Presentation Zen [62]
No matter what your starting point is today, you can become much better. In fact, you can become extraordinary. I know this is true because I have seen it many times before. I have worked with professionals—young and old—who believed that they were not particularly creative, charismatic, or dynamic, and yet with a little help they were able to transform themselves into extremely creative, highly articulate, engaging presenters once they realized that that person—that remarkable presenter—was in them already. Once they opened their eyes and made the commitment to learn and leave the past behind, it was just a matter of time before great progress was visible. Interestingly, as their confidence grew and they became more effective presenters, their newly found confidence and perspective had a remarkable impact on other aspects of their personal and professional lives.
How to Improve
There are many things you can do to become a better presenter (with or without the use of multimedia) and a better, more effective communicator in general. Here are just a few things to keep in mind.
Read and Study
Through books, DVDs, and myriad online resources, you can teach yourself much of what is needed to be an exceptional presenter. I list over 75 books, DVDs, and Web sites on the Presentation Zen Web site (presentationzen.com) which are related to presentation design and delivery. Most of the items I recommend are not necessarily about presentation skills or slideware at all. However, these are the resources that are often the most helpful. For example, you can learn a lot about storytelling and the use of imagery by studying the masters of documentary film and cinema. Even books on writing screen plays will teach you lessons you can apply to the world of presentations. You just never know what you’ll learn through self-study, especially when you look in unusual places.
Just Do It
Reading and studying are important and necessary, but to really get better at presentations—including the design of visuals—you have to actually do it, and do it often. So look for opportunities to present. If there is a local Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) chapter in your area, consider getting involved. You’ll not only get many opportunities to speak and present with Toastmasters, but you’ll also expand your network and make new friends, all of whom have an interest in mastering public speaking. Volunteer to present for your school, business, or civic group, and look for opportunities to “give it away.”
Exercise Your “Right Brain”
It is important for working professionals—no matter what their field is—to stay in touch with their “creative soul” and to nurture it. What a waste it would be to ignore one of your passions or talents. Frankly, you just never know where inspiration will come from. Inspiration, clarity, or a new perspective may materialize unforced as you climb that mountain, paint that portrait, photograph that sunset, write that novel… or find that “pocket” while playing with fellow musicians in a downtown nightclub.
I no longer play music fulltime, but I still perform from time to time with local jazz musicians or blues bands in Japan. It’s so good for the creative soul to play live and connect with other musicians and an audience. Blues especially is about connecting and telling a story through the words and music. It’s about feelings. Playing the blues well is similar to making great presentations: it’s not about technique. Once you begin to focus on technique and tricks and flash and making an impression, all is lost. If I never played music I would miss all the lessons.
Get Out
Nothing great will ever happen to you if you stay in your comfort zone. So as much as you can, get out of your office or school