Keys to Organizing a Speech or Presentation - Step 3: Present

Step 3: Present

You have planned what you are going to communicate and you have prepared the message and the media you will use to deliver the information. Now it is time to stand before your audience and deliver the presentation. You are knowledgeable and prepared and now it is time to pay attention to the aspects of the process that will make you a successful and memorable speaker. Nobody wants to CAVE when the audience is waiting to hear what you have to say, so pay attention to:
C – Content
A – Appearance
V – Voice
E – Empathic Connection

Content
The facts and figures you have prepared are the body of your presentation, but it also needs a compelling beginning and a memorable close. Make sure the audience knows who you are and why they should listen to what you have to say. Your identity and credibility are important components of the content. Once you have introduced yourself, express gratitude for being asked to present then start with something that grabs attention. This might be a startling or mysterious statement or a question that engages the audience. It might also be an anecdote or story of a dramatic incident. It should be relatable to the information you are going to present. At the close of the information succinctly summarize important points and loop back to your initial premise. You may also want to challenge the audience to act or you may want to offer inspiration.

Appearance
Most of us do not need to be told to comb our hair and wash and iron the clothes we will wear to present. We know that appearance is important, but we may not realize that appearance is more than neat hair and clean clothes. Hair and attire needs to be appropriate and not draw attention from the words you speak. It should be tailored to the climate and the audience. The expression on your face is a very important part of appearance. The goal is to look pleasant and approachable, so no scowling. Hide nervousness by refusing to bite nails, wring hands or pace prior to speaking---no matter how overwhelming the need to do so. Before standing before the audience, stand in front of a mirror and check your appearance from the front, rear and sides. Make sure there is nothing caught in your teeth and your clothes hang correctly. Smile at yourself for good measure.

Voice
Voice includes speaking loudly enough and articulating words so they are understandable. It is also important to vary the tempo and modulation of your voice to maintain audience attention. If someone is sleeping in the third row, it is time to pick up the pace. Speaking softly can also help focus audience attention on important information. Inject your voice with excitement and speak in a confident manner.

Empathic Connection
All the preparation and attention to delivery will do no good if the audience is unwilling to listen. They need to like you, value what you have to impart and be ready to actively listen. Establishing an empathic connection with the audience is extremely important. The connection begins when you walk out in front of them (appearance) and builds as they judge your demeanor, hear your message (content) and evaluate your respect for and interest in your subject and in them (voice). Some additional ways to promote empathic connection are to share personal stories that establish you as colleague or fellow human, and to accurately express the concerns and hopes of the group to whom you are speaking.

So now you are ready to address the world. Just remember to Plan! Prepare! Present!


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing Events

This is the season for events. Invitations to golf tournaments, charity fundraisers, weddings and (especially in our families) birthdays arrive in the mail. The planning and execution of events takes a lot of organization. Even when all plans have been carefully made and the execution is skillfully done, there is a lot of room for things to go differently than planned. Notice I did not say they could go wrong-just differently than you planned. The difference is the line between organized and delusional.

There are just some things that are out of the organizers personal control. The most obvious is the weather. A few week ago a friend's daughter got married at a lovely ceremony that was planned beside the river. Unfortunately, that was the weekend in April that we experienced gale force winds and unseasonable snow flurries. Even though the planner had arranged for tents and heaters, the wedding had to be held indoors. A change in plans had to be improvised just hours before the wedding. It was still a lovely wedding and pictures of the couple surrounded by falling snow will be the catalyst for the sharing of warm memories.

That led us to reminisce about Kristen's wedding seven years ago. We had planned events together in the past, but this was the most elaborate. It was planned oceanside in sunny September until Hurricane Dennis did an about face and slammed up the coast at ceremony time. We had meticulously planned the seating of family and friends on the expansive deck and the reception tents for the 500 expected guests were up and waiting for the caterers to fill them with the food and beverage stations. An auspicious spot had been selected for the sandcastle wedding cake and mounds of seashell ornaments and mesh wrapped treasure chests were ready as favors for the crowd. A special kite with names of deceased family members was set to fly above the site and beautiful flowered topiaries were waiting to be placed on the table rounds. It was shaping up perfectly, until high winds foiled the kite flying efforts of the staff and all the strong men in the wedding party. Then the wind driven rain pummeled and flooded the tents. The steel drum band that was to provide the wedding music did not show up. (Hours later I got a call from them saying that flooding and car trouble prevented them getting to the resort and "What can we do? God is God!") Then the electric power went off and by some miracle our site was the only spot for miles that gained power before the ceremony.

We had a plan B for inclement weather but this went beyond the expected. If we recounted everything that we modified to enable the event to happen on schedule it would take much too long to write and for others to read. Suffice it to say, the wedding still took place and the guests were unaware of the many adjustments that had to be made in the hours and minutes before the bride walked down the aisle. Everyone had a great time and the bride and groom survived to look back on the adventure with amusement.

Here are a few principles that we use for event planning that help us get through the things beyond our control:

List everything that needs to occur to make the event happen. Include everything you can think of no matter how mundane or trivial. We often use brainstorming to come up with lists for unique events.

Develop a time line for the tasks. For instance selecting and reserving the site and scheduling the officiator for the ceremony needs to occur before you order invitations. If there is a particular entertainer, caterer or florist you want to use, you should also reserve their services before printing invitations.

Develop a contact list for all the services you schedule and contract. Include names, addresses, telephone numbers and services you expect to receive.

Develop a checklist for completion of tasks leading up to the event.

Develop a check list and time line for completion for the day of the event

Review the plans and determine what may happen to change your plans. What if the clown is late? What if the band does not show? What if the deejay's equipment is incompatible with the electrical set up? (We know that this should not happen because it is checked out before the event day, but personal experience tells us that the deejay can bring one set-up for the check and arrive with another at the event.)

Develop contingencies for those possibilities. Even if something happens that you did not expect, you have had an exercise in possibility thinking that enables you to tackle the new problem with alacrity.

Finally, remember the event is planned for folks to enjoy themselves. As long as that happens, the event is a success. Have fun!

Beverly and Kristen
www.keytransitions.net