Interview |
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standing as if in prayer ? Be yourself !
The biggest tip from me would be to drink a lot , two hours before going on stage . It takes that long for the cells in your body , including those in your throat and mouth , to absorb the water . A quick sip before you go on stage just won ’ t do it . And eat bananas for stamina .
How aware should conference speakers and delegates be of different cultures when meeting and presenting in other countries ? I once coached the ExCo of a large engineering company for presentations they were giving to preferred bidders during an acquisition . A Japanese bank was shortlisted and , despite my warnings , one of the directors took one of the bank ’ s business cards and wrote something on the back in front of the potential buyer . That potential evaporated immediately . Always ask any colleagues on the ground in any destination you are presenting what ’ s good and bad practice there .
In media situations , some cultures embrace the adversarial style of interview , others absolutely not . So , you need to know what to expect .
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What are some of the more complex presentation techniques to master and what are some common pitfalls to avoid ? The biggest pitfalls in presentations are not knowing your presentation well enough , turning your back on the audience to look at your slides ( they are for the audience , not for you ), not anticipating slide changes , not looking up and making eye contact , having too much info on your slides , and not staying focussed . Always ask for feedback to check if your message landed . In media situations , the two biggest pitfalls are distilling your messages so that you can repeat them until they land , and also over explaining . If they need to know more , they ’ ll ask .
What was it like having to use Zoom to continue your work during Covid . I was lucky during the first Covid lockdown as I was booked to narrate a 600-page business audiobook . Zoom has been a blessing and a curse . For me the upside has meant being able to help people in countries around the world where their budgets wouldn ’ t allow me to travel . The curse is that I couldn ’ t get to see them present properly . In media training , Zoom won ’ t
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“ The two biggest pitfalls are distilling your messages so that you can repeat them until they land , and also over explaining . If they need to know more , they ’ ll ask .” |
show me how they fidget , or whether they ’ re using notes on their screen . There are pluses and minuses . I was asked by a Swiss company to spend three days interviewing , on camera , speakers after their conference speeches . This gave the company months of social media video to use . But with little notice , I was suddenly asked to go on stage to do a ‘ Secrets of Leadership ’ interview session for an hour with their CEO and the CEO of another company . No time for preparation but it was exhilarating . ‘ Seat of the pants ’ situations like that are great if you have the experience to cope with it .
How has the typical conference stage set up and format changed over the years ? And how can one deal with difficult panelists and audience members who may wish to hog the limelight ? One growing trend I ’ ve really enjoyed is the company wide search for presenters to host the annual conference . Typically , it involves staff sending short videos of themselves , then the Comms team shortlisting . I then give presentation coaching for knockout rounds until we are left with two who might be very junior but are great communicators . It ’ s
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