Do you deliver “killer” presentations, or do they “kill” you? I recently read a Harvard Business Review article called “How to Give a Killer Presentation.” Here are some key takeaways…
Chris Anderson, the curator of TED Talks, first tells the story of a painfully shy 12-year-old Masai boy from Kenya with very limited English, who had such an amazing story to tell that he was invited to give a TED talk. He was coached on his presentation for a year! When the boy finally gave his TED talk to a pakced house of 14,000 people, the audience hung onto every word.
You may never be asked to deliver a TED talk, but you will likely give presentations at work or in your personal life. If public speaking is “not your thing,” I encourage you read this article and take to heart this message: anyone can learn, with practice, to be an effective speaker and share a message that connects with others.
The Chris Anderson article focuses on a principle that is near and dear to my heart:
Great presenters and great presentations are not necessarily born, they are made via a combination of skills training, understanding the elements of a top-notch presentation, experience, and practice, practice, practice (in the mirror, in front of friends or coworkers, on video, etc.).
One of the things that Anderson focuses on is the need to engage your audience by telling a good story. Here is some of Anderson’s advice:
“As a general rule, people are not very interested in talks about organizations or institutions (unless they’re members of them). Ideas and stories fascinate us; organizations bore us — they’re much harder to relate to. Don’t boast about your company; rather, tell us about the problem you’re solving.”
Excellent advice! For more help with presentation skills, consider a 2-day Powerful Presentation Skills workshop. You’ll get plenty of practice and great coaching for immediate results!