The Killer Presentation: Part 3

This article appeared originally on the Point2 blog.

Deliver Your Message with Impact. ‘Real’ Impact

Many books and presentation skill-building workshops describe techniques and methods that a presenter must employ and master in order to deliver their message with the most impact. You have likely come across all of these strategies at one point or another. Here are a few components we’ll concentrate on for the purpose of this article:

1)     Discuss a subject you are passionate about, and don’t hold back on stage
2)     Don’t read verbatim from your slides or notes
3)     Make good eye contact
4)     Use stories / anecdotes to make a point and engage people
5)     Speak clearly and with confidence

The problem begins when each of those points are discussed and practiced as individual items.

A typical result, while completely unintended by the coach, book or participant, is a delivery that lacks charisma and conviction. Where passion is restrained by awkward, constructed eye contact attempts, or the odd scripted slide title and bullet point recital at some point during the presentation. Weakness becomes apparent to the audience and credibility gets a hit.

These five components are interlinked. They are part of a chain that should not have any weak links, otherwise things fall apart. Teaching a child five letters and stopping there is completely different from showing them how to interlink the five letters to make up words that have meaning, convey messages and generate intended actions and reactions.

Understanding this concept in the context of presentation skills is vital. Seamlessly integrating and applying the various components and techniques is a key catalyst. When this is achieved, delivering a message in a convincing manner happens naturally, virtually with no effort.

Here are the three fundamental elements that form the backbone to the entire structure:

i)      You must know your subject inside out and be a huge believer in your ideas and thoughts around it.
ii)     Have deep experience and insight around the subject. Meaning, you have real stories from the trenches to tell, that support your thoughts and views on the subject.
iii)   Rehearse the presentation to death.

When these three components converge, the five presentation techniques discussed at the beginning of the article naturally become part of your delivery. In other words, you would be able to use the ‘five letters learned’ to form words that cause emotion and generate action.

You see, when you know your subject inside out, and you have relevant, important points and issues to convey, you get passionate, because you believe. You come across as more convincing and genuine. And since you rehearsed this thing as any professional should, you won’t need to read off your presentation slides.  Your words will flow like a story teller’s. Because you bring in experiences from the trenches to share, you will use stories to make and support your point, which engages the audience even more and gives your presentation the credibility it needs to make a difference and make an impression. When you have your message internalized and your stories up your sleeve, you will look at the audience as if you were talking to close friends at a party. Whether you are on stage or whether you are presenting your real estate marketing ideas and services to a new prospect, you will connect with them, and your eye contact will be legitimate and fluid; your voice will resonate conviction, knowledge and passion.

This is REAL impact.

View the original post on the Point2 blog.