TWHS#073: The 3 Pillars Of Presenting

I saw an awful post last week on LinkedIn about how to be a better presenter.  It was full of little tactics that have minimal impact.  Things like "stand with your palms up" or adopt the "power pose".  It was surface scratching chuff.  Easy to do but no real substance.

I thought to myself, "why have I had such a negative reaction to that post?". 

It was because it was quick easy fixes that make people feel they're doing something better, without actually getting to the root of the problem.  It was click bait.  Quick fixes.  Not real.

So I thought, "what really does make the difference?  What are the real pillars?".  This is what came to my mind.

• Be Relevant
• Be Authentic
• Be Engaging

Let me unpack that.

Be Relevant

You could be the most charismatic person in the world.  You could tell the best jokes ever heard, with the best timing.  You could have a Hollywood smile that makes people feel wobbly. But if the message and content is irrelevant, it will fizzle quickly.

To influence an audience you need to understand what's important to them.  Then adapt your message to focus on those areas.

To do this you need to take the time to understand your audience.  What pain do they have, and what does success look like?  What are they running from and where are they running to?

Be relevant and you can adopt any pose you want,  "Power Pose" or not.  You can even stand with your "palms down".

Be Authentic

People don't like fake, they like real.  They want to see the "real you".  That's what people love.  I've heard people say "authenticity is the new confidence". 

It's easy, right ….  just be yourself. 

WRONG!

Why?  Because it's really hard to be yourself …

under pressure,

when you're nervous,

in a really important meeting,

with your boss is watching.

So learn to be yourself.  Learn to be authentic.  Embrace yourself.  Control your nerves.  Develop some skills that amplify you.  Practice you being you, but with a bit of skill.

You don't need to be a plastic copy of some trendy influencer in San Francisco.

Be Engaging

If you're relevant and authentic, people WILL be interested in what you have to say.  Now you need to engage them.  It can't be:

flat,

one-dimensional,

all facts,

boring and dry.

You need your listeners to engage all of their brain.  Both the rational and emotional.  A good argument is important.  But a good argument, told in a memorable engaging way is far more impactful.

You need a solid logical and rational perspective.

You need to connect with people at a human level.

Think about what examples bring your message to life.  What funny anecdotes might be relevant?  Is there an analogy that makes it easy to understand?  What personal stories are there?  What industry stories are there?

Develop some skill in making your message engaging.

Do that and people will hear, internalise, understand and recall your message.

There are loads of tactics we can use to achieve these three pillars, but the "Power Pose" is not the thing you want to focus on.

• Be Relevant
• Be Authentic
• Be Engaging

Hope this helps.

Ben

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