Marketing Consulting Blog

By Garr

"Don't make a speech," says Paul Arden, "put on a show." Paul Arden is author of It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be. Arden's little book is not long on expanded content, but it's a very visual book and for most who read it, it's quite inspirational and even provocative as well. There are definitely good nuggets of wisdom inside. The images in the book may even give you some ideas for combining text with images. The author's background is in advertising so creatives and marketing people, etc. may find the book especially worthwhile. Here's what Arden says about presentations on page 68 of the 127-page book:

"When we go to see a lecture, we generally go to see the speaker not to hear what they have to say. We know what they have to say. That's why we go see them.

How many speeches have you heard? How many of them can you remember?

Words, words, words.

In a song, we remember firstly the melody and then we learn the words.

In stead of giving people the benefit of your wit and wisdom (words), try painting them a picture. The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it.

And more importantly, they will remember you."

— Paul Arden

Arden goes on to say that "...even a Financial Director's speech does not have to be boring."

Words are important, of course. And good and appropriate content is crucial. But these are rarely sufficient. Especially today. We should be continually asking ourselves how we can "think different" and do things differently, even when asked to do a presentation. Given the chance, why not be remarkable?

Your story with narration, text, and images
This video presentation was released last month and is generating a lot of buzz on the net. You can see the lower-rez version on YouTube below, or download the video in high resolution in various formats here on the Master Plan website. This may give you some ideas for combining your own (verbal) storytelling with text and images. Like any 2-3 minute presentation, the "whole story" can not be told here. This "Master Plan" presentation leaves you with more questions than answers, which I am guessing was the point. I can imagine a presenter showing this video first and then beginning a longer presentation and discussion that goes deeper.

1. Don't automatically assume that the person has bad intent. Some questions or challenges are poorly worded and may sound more contentious than intended.


2. Seek to clarify and then focus on the area of disagreement. Lack of clarity can unnecessarily expand the scope of conflict. Furthermore, as you clarify the issue, you may find areas of agreement and reduce the adversarial nature of the exchange.


3. Be professional and polite at all times. The more polite you are and the more obnoxious the other person is, the more likely it is that the audience will sympathize with you, even if they disagree with your ideas. Few people favor the rude. It will be tempting to slam back, but - unless the other person's behavior is extreme - resist doing so.


4. If the other person has made a valid point, admit it. You want to maintain your credibility. A honest exchange means that valid points should be acknowledged.


5. Don't let the heckler dominate the proceedings. Once the person has had a reasonable chance at being heard, move on. The rest of the audience deserves to hear the entire presentation.

Fast Company talks with Ruth Sherman, a leading communications consultant and author of "Get Them To See It Your Way, Right Away: How To Persuade Anyone of Anything," about business communications strategies.

A quick rundown (not all 10):
1. Prepare! 10:1 hourly ratio of prep time to presentation time is a good guideline.
2. Know Your Audience--what do they already know and what do they need to know?
3. Build Rapport--don't just stand behind a podium if you can help it. Do what those before you have done however, especially if there are a bunch of obstacles near the presenting area.
4. Connect Emotionally with Audience--share a personal story or antidote the audience can relate to.
5. Keep the Focus on You--"you are the message." Don't get caught up with using a bunch of slides.
6. Be aware--eye contact, facial expression, hand gestures, vocal characteristics (rate of speech, tone, inflection), clothing, etc. all matter.
7. Don't try to be humorous unless you're natural at it.
8. Keep learning!

What are the two I missed? Maybe I combined a couple without realizing it. Help me out here!