Presentation Skills

Talking Head presentation style is reminiscent of the college professor who began droning psychobabble in your survey course PSY 101 course and never stopped until the end of term. 300 students dutifully trooped in and out of the theatre style room TTH for a class in boredom. Many took the opportunity to do other homework, right letters home to mom and dad, to nap, or to zone out and doodle aimlessly. The point is that no useful knowledge was gained unless it was a promise to never take another course from that professor!

There is a time to talk and present information and concepts but it has to be skillfully interspersed with stories and opportunities for interaction with material and each other. Adults really prefer to learn when they can apply a presented concept to their business practices. They want to know how they can specifically take XYZ technique and use it.

Apply the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Silly) when presenting information to a group.

• Never have more than three to four points to make about your topic. 
• New knowledge must be built on old knowledge. 
• It takes time to make those links and build the connections. 

You only have a limited amount of time to get your audience’s attention and keep them engaged with the topic. Don’t waste it on talk that does not engage and motivate your audience.

Bad Presentation Techniques and How to Avoid Talking Heads and Techie Tedium Pt 1

Do you want to create a presentation to strut your stuff your next event? Are you terrified by the thought? Do you fear getting the dreadful moniker under your photo of a “bad presenter”? Hosting an event is a great way to hone your presentation skills to a willing and able audience. Here’s a news flash: There are no truly bad presenters…but there are bad presentation techniques!

Have you ever been to an event where the presenter was unprepared, bumbled around aimlessly, read to you, was a talking head or was so enamored by the technology they brought. We have all had the ‘pleasure’ of sitting through one of these at least once in our lives. You become so embarrassed for the presenter you actually want to jump in and help them out or jump out the nearest window and escape!

What are some of the characteristics of a bad presentation and what can we do to avoid them? How can we as presenters motivate our audience and encourage them to participate? What must we as presenters do to make the environment physically and psychologically comfortable in order to avoid irritating and alienating our participants?

One of the most common presentation mistakes made by new facilitators and old parochial school teachers is the Talking Head. Adults want to dig in, participate, interact, and apply concepts. To be a good presenter you need to engage the audience: Don’t read to them.

• Don’t preach to them. 
• Excite them. 
• Make them do something that gives them an opportunity to put into practice what they just learned. 

Good presentation techniques are learned through trial and error and peer feedback. Go to some networking events and see what works and what doesn’t. We are all good presenters when we have the right presentation skills in our toolbox!