Pros

• Useful way to start until you feel more confident drawing while you speak.
• You have time to ensure you draw a good standard picture.
• Can be easier for you to present than drawing ‘live’ – leaves you free to concentrate on speaking without being concerned with drawing at the same time.

Cons

• The least engaging approach as it lacks the effect of seeing the picture emerge.
• More similar to the way people expect presentations to be – therefore loss of opportunity to differentiate yourself in a dramatic way.

Pros

• Allows you to prepare the more tricky elements in advance.
• Gives you an easier step into ‘live’ drawing than starting from a totally blank sheet.
• Intrigue and curiosity can be created because people will wonder what is missing.
• Still leaves the chance for you to captivate them with elements of drawing ‘on-the-fly’.

Cons

Lacks the attention-hooking potential of the ‘blank page’ start.

Pros

• A great method for teams to record and present ideas to colleagues.
• If you are apprehensive about drawing ‘live’ this is a good alternative.
• Offers the best of both worlds, i.e. you can prepare in advance but, by introducing one picture at a time, you can get the effect of the whole visual building up.
• Can be quicker to present ideas than using ‘live’ sketching.
• Even complex visuals can be absorbed easily because they are built up gradually.

Cons

• Requires a lot more preparation than sketching ‘live’.
• Does not have the same magical effect as ‘live’ drawing.

Pros

• This method is attention-grabbing and engaging.
• A high degree of suspense and curiosity is possible right from the start.
• Even detailed visuals can be followed and remembered when they are built up gradually.
• You are in complete control – you can add lines at will, stop and start.
• It looks impressive and differentiates you as a speaker.

Cons

• You need to be well-practised if the visual is at all complex.
• May take longer to show a given amount of information compared to pre-prepared drawings.

Speaking position – the centre has the power

If you are speaking to a group, your impact is different depending on where you are positioned in relation to them.

The most powerful presenting position is in the centre

A chairperson at a meeting usually will occupy the central position at the top of the table. This is a far more powerful and influential position than that of those seated at the sides. It is where you will have the most impact.

Likewise, when you are explaining an idea with a drawing to a group or even an individual, you will find that the same applies. Therefore, if you are using a flipchart, position it so that you can occupy the central spot. This means that the flipchart is a fraction to the side of centre.

If you intend to draw on two flipcharts, then it will work best to position them equidistant from the centre. Then you can move to each as appropriate, knowing that you can always return to the centre, especially to make important points.

Place equipment so it looks and feels right

When speaking to groups there is always a position that is just right for the equipment:

• If you move a flipchart back or forward slightly it will affect your connection with listeners.
• You can tell intuitively when you are too near or too far away from people.
• They too have a sense of when you are just the right distance from them.

Adjust equipment to be comfortable for you – it makes a big difference

It is worth paying attention to this kind of detail. Just imagine a drummer at a concert trying to play when items of his equipment are not positioned quite where he likes them to be. Similarly, if you find yourself having to stretch too high, or bend too low to be able to draw, then this is not good. It will seriously affect your level of comfort and that in turn will impair directly your ability to draw effectively. There is also likely to be an adverse knock-on effect with your levels of confidence as well.

Small adjustments to equipment make a big difference when drawing

Therefore, take a moment just to check and adjust everything so that you can draw comfortably.

Go for short ‘live’ drawing inputs – just a few minutes

One of the best ways to maximise the effect of ‘live’ drawing is in shorts bursts. Just a one- or two-minute sketch as an introduction to a meeting, training course or coaching session can really grab attention and set the scene.

Equally, a quick sketch in the middle of a traditional electronic presentation can have a very high impact. You could reserve your sketch for an idea that is central to your presentation. This can help you to make your point in a concise, yet engaging, manner.

Even for the more detailed drawings, such as models and visual maps, drawing inputs of no more than 5–10 minutes typically work best.

Take your time

If you rush a drawing you are likely to make yourself more nervous and this will transmit itself to those watching. Professional sportsmen and women who are at the top of their game always seem to have plenty of time and make it look easy. The same applies to communicating with drawings. You can go slower than you might think because people will be absorbed in following your drawing as it emerges.

When you take your time:

• you will feel more calm and in control;
• it will be easier for people to follow; and
• you will create a better looking visual.

The words – have a practice – it helps create the story

The words and the drawing need to go together to create the story. The best way to ensure that they do is to have a run through. By this I mean to actually try explaining your idea to yourself, or a colleague, whilst drawing the picture. This is an instinctive approach that works really well.

The benefits of this approach are as follows:

• You will learn the best sequence in which to build the drawing.
• The act of drawing prompts words that naturally go with the picture.
• You will come up with new and useful ways of explaining the idea.
• You will find out quickly if parts of the drawing or explanation are more challenging.
• It will act as a good rehearsal, enabling you to refine further if necessary.

Voice – use it to add impact to your message

The way we say words can easily alter their meaning. We have all had the experience of hearing people say a reluctant ‘yes’ in a tone that really means ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’.

‘Yes, I’m really excited about that’

Therefore your voice needs to match your words if people are to receive the message as you intend it.

Use your voice to help convey the true meaning of your drawing. You will do this most naturally by:

• matching voice energy to desired mood (e.g. serious or light-hearted);
• emphasising key messages contained in the drawing;
• varying pace and volume to maintain attention.

Position yourself so you can see everyone

The first thing to ensure is that you position your flipchart in such a way that you can easily turn to see the audience. This means not having your back to the flipchart but instead standing side-on in such a way that makes it easy to draw, but also easy to turn to the group. The same applies when using whiteboards or any other surface upon which you are drawing.

Make eye contact to increase rapport

When drawing ‘live’ naturally you are focused on what you are drawing. However, this does not mean ignoring those watching and listening. Making eye contact is an important way to connect with people and build rapport.

Therefore, break off drawing now and then to make eye contact. As you make eye contact, this is an ideal opportunity to:

• explain an element of your drawing;
• invite a response;
• emphasise an important point.

Include everyone in your eye contact

It is important to include everyone in your eye contact because if people are excluded they tend to feel left out. With larger groups it is not possible to look at people individually, but you can achieve the same effect by looking at sections of the audience. As you look at a section, people get the sense that you are looking at them individually. In this way you create a positive connection with them.

Look where you want people to look

It is important to make sure that people look where you want them to look. In this way you keep them focused on either yourself or the visual. This is much better than allowing them to look wherever they want, because this results in fragmentation of attention.

Spike looks where he wants the audience to look – they will always follow the speaker’s eyes

Believe it or not, when you are speaking, people tend to look in the direction that you are looking. You may have noticed in everyday conversation that, when you are speaking to someone if you glance behind them, they will also look around. In fact, the visual cue is so strong that it even overrides an audio cue. This can be demonstrated by looking directly at a group and asking them to look to the left while you are still maintaining full eye contact with them. They find this really difficult to do. What tends to happen is, despite asking people to look away, they keep their gaze on you because the visual message is stronger than the auditory one.

You can use this principle to really great effect when drawing while speaking to a group. All the time you are looking across at the picture the audience will look there too. When you turn towards them their eyes will look back to you. In this way you can easily control where they will look. The reason why this is so important in presenting is that it is really helpful to have full eye contact with the audience when making certain points. For example, when you want to make an important point it is best to look directly at the group. In doing so you will deliver your point with full impact.

Stand upright for confidence and credibility

Your ability to draw well in front of a group is affected directly by how you feel. If you are nervous then this will not only adversely affect your own confidence but also will have an impact on the group’s response. People will pick up easily on signs of anxiousness.

One of the quickest ways to change your state is to change your physiology. Just try smiling and feeling unhappy now at the same time. It is actually impossible to do.

Likewise, when you want to be in a confident state, your posture makes such a difference. If you stand up straight with your feet about hip width apart you will not only start to feel more confident but also you will look more confident too.

Change your physiology to change how you feel

When we change the way we sit or stand we change the way we think and feel

Breathe deeply – to relax when speaking and drawing

You may have noticed that when people are nervous often they have shallow breathing too. This is a vicious circle because by not breathing properly they become more nervous.

However, if you stand up straight with feet evenly balanced and take several deep breaths you will cause changes naturally in the body chemistry that increase feelings of confidence and calmness. This often is called being ‘centred’ and is a very resourceful state. The simple act of being aware of your breathing brings you into the present moment. When you are fully present you are much more able to connect with the group and will be able to speak and draw much better.

Use gestures – but put the pen down when not drawing

Using gestures to explain ideas actually makes it easier for people to understand us. It is also the case that we can flow much more because we find our words more easily when we use gestures as we speak. When I run professional presenting courses I often do an exercise where I ask people to speak whilst keeping their arms still and at their side. They find it surprisingly difficult to do and discover that their words do not flow as easily as when they allow their arms to move. Therefore, if you use gestures, you will find advantages for both yourself and your listeners.

Gestures are more effective and easier to do without a pen in your hand. It means you have both hands free and can do open-handed gestures that look natural. This will help you when you want to turn to the group to make key points.

Furthermore, when we keep a pen in our hand there is also a tendency to fiddle with it, which can be a distraction when speaking to groups. Therefore, putting your pen down when not actually drawing will be beneficial all round.

Keep them guessing

One way to keep people interested is for them to be trying to figure out what you are drawing, or about to draw. Therefore, anything you do or say that gets people curious about what is coming next is helpful.

You do not even have to ask them questions in order to get them thinking. The fact that you are drawing ‘live’ should do that for you.

However, you can always say a few things that will heighten the chances that they will take a guess at what is coming next, for example:

• ‘I am about to illustrate the biggest barrier to growing our business.’
• ‘Guess what the main thing is that customers like about us?’

If you keep the guessing principle in mind, you will find ways to involve people naturally as you draw.

Ask questions – allow the group to contribute ideas and increase engagement

The simple act of asking questions is the most obvious way to involve a group in your presentation. However, if you are trying to get a concept across to the group you may not want your input side-tracked. Therefore, ask questions only where the responses will be helpful to you and will move your talk in the direction you want.

Open questions are helpful when you are happy to receive a lot of information:

• ‘What is important about this part of the process?’
• ‘How could we achieve that?’

Closed questions are helpful when you want a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response:

• ‘Do you think that would work?’
• ‘That’s worth trying, isn’t it?’

A closed question can help you to gain the group’s agreement at the end of a key point.

Ask rhetorical questions – to enhance rapport

There is great benefit in asking rhetorical questions as you proceed with your drawing. Even though you are not expecting an answer, these questions still prompt a reaction from the group. Furthermore, if you ask questions to which the answer is ‘yes’, this would result in building up agreement between yourself and the group. This, in turn, will increase the level of rapport between you and group members.

Rhetorical questions are useful when you want a ‘yes’ response, e.g.:

• ‘Do you find there are some people with whom you just “click” immediately?’
• ‘Have you noticed that the item you really like is always just a bit more than your budget?’

By being flexible in using different types of questions, you can really enhance the level of rapport and engagement between yourself and the group or the individual to whom you are presenting your ideas.

Check their understanding – do they have questions?

Keeping your eyes on the reaction of the individual or group will give you a good idea of how well they understand you. You may, however, wish to check now and then if they have questions. Alternatively, if you prefer not to have questions until you have finished, simply ask the audience at the start to keep any questions until the end.

Let them finish sentences as you draw – keep them involved

You can do this quite easily, as you are about to draw certain items. In other words, just stop short of drawing the item and let them call out what they think you will draw and say next.

This works best when the end of your sentence is fairly obvious:

• ‘In any situation there are not only advantages but also …’
• ‘When something goes up, of course it eventually has to …’

When someone gives the answer, you can draw an appropriate symbol and write the word.

Use the ‘call and response’ technique

This is where, instead of saying a word or phrase, you get the audience to say it back to you.

This can help you to reinforce a key message that you have presented already. The fact that the audience is able to say it instead of you reinforces the fact that they already know it. Let’s look at an example.

Imagine that you are speaking about health and safety and the key message is that people need to keep their eyes open for suspicious people or behaviours. You have come up with the key phrase ‘always be looking’.

Assume that you have already introduced the phrase and drawn a pair of eyes as a memory jogger.

You might say, for example:

‘The consequence of someone leaving a suspicious package in the store is potentially disastrous and that’s why we need to…’

and trust the audience to say,

‘… always be looking’.

Simply pointing to the picture or phrase on a flipchart often is enough to get the response. This is a very effective way in which a drawing can reinforce key points.

Causes

This problem usually is caused by one or both of two factors:

• starting in the wrong place on the paper;
• starting the drawing too big.

Solutions

• Start again. If you are actually presenting when this happens you are usually aware of it quite early and can tell that you are heading for a problem. It looks much more professional simply to start again and do it properly than to end up with an unsatisfactory picture.
• Prevention is the ideal, of course. Practice and repetition is the key to it. Practising on the same size surface will, almost certainly, prevent the problem occurring in the first place. Often you will find that, if you try the drawing just a couple of times, you will become aware of any problems of scale and be able to iron them out.

Causes

The most common causes are:

• not having memorised it properly in the first place;
• just having a mental block – we have all had experiences of our minds going blank.

Solutions

• Draw it a couple of times in advance. We actually remember better if we do the drawing rather than just see it. This is sometimes referred to as ‘muscle memory’ and is certainly the way to go.
• Draw the picture in the same sequence each time. This makes the muscle memory even better and means that before long the drawing becomes automatic. Think about when you write your signature. Most people will write it the same way each time. This means that probably they could do it with their eyes closed. They are actually familiar with the feel of it and they can do it almost without conscious attention.
• Do an extra practice of any elements that you find tricky. When you have trouble with a drawing it is usually only a part of it that is challenging. Once you are aware of this you can simply practise that part a couple of times.
• Have a copy of the drawing handy. Always keep a copy of the drawing nearby so you can have a look if you are stuck. If you have it there, the chances are you will not need it.

Keep a copy of your drawing where you can see it

Cabaret set-up

An informal cabaret or café-style arrangement is often ideal when encouraging people to express ideas in drawings.

For a group of 12 one might imagine 3 round tables with 4 people seated at each. Then flipcharts and/or facilitation boards may be placed around at the front, sides and back. This allows groups to have plenty of space between them.

Boardroom set-up

Usually this will have a more formal feel to it and therefore may not seem ideal for team drawing work. However, even if groups start by being seated at a boardroom table, it is quite easy to get them up on their feet and working at facilitation boards or flipcharts placed around the room.

Tables arranged in a horseshoe shape

This is a traditional set-up for some training courses. It can also have a rather formal feel to it. However, like the boardroom arrangement, once you get people up and out of their seats you can create a much more informal atmosphere.