THE REAR VIEW MIRROR: Silence is golden - How to have a greater impact when you present
By David Josephs
Who is the last person you saw present who seriously impressed you? It’s the question I always ask when I begin a presentation skills or media training course.
More often than not, my question is greeted with silence. Eventually one or two names are mentioned, but I feel that the delayed response is illustrative. There really are not that many people who present well.
Lots of people hate presenting of course. It fills them with a kind of dread associated with traumatic life events like moving home or getting a divorce. People really hate it. Others do it, but they fail to prepare well, so inevitably they give boring and underwhelming presentations.
This is categorically avoidable. You can be an entertaining and engaging presenter. But you have to be prepared to work at it. Very few people can do this naturally.
So here are my top level thoughts on what makes a great presenter:
A well-structured Presentation
Think of your presentation as a book, with clearly delineated chapters. That will give it a logic, and make it easy to follow. It also makes it easier to prepare, too.
Careful use of the right words
Choose every word you use in your presentation carefully. Words matter.
Understanding that less is more
You’re sitting down, about to listen to a presentation at a conference. What’s your thought process – I hope this speaker gives a long presentation? I suspect not. However good you are, however compelling your presentation, people will thank you for keeping it short. And let’s not flatter ourselves. If you do well, your audience will most likely take away no more than one key point from your presentation. Make sure it’s the point you want them to remember.
Appreciating the power of silence
This is a very powerful presentation technique. Build in significant silences within the structure of your presentation. Particularly after a key point that you need people to hear. Stop. Pause. Hold the silence. Establish eye contact with your audience. During that pause you give people the chance to process the last thing you said, and refocus themselves before you move on. It’s a great technique.
Energy and enthusiasm
This is an important one. If you’re not energetic and upbeat, your audience most certainly will not be either. It means you need to be in a good place to give your presentation. You need to be well rested. You need to be in clothes that make you feel good. The audience takes its cue from you. If you display lots of energy, they are far more likely to engage with you. If you’re flat, they’ll drift off within seconds.
Real knowledge and insights
What are you giving your audience? Are you telling them things they don’t already know? Use a technique called signposting to make it clear you have arrived at an important moment in your presentation. I like to say something like this:
if you remember nothing else from my talk today, I hope it will be these two points…
It’s also a polite way of saying to your audience that they really need to listen to you now!
Relevant illustrations
We’ve all been bored to death by poor Powerpoint or Keypoint presentations. There is simply no point reading from a slide. It insults the intelligence of your audience, and if they are looking at a slide, they are not listening to you. If you have important information to share on a slide or illustration, stop talking while you show it. Let your audience absorb the message. But always ask yourself, do I really need an illustration here?
In summary
Delivering a great presentation requires a lot of work. When you make that commitment, it will give you far more confidence on the day of the presentation. You know you’ve put in the work, and you have given yourself the best possible chance of delivering a great presentation. Then it’s simply about engaging with your audience. And remember – smile. A smile makes you appear confident, even if your heart is racing and you’re a bundle of nerves.
Good luck with your next presentation. I’d love to hear both your good and even not so good experiences of presenting, along with tips you might be willing to share with others.
David Josephs
ABOUT ME: I’ve worked in the PR industry for 30 years, and have advised tech companies of all shapes and sizes ever since. My experience extends across Europe, the US and the Middle East. My posts for Laika aim to share some of those experiences to help you make the most of your investment in PR. I’m proud to serve on Laika’s Board of Advisors, and support the team through training sessions and one to one guidance.