of your work. Even if you don't yet have a leadership title, your moment in front of people is pivotal in determining if and when you'll be given one. Think about what leadership looks and sounds like to you-and infuse your presentations with nothing less.

Related Articles
  Professional Presentation Skills
  Present the Presentation Confidently
  Presentations - Easy as 1 - 2 - 3
  Present the Butterflies in Formation
  Nine Ways To Jazz Up Your Sales Presentations

Article Tags: executive presentations, presentation skill training, presentation training, public speaking, public speaking training



Related Forum Posts
niche forum categories - I think Kevin just touched on the point that I was going make... and that is developing 'categories' that stick. Sales and Marketing may be too broad for example. However I can almost guarantee you that you would see many more sign-ups if you tailored a category to 'internet marketing' for newbies. I've seen this work on other forums, however, [i:1i903wkn]it can get a little frantic[/i:1i903wkn]... Fine tuning the categories, or expanding the scope should be effective. I think a lot of IM folks are surfing right on by because they're not finding what they're looking for here... Just a few thoughts: Better Blogging Developing Info Products Internet Marketing Presentation Skills More How to's Another point is... a lot of people don't know that they can benefit from participating in forums. The signature links to their site - if they have one - can / should be motivation enough to get more involved. The more internet savvy members that have signatures seem to stick around more... Don't you think?
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert
Re: Poll: Video Marketing Online, Do you use it? - Hi GT, One of my goals for this year is to start using video over the summer. I checked the "actively researching" box as I have been looking into it in the last six months with that in mind. I have practical experience with making videos as that is what I do with my "English Presentation" students at college in their second term. Earlier this year, I used iMovie on my Mac OSX to make a DVD stringing together edited versions of the students' presentations, so I'm OK with the technical side... It's the production side that is more of a challenge at the moment!
Senior networking names - [quote:27mh7drn]How about Senior Connections [/quote:27mh7drn] I like that one... or Senior Networking.... or Love Life After 50...??
Re: Public Speaking and Presentations - Hi Annette, Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your passion. I suppose if you include teaching and lecturing, as well as weddings and a funeral, and some acting, I've built up quite a lot of experience of public speaking. I also teach "English Presentation" to several classes at a women's college here in Hiroshima. That can be quite a challenge due to the language level and for the most part the complete inexperience of public speaking on the part of my students. Great fun to teach, though. I seek to encourage them and to build up their confidence, and also give them feedback about posture, fidgeting (hands in hair seems to be a favourite distraction), sniffing loudly while reading/speaking and so on... Giving that kind of feedback without embarrassing people can be quite a delicate task so I wonder if you have any "easy to understand tips" about helping with confidence and posture etc. Best wishes, David H


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

10 Steps to a Great Support Team

Local Marketing: 3 Simple Low-Cost Strategies

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.