by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
There is no question that your ability to communicate confidently and authoritatively is critical to your career success. Presentations are amongst your most important opportunities to make an impression, to stand out and enhance your personal brand. It’s not simply another boring meeting. Get over thinking of presentations as burdens. Just by thinking about them differently, you can shift your level of confidence, and that, as you know, is the first step to improving the overall way you are perceived. Here are some tips from ‘Own Your Space’ to make your presentations more effective.
Remember “TFD”
It’s important to keep in mind what you want your audience to be thinking, feeling, and doing. For example, what is the particular action you want your team to take as a result of the presentation? And what feelings and thoughts are likely to compel them to do so?
Know your audience
When you’re creating your presentation, put yourself in the shoes of your audience members. Don’t write a generic intro like “I’m here today to talk about…” It’s not interesting, and it doesn’t make your audience feel like you understand them. Ask yourself, what’s in it for the audience? Why should they care about what you’re saying? How will they benefit from what you’re telling them? To answer that, take some time to think about what they experience in their day-to-day lives, and what you can say that will resonate with those experiences. Some examples of compelling hooks include questions, fascinating facts, interesting statements and nothing creates an instant connection like story telling.
Understand the setting
Knowing what will strike a chord with your audience is the first step — and the next is knowing what cord in particular you’re hoping to strike. What is the purpose of your presentation? If you’re giving a graduation speech, your purpose is to inspire. If you’re trying to encourage your team to increase sales, for example, your purpose is to motivate. That will inform how you craft your presentation.
Don’t focus on yourself
Sharing authentic anecdotes from your own experience can be powerful. But it’s important to be very clear about how your story is relevant to the experiences of your audience members. They have to feel that you can relate to them, and that you’re genuinely interested in benefitting them in some way. Don’t make it all about you. When possible, use language like, “we,” “us,” and “you,” instead of “I” or “me.”
Change your mindset
No matter how educated we are, there is a natural tendency to fear being judged. Change your mind set and remind yourself you are the expert. When you walk in a position of knowing you can add value, it will shift your level of comfort. No one expects perfection, just authenticity.
Here’s to owning your podium,
Warm wishes,
Lori
LORI MILNER is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Beyond the Dress has worked with South Africa’s leading corporates and empowered hundreds of women with valuable insight on how to bridge the gap between work and personal life. Clients include Siemens, Massmart, Alexander Forbes, Life Healthcare Group, RMB Private Bank and Unilever to name a few. Lori has co-authored Own Your Space: The Toolkit for the Working Woman in conjunction with Nadia Bilchik, CNN Editorial Producer. Own Your Space provides practical tools and insights gleaned from workshops held around the world and from interviews with some of South Africa’s most accomplished women to provide you with tried-and-tested techniques, tips and advice to help you boost your career, enhance your confidence and truly own your space on every level. Own Your Space is the ultimate ‘toolkit’ to unleash your true power. It’s for the woman who wants to take her career to new heights and who is ready to fulfil her true potential.
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