Recently I have met several people who have been given the opportunity to present on behalf of their boss, who was not available for some reason.
This opportunity can be viewed in several ways –
- They are genuinely not available and need you to stand in for them.
- They wish to provide you with an opportunity to grow and develop skills in this area.
- They wish to test you in a pressurised situation.
You should view this situation as an opportunity to stretch, practice new skills and put yourself in the shop window for future opportunities and promotion.
“Good speakers impress, great speakers influence behaviour”
Mark Sandbourne, NSA President, 2004
What do you need to do to prepare?
Here are the basic pieces of information you need to know in order to prepare well:
- Who is the audience and who in particular do you need to impress/influence?
- What is the purpose of the presentation?
To inform the mind:
Impart some technical information regarding new software, company finances, health and safety issues etc. which will inform your audience leading to greater understanding.
Touch the heart:
Help your audience to emotionally attach to your suggestion/proposal. Facts inform the mind, emotional attachment gets them to act.
Change the will:
Most presentations in some way or another are about getting people to change to your way of thinking. The businesses that change, evolve, innovate are the one that survive and thrive.
“Change is the law of life.
And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”John F Kennedy
If your wish is to be a successful leader you need to develop presentation skills!
An ability to communicate well is critical if people are to understand and buy into your message.
Do you need some advice, or do you know people who need to develop this skill?
Please share my article with them.
