September 2005 -- This is the last installment in the series on professional presentation skills. We will discuss how to prepare and practice to give a presentation.
Question: I am aware that you and your business partner, Jim Loehr, have made professional presentations for many years throughout the world. As a person who wants to improve his speaking skills and present at conventions like our USPTA World Conference, what tips do you have?
Answer: If there is one thing I believe in relative to professional speaking, it is preparation and practice. Anyone I have ever worked with (from my former graduate students when I was a college professor to the marketing team at our company) will tell you that I always practice, no matter what the situation. I would tell graduate students to prepare and practice before their thesis defense. Even though I have been speaking professionally for decades, I practice today before every presentation I give. In fact, my most recent presentation before press time was to the largest audience of my life – 7,500 live with estimates from the organizers between 60,000 and 70,000 in a live simulcast. Trust me, I practiced hard for that one. Failure was not an option!
My attitude is that giving a presentation is a privilege. Your words have meaning and will influence people. What you say and how you say it can and will affect every person within earshot. In essence, you cannot afford to
not develop your presentation skills. So, what’s the best plan to follow?
Let me begin by saying that the
only way to become a great presenter is to practice, practice, and practice some more. But, just like tennis, it is not just the quantity of practice, but the quality of practice that matters as well. After each practice and/or presentation, you must invite feedback,
all feedback. Leave your personal self aside and listen to the good, the bad and the ugly. Try audio feedback using a tape recorder and having your eyes closed to “hear” your presentation, video feedback so that you can “see and hear” what you are presenting, and the honest feedback from colleagues and friends.
Then, be sure you get real with yourself. What is the reality as it relates to this specific presentation? Let your feedback set your standards. Ignore your old benchmarks and ask yourself, “What am I doing or not doing that compromises my making a great speech?” Be relentless in seeking the truth.
Once you’ve reviewed the videotape and received feedback, ask yourself, “Do I need to change my expectations?” Don’t just coast, get better! Too many people are perfectionists at everything they try to do. The problem is that they spend a great deal of time in the “if only” stage. That’s why some authors call it “perfiction.”
Don’t set the expectation too high or too unrealistic. When we do, we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect (the end result). When athletes care too much about results or about how others will view them/feel about them, they feel the pressure and they choke. Apply your tennis knowledge to this aspect: We can’t control the results, nor can we control how others feel about us. But, we can control how we think, speak, listen, react and respond. So, whether we are speakers, salespeople, or leaders, we must do the best we can with what we have (our talent and skill) – this is seeking excellence.
Be persistent! As with anything, being a great speaker is hard work. If you get addicted to anything, get addicted to quality and integrity in all that you do. There can be no room for mediocrity. I saw this on a sign once: “Success comes before hard work only in the dictionary.” Work to bring all your talent and skill to life on demand; bring it to the surface when you need it.
Once we’ve got our expectations in the right place and we are ready to work, we must ask about the situation in which we are preparing to speak. Is the environment conducive to what you want to say? I flew from Florida to California one weekend several years ago for an endorsement appearance and was prepared to give a tennis clinic. I had been told that the clinic would be outside. So, I prepared accordingly. What I wasn’t prepared for was that the “clinic” was not only outdoors, it was in a picnic setting at a winery after everyone in the tournament had been “wine-tasting” for a few hours. What a night that was!
Now ask yourself, “What will it take to improve?” Again, take a lesson from an elite athlete – great preparation leads to a confident performer. Too many people sit around waiting to be motivated to speak. The most important thing is be yourself; don’t try to be someone you are not. There is no on else in the world like you.
Speeches should be spoken and
not read. Don’t memorize your words! Practice conversing with your audience in a way that you speak from your heart and mind to their heart and mind. Get the listener to anticipate what you are going to say next. You can literally have them on the edge of their seat. I believe my business partner, Jim Loehr, is outstanding at this. He is one of the best storytellers I have ever met. And, I have had to learn how to do that better.
Now, you’re ready to plan. Get all your “ducks” in a row – the method of presenting, any audiovisual needs you have, the opening, the closing, your stories, humor, where you want to “punch” and make a point, etc. Practice the introduction and the conclusion. You will set the tone with your opener. The introduction should lead seamlessly into the points you want to make. Avoid apologies or anything that would bring you unfavorable attention. Funny stories are very risky as openers so be careful here as well.
Once you have your plan, visualize how it will go and what could happen, good and bad. See yourself in the moment and engaging your audience.
Next, deal with any fear you might have. Fear literally paralyzes people and causes them to
not get involved. Handling nervousness is part of presenting. In fact, it is the path to improved confidence. Just like a tennis match, get in there and mix it up a bit. Start failing so you start succeeding! Emerson said, “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” But, a little nervousness is healthy and useful; I always have a little case of the “sweaty palms” before every talk.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail! In all likelihood, you will have some rough spots in your speaking career; I certainly have had my share of them. My good friend, Dave Nelson, a renowned major league base-running coach, has said that, “You can’t get to second base if you keep your foot on first base.” Be as persistent as Abraham Lincoln, who would walk miles to hear someone speak and then practice everywhere he went – fields, pastures, at home and at the grocery store. Lincoln was actually very shy but felt that “if you want to be a lawyer and you decide that you will be a lawyer, half the battle is won.” Then, go about your improvement and don’t let past failures or poor patterns repeat themselves. And, consider George Bernard Shaw’s response when asked how he learned to speak so well in public: “I did it the same way I learned to skate – by doggedly making a fool of myself until I got used to it.”
In conclusion, be sure to get great reality and improve your quality
always! Make sure your heart is in every presentation and that you are excited about each one. Be eager to share what you believe in.
And, finally, stay humble: It’s about connecting with people. It’s
not about the standing ovation!
Send questions to jgroppel@LGEPerformance.com.
