MODERN LEADERSHIP then the likely hood is that people will remember none of them , so they stick to no more than three messages .
The third secret is that they fully consider their audience , such as , who they are , what will they be thinking , what will be their concerns . When considering their audience they also consider the context of the presentation . Such as , will people be standing , will drinks or food be served , will it be compulsory to attend , what time of day is it ? The inspiring presenter walks in the audience ’ s shoes every time , to set the presentation up for success . I remember once I attended a 7:30 breakfast presentation where the CEO of Carmen ’ s Muesli , Carolyn Creswell was presenting . Like all early morning events , I often think “ this better be worth the extra early morning ”. As Creswell came to the stage the first thing she said was “ When the alarm went off this morning I thought this breakfast seminar better be good . And then I thought Shit I better be good !”. The audience laughed and connected with her straight away .
The fourth secret is that they understand the various modes of delivery in getting their message across . Modes can be as simple as asking a question , or getting the audience to work in pairs . Variety is the key here . They also understand why you would use each mode of delivery and what you need to take into account for each mode . For example they know that using a story requires a lot of preparation to ensure it will achieve its desired result .
They also know that you would use a story when you want people to fully understand , remember and care about your messages . They know that some modes comes with a certain amount of risk , but the risk is worth the return . People walk away inspired .
The fifth secret is that inspiring presenters understand people need to connect with them first , before they can connect to their message . They understand how this connection and trust can be fast tracked by an appropriate personal story or sometimes just by some appropriate humour . Similar to what Carolyn Creswell did .
Their sixth secret is that if they have to use PowerPoint or any other presentation software they know how to do it properly . Any presentation software is an ancillary , a support act to the presenter and the audience .
And their final secret is that inspiring presenters practice , practice and practice some more . But , they practice in their own style so they remain true to who they are . The end result is always an authentic presentation . If you were in business in the 90 ’ s you probably attended far too many presentation workshops that focused on delivery . “ Stand here , use the stage , make eye contact ”. This cookie cutter approach produced a generation of business people presenting the same way with little focus on their own style and the content .
So the challenge for leaders today , is just not to present information , but rather to inspire people into action , using these seven secrets . So take on the challenge and unleash the inspiring presenter within you .
Gabrielle Dolan is the best selling author of Ignite : Real leadership , real talk , real results . Her latest book Storytelling for Job Interviews is available now via online stores . Gabrielle is considered a global expert in Business Storytelling , with popular online training programs for storytelling in business and storytelling for job interviews . To find out more visit www . gabrielledolan . com
November 2016 ModernBusiness 23