CHAPTER 7
Delivering the Presentation
This is the big day, the culmination of a lot of hard work. Now it is time to enjoy the benefit. Join me as we observe Carson Rodrequez presenting to the Serv-Pro corporate benefits committee in the executive conference room.
Preparation
The meeting is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Carson arrived at 7:30 a.m. and has been busy double-checking his equipment and materials and conducting a quick walk-through of his opening. He has arranged though his boss to be first on the agenda.
Carson is neatly groomed and dressed smartly in a conservative suit and tie. He knows that that the dress code at headquarters tends to be “coats and jackets off” for meetings, so he wants to be one-step up as a presenter. He has removed his keys and loose change from his pocket and turned off his cell phone. The slide projector is on and the first slide is up, but the screen is black, reflecting the use of the “B” key on the laptop. Verifying seating protocols in advance, Carson has staked out a seat at the table with his notepad portfolio. A list of participants and their positions are on the table beneath his notepad.
Carson greets each member of the committee as he or she arrives. He has met some of the members before. With those he has not met, he tries to chat with each person for a few moments to learn a little about their responsibilities and interests.
Tips from the Experts:
Audience interest is directly proportionate to the presenter’s preparation.
Nancy Duarte
Resonate
The chair of the committee, the Executive VP of Finance, calls the meeting to order promptly at 8:30 a.m. He reviews the meeting agenda and then asks Carson’s boss, Susan, to frame the first topic and introduce Carson. While seated at the table, Susan summarizes her charge to Carson and provides a brief introduction of his background and accomplishments. While Susan is talking, Carson takes a few deep breaths to steady his nerves.
Delivery
Carson then steps to the podium, picks up the remote, turns to the audience, smiles, and thanks Susan for the introduction and the group for the opportunity to present his research and recommendations. He then moves smoothly into his opening, taking a step away from the podium and toward the audience, maintaining a comfortable, open stance. He gains attention with the image and question on his opening slide, provides a clear purpose statement with benefits, overviews his agenda and expected time required for delivery, and suggests the protocol for managing the flip-book handout and period of questions and discussion that will comprise the majority of his assigned time. He pauses to affirm that his game plan is acceptable to the group. You can feel the attention in the room shift to one of interest and anticipation and, perhaps, even a feeling of relief. This person clearly is an individual in command of his presentation who will not waste our time today!
Tips from the Experts:
End a sentence looking at someone, not at the screen. Linger a moment on the person’s face. Don’t dart your eyes away. Your audience will feel you are really communicating when you look at each person. Love your audience with your eyes.
Claudyne Wilder
Point, Click, & Wow
Carson then transitions into the body of his presentation, working systematically to build a case for the tuition reimbursement plan (TRP) idea by documenting the problem, exploring the possible solutions, and assessing the benefits and shortcomings of the options. He smoothly incorporates the elements of the Persuasion Triangle—logic, emotional appeal, and credibility—into his presentation. The story about Mary leaving the organization seems to strike an emotional chord with the group, as a number of the meeting participants knew Mary and what a great employee she was. Carson also enhances his credibility by responding effectively to a couple of interruptions by the Finance VP, who questioned some of the assumptions behind the financial analysis. Fortunately, Carson had reviewed all the data in advance with a senior member of the accounting staff who had signed off on his numbers. He uses that referral, along with some quick calculations on the whiteboard, to satisfy the VP.
In the closing, Carson continues to follow the persuasive pattern. He summarizes his main points, calls the audience to action with a specific timeline (asking for permission to pilot the TRP in the Southern region), and closes with power by linking back to his opening slide. He finishes the formal portion of his presentation in just under 15 minutes.
Throughout the presentation, Carson maintains good eye contact, speaks with enthusiasm, and lets his body animate naturally to reinforce his words.
Discussion (Q&A)
Carson then transitions into the Q&A by handing out the flip-books and takes his seat at the table to facilitate the discussion. He encourages participation by asking, “What questions or concerns do you have?”
Tips from the Experts:
Treat questions as opportunities to give more detailed information than you had time to give in your presentation. Link your answers to the points you made in your presentation.
Kitty Locker
Business and Administrative Communication
As part of the meeting preparation, Carson worked hard to anticipate the committee’s questions and need for details. He created flip-book pages to help him answer the anticipated questions and objections. For example, Carson asserted during the presentation that Serv-Pro’s competitors were offering TRPs. A committee member wants to know more about what the competitors are offering. To answer, Carson directs the group to a specific page in the flip-book, which lists the competitors along with a summary of the features of each company’s TRP plan. Carson is also able to provide some anecdotal information about the positive effect of the TRP on turnover in the competing firms, gleaned from some informal conversations with his HR counterparts during a recent conference. For most of the questions, Carson has flip-book pages to support his answer. It is clear to the audience that he has done his homework.
Throughout the discussion, Carson follows good Q&A protocol, which includes:
• Providing a three-step response. First, he rephrases or summarizes the question to make sure he understands the question correctly. Second, after directing the group to the appropriate flip-book page if applicable, he responds with a “headline” or short direct answer before discussing any details. Third, he verifies with the questioner that he provided a sufficient response.
• Breaking long, complex questions into parts. Carson uses his notepad to list the segments of a multipart question, then attempts to answer each segment separately, checking off the list as he finishes.
• Saying you don’t know the answer when you don’t. Carson maintains credibility by acknowledging when he can’t answer a question and promises to follow up with the questioner and committee as soon as possible.
• Avoiding being defensive or submissive. When presented with a hostile question, Carson is careful not to become defensive. He attempts to reframe the question while acknowledging the other person’s position. He works on creating a mutual understanding rather than trying to be “right.”
As the end of the allotted agenda time approaches, Carson directs the committee to the last two pages of the flip-book, which reprise the content of his oral closing—a summary of the key points of the presentation and the requested action with timeline. He uses the pages to close the presentation, asking the committee again to take action and thanking the committee for their time and attention. The committee chair indicates that they will have a decision by next month. Carson receives enthusiastic applause from the committee members (a rarity) and several pats on the back as he exits the room.
After-Action Review
We don’t learn from our experiences. We learn from reflecting on our experiences. Successful professionals always conduct an after-action review (AAR) for any significant event. An AAR is a structured debrief process for analyzing what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better in the future. Therefore, within a few days of the presentation, Carson will spend some quiet time, perhaps with his boss, thinking about the answers to four questions:
1. What was planned?
2. What actually occurred (facts, not judgments)?
3. What went well and why?
4. What can be improved and how?
In addition, Carson will be sure to follow up the Q&A session by responding to the committee on questions he could not answer during the meeting. He will also send a handwritten note to the committee chair, thanking him again for the opportunity to be on the agenda.
To summarize our discussion of the persuasive presentation process, Figure 7.1 pulls together all the elements and criteria for an effective presentation. Use this worksheet as a checklist to guide the development of your persuasive presentation. The list can also serve as a rubric to evaluate your rehearsals.1
Figure 7.1. Problem–solution persuasive presentation checklist.
I would like to close by sharing a quote from Chris Anderson, the curator of TED talks:
Presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance, not speaking style or multimedia pyrotechnics.2
The problem–solution persuasive presentation pattern, together with the principles of the Persuasion Triangle, will help you focus your idea, shape your narrative, energize your passion, connect with your audience, and lead people to take action.
Use the ideas in this book to make a difference in your organization and your career. Thank you again for joining me in this learning experience.