Presentations don’t happen in a vacuum, and there are many things that can occur to sway your presentation away from how you planned it to run.  For presenters, the key is flexibility and control.  You must be flexible enough to adjust quickly to any shift in your presentation plans. This can mean calling for a break earlier than you had scheduled, or adding another exercise for a group that just doesn’t seem to be getting the material.  Simultaneously, you must always stay in control of the proceedings, from keeping the session on time and on track, to keeping control of your audience in the event of disruptions (cell phones, a noisy training location, interruptions, etc.). Distractions can also arise when you have to deal with “hidden agendas” of participants.  Each participant may have things on his or her mind other than your presentation, such as an upcoming vacation, or the angry customer they need to call back; they even may simply be tired from a previous night of little sleep.  They may have personal issues, like feeling insecure about themselves, needing to prove to everyone that they know more than you do. We are not saying you need to get your psychology degree to deal with your audience, but there are some quick tricks you can utilize to manage the audience, ensuring that you get as few disruptions as possible. Dealing with hidden agendas and disruptions There are often times when your audience just doesn’t play along like they should. How do you handle that, while still keeping control of the rest of your audience and maintaining the professional expert demeanor?  If you handle these people like a school teacher (e.g., Hey, be quiet, pay attention, stop talking, etc.), you will damage your rapport and professional persona with the audience and, ultimately, lose more control. Let’s identify some of the types of disrupters you may encounter, and how to handle them: Talkers or Non-participators – These are the people that talk during your presentations, creating background noise, or are phone gazers who are not paying attention Subtly walk over to stand right next to them as you are addressing the rest of the audience – Get in their space. However, the trick is to do this while ignoring them, so that you are not actually being confrontational.  You just happen to be standing near them.  This technique directs all eyes of the audience to the talker, as they will be paying attention to you.  More than likely the non-participators will stop their conversation or put their phone down, as they are now inadvertently center stage. Ask them a direct question – If you can find a way to ask them a question, they will have to come back to the content at hand. If they were not paying attention and can’t address the questions, they will feel embarrassed, and be more apt to pay attention moving forward, so that they don’t get caught again. Address the chatter, but with humor, so they can save face: Is that the voices in my head again, or is it getting noisy in here? Hecklers – There can be those that want to prove to the group that they are smarter than you, asking “stump the presenter” questions, even though they probably already know the answers. These people generally want to be the center of attention, so bring more of it to them. Ask the group a question, but then direct it to the heckler: So, who knows how X works – I bet Rick does.  Or, I know that Rich already knows, is there anyone else?  If they throw out a “stump the presenter” question, you can: Try to over-inform them with your answer – Go into more detail than they probably were looking for. This lets them know that you know your stuff, and they then will be less likely to ask any more questions in an effort to stump you, as you might make them look stupid. Turn it into humor to let them know that their question is ridiculous, and you know it, but you will let them off this time. The group will laugh, but the heckler will get the point without losing face: “Do you use brass or tin simm chips?”  Why?  Do you want to make jewelry?  Actually, we use metal that is compatible, and will not corrode. Managing Questions Questions can be a good thing, because it means our audience is engaged in your presentation.  However, if you don’t manage them, they can get out of control and derail your presentation.  Here are some ways to manage them: At the beginning of a presentation – You can gather questions at start of the presentation. This works especially well if you have limited time, need to eliminate disruptions to keep the presentation on schedule. During a presentation – Have participants write down questions on Post-it notes or 3×5 cards, then put them in a designated location, letting them know there will be a period within the presentation during which you will review and answer all these questions. To close the presentation – Ask your audience to hold questions until the end of the presentation, as it will help the presentation stay on track and on time, and that some of the questions they have at the beginning are likely to be answered during the presentation. If you can’t answer a question, here are three responses you can use: See me later – That’s a great question that will require some more in-depth discussion, so why don’t you come see me at the end of the presentation. (They usually won’t.) Ask the audience – Good question! Does anyone know the best way to answer that one? Expert consultation – I don’t want to give you only a partial or incorrect answer on that one, so give me your contact info and I will talk with X directly, and get back to you. All of these techniques can

The idea of speaking in front of an audience sends terror into the hearts of many. Will I say something stupid? Will I forget my speech? Will I sound like I know what I am talking about? Will I bore my audience to tears? Conquer that fear with training As with anything, the art of presentation can be mastered by gaining a solid foundation through training. AdvantEdge Training & Consulting has overhauled its Public Speaking courses to truly hone in on giving you the skills you need to become a confident and engaging presenter. Effective Presenters 1 – Structure and Delivery will help those who are new to presenting master the basics. We will show you how to work with your natural speaking style to become a comfortable and engaging presenter. We will give you tips and tricks to overcome your fears, and provide the techniques to organize your thoughts so that you can present them with confidence, clarity, and conviction. The class offers plenty of opportunities to practice presenting in front of fellow students, as well as the unique opportunity to review and critique your own presentation. For those who have mastered the basics, we offer Effective Presenters 2 – Becoming a Dynamic Presenter. There is no worse feeling than knowing you have lost your audience. You may have the most interesting information to share, but if they are not paying attention, they will never hear it. Our Effective Presenters 2 class gives more in-depth coaching, helping you become a more dynamic and engaging speaker, ensuring that your audience stays focused throughout your presentation. We will give you the skills you need to adapt to your audience, as well to overcome common obstacles to connecting with them.  We will even help you learn to effectively use presentation tools, such as PowerPoint. Take the anxiety out of public speaking by gaining the skills you need to be a confident presenter!    

Public speaking is best-received when the speaker connects with the audience in the same way that two people connect in a private conversation. To do this effectively, the speaker must understand herself and her audience. Authenticity speaks volumes Great public speakers are authentic and genuine. Audiences react to authenticity by connecting with the speaker and seeing the subject matter from the speaker’s point of view. Your personality will engage the audience, not PowerPoint slides, props, or arm waving. If you are funny, be funny. If you are passionate, let them see that. Think of the things your family members and friends like most about you, and play up those qualities. Don’t try to be something you aren’t. Fakeness is as repugnant in public speaking as it is in personal conversation. With an entire group of people watching, any affectation will be found out. Struggling public speakers often feel nervous because they affect personalities that are not their own. They worry they will trip over phrases they would never say in personal conversation or freeze, unable to think of what their caricature should say. Authenticity calms nerves and focuses the speaker’s mind on clear communication instead of their mannerisms and delivery. Your audience will embrace your sincerity, especially if the content is on target for their needs. Understand your audience to better connect Before choosing the topics and points for your presentation think through what your audience wants to know. Are they looking for details? Which details? What information is actionable, impactful, timely, or profound? A dry presentation on useful information is more engaging than a dynamic presentation on something completely irrelevant. Understand what is useful from your audience’s perspective and focus on those points to start your presentation one step ahead. For more public speaking techniques see our Public Speaking Training Class.

Public Speaking at its heart is simply communication with a group, and it requires many of the same skills needed to communicate effectively with individuals. Capture your audience’s attention and help them retain your presentation information by effectively communicating with each of them using these tips and tools. Read and respond to your audience. Just as in a one-on-one conversation, your public speaking presentation must respond and adjust to the needs of the audience. Do they understand your content? Are they interested in the content? Non-verbal body language cues from your audience often reveal inattention and confusion. Has your audience glazed over? Are they making eye contact with you, or looking around the room? Are they talking with each other, or checking their smart phones? If appropriate, ask questions of the audience to get feedback and encourage interaction. Pull the audience into the presentation by encouraging involvement. Change your presentation style until you find a format that works for your unique group. Communication between two people is usually bi-directional. Respond to your audience to make your presentation bi-directional, too. Change focus. Listening to a presentation on a single topic for more than 20 minutes is like getting caught at a dinner party with “that guy.” Don’t be “that guy.” The attention span of an adult is limited to 20 minutes, and for some people, it is much shorter. If you have been presenting for longer than 20 minutes, then part of your audience has already drifted off. Change the focus of your presentation at least every 20 minutes to keep your audience engaged. Change the format by including videos, activities, or games. Pass around objects, tell stories. Inject humor. Ask your audience to read or write. Get creative. Capture their attention with your presentation style. Talking at the same speed and pitch for the entire presentation will lose an audience even with the most exciting content. Keep them interested by walking around the room or gesticulating. Change pitch or inflection, or add pauses to emphasize certain points. Animate your expressions and movements. Again, remember to incorporate humor or stories to keep it entertaining, just as you would hold the interest of a friend in a personal conversation. The proper role of PowerPoint Many presenters compete with their PowerPoint presentations for the attention of their audience. This is a losing battle as it inevitably ends in splitting the audience’s attention and creating distractions that dilute core messaging and ideas. PowerPoint should complement and reinforce your presentation, not take center stage. Most commonly, presenters include far too much text on their slides. If your audience is busy reading a slide, they aren’t listening to you. Make your PowerPoint slides scannable. Use no more than 5 words per bullet point and no more than 6 bullets per slide. Better yet, put no text on your slide. Research has found that audiences retain pictures far better than words. If you want them to have the text, give it to them in a handout instead. For more public speaking techniques see our Public Speaking classes.