Introduction

After informal introductions and following brief information about MICOMM and your facilitator, you will discuss your professional responsibilities, presenting experience and the areas that you would like to improve during the program. This enables the facilitator to focus on the areas of most need and benefit for each individual.

Preparing for a presentation—a plan of attack

You’ll receive advice on the key planning steps—a highly effective planning process for presenting. This provides the ability to approach any presentation with greater efficiency and focus—and ensures that all presentations are tailored to specific audiences.

Communication definition and components

We’ll discuss the key components of effective communication. This includes evidence of why communication varies in its effectiveness. By understanding these principles, you’ll begin to consider presentations in a dynamic new light and appreciate that superior presenting is very much a learnable skill.

Participant presentation

Before the program, participants prepare a five- to seven-minute presentation based on something you have delivered or are likely to deliver. If you normally use visual aids, your presentation should include them.

You’ll be briefed on how to constructively critique other participants at the end of each presentation. All participants provide presenters with feedback on what is working well—and what could be done differently to improve the impact.

The facilitator will add comments in a supportive manner. All presentations are videotaped to show participants how they look and sound to others.

Audience analysis

A variety of audience types are examined. This important aspect of planning is used to tailor presentations to the many different needs, styles and perceptions of a given audience. This process includes examining methods for gathering vital information about audiences where little is known. For example, who are the decision-makers and key influencers? What type and amount of evidence is required? Have the points been over simplified or over complicated? What are their key issues and concerns?

As a result, presentations become far more relevant, targeted—and persuasive.

Delivery skills – eye contact

Even very experienced presenters make the mistake of talking to their notes, charts and overheads, rather than to individuals in the audience. We will discuss and practice a range of strategies and techniques for making meaningful, comfortable eye contact in a variety of scenarios.

The result is greater control over detracting and purposeless eye contact. You’ll be able to deliver your presentations with greater ease. Your audience rapport and understanding will be significantly enhanced—whether you’re presenting to one, 10 or 1,000 people.

Presentation structuring and planning

We will detail different flows and approaches for delivering informative and persuasive presentations. The MICOMM approach to structuring a presentation can literally halve preparation time, prevent omission of key points and reduce presenter nervousness. This is done though the use of a highly effective delivery ‘road map’, which ensures enhanced audience understanding and retention.

Participants are coached in using a Planning Sheet to prepare and deliver presentations during the program. This allows you to thoroughly understand and immediately apply the planning tool to great effect when back in your work environment.

Persuasive information

One of the most common mistakes made by presenters is to reel off a list of facts, but fail to provide clear benefits or ‘so what?’ to the audience. This mistake is often compounded by failing to factor in an audience’s key motivators, values and needs.

As a result, the decision-makers and key influencers are often presented with large amounts of information, but very little in the way of compelling, tailored key messages that show a real understanding of their major concerns.

We examine methods for making the features and benefits of your products and/or services more relevant and persuasive.
Persuasiveness is further aided by reviewing a variety of evidence types. The outcomes of well-used evidence are greater differentiation from competitors and an increase in credibility.

The final crucial element of presenting persuasively understands what motivates people to accept a presenter’s information/recommendation. You’ll discover a range of critical factors centering on the audience’s often unspoken key motivators, values and needs.

Consequently, you will gain an understanding of the power of the specifically tailored, persuasive message and will be better equipped to become more persuasive as presenters.

Delivery skills—gestures, voice and movement

Participants are shown the importance of using gestures, voice and movement to create the desired tone and mood. For example, we examine the aspects of voice modulation, such as pace, pause, volume and tone, and practise using the voice in a variety of ways to suit the audience and situation.

These delivery skills will enhance your ability to present to a variety of audiences in a more skilful, natural and dynamic manner.

Visual aids

You will learn how to effectively use visual aids to support your presentations, not dominate them. You’ll learn how to integrate them into both informative and persuasive presentations, along with methods for avoiding the most common mistakes. We’ll discuss tips for using a variety of visual aids; including how to develop them and what impact they can create.

As a result, you’ll be able to plan, create and use visual aids professionally to assist the communication of key ideas.

Handling rough times

Sometimes an audience can be hostile, or perhaps a little ‘challenging’. We discuss why these situations arise, how to plan for them and strategies to help defuse them. With proper preparation for rough times, you’ll feel more confident and comfortable when you present to potentially difficult audiences.

Summary

The MICOMM Presentation Skills program provides you with the knowledge and practical experience to persuasively communicate to any audience in a face-to-face situation. You’ll have a clear understanding of the power and influence of a specifically tailored, flexible presentation and feel much more confident about presenting in front of an audience.