Comment - Apr08

It's not a race, it's a conversation

Big name speakers can be hard to get, good speakers can be even harder to find

Memorable speakers are clear, direct and comfortable with their audience. They are well versed in their topic of discussion. But it is their ability to create a dialogue which separates average from excellent.

Many presenters make the mistake of knowing their content so well they force their message upon the audience with little regard as to how the message is being received. It is a kind of spam, and the audience reacts by opening their laptops and playing with their Blackberries.

On the contrary, good speakers will be well versed in their content, but not so confident they are not able to sense the mood and tide of their audience. Instead of spamming, they enter into a dialogue, which the audience is invited to participate in.

Through dialogue, the power of persuasion improves, corresponding to positive behavior. Positive behavior may include remembering the brand, telling another person about the brand, or outright adopting a concept.

Whether it is a room of four, or four thousand, one speaker can have a dialogue with every person present. The speaker beams sentences which are open and invite thought, and the audience responds with body language, laughter and questions.

Your audience will decide very quickly if they want to listen, or read their SMS. Your opening address needs to be effortless, and you should be able to present on the merits of what you are saying, unsupported by powerpoint.

Part of the power of persuasion is theatrics. These are not deceptive tricks, but cues which slice up your presentation and influence mood. Making these effortless and not forced takes some practice. Theatrics create accents, creating intrigue or draw focus. They are not necessarily grand, but as minor as a hand gesture, a smile, a short laugh, or a pause.

If you believe your role as a presenter is to read a list of bullet points, then you are incorrect. Keep these types of slides as printouts the audience can take away. By overloading slides with text, the audience try to read rather than listen to you. Reading and listening simultaneously is tiring and confuses the audience as to a where their attention should rest. A tired or confused audience will switch off.

The best presentations are a conversation, not a race. Therefore, speak at or less than the speed of normal conversation. Not only will your voice be clearer, it regulates your breathing, and gives you time to think and allow others time to step in and contribute. It gives gravity to your words, as they appear more considered. When you speak slower, your presentation will be longer. Try to reduce sentence lengths, avoid verbosity and just use plain English. In fact the more you speak, the more you may linger on a topic and risk appearing uninformed.

A presentation is a two-way road. You want your audience to be engaged as much as you are. To test the level of their engagement, make regular eye contact and observe behaviour. If people are fidgeting, refusing to contribute or opening their laptops, perhaps you have remained too long on a certain subject.

Techniques which open dialogue are learned over time.

Anthony Coundouris

Managing Director