The Leadership Training Activity Book: 50 Exercises

SET AN EXAMPLE^209

Then, I will give you an assignment to prepare a presentation that

you will deliver to this group the next time we meet.”

Step 2: “We all have suffered through ineffective and boring presentations. Can
anyone remember an especially memorable one that went over like a
lead balloon?” Allow a few minutes for people to share experiences, and
then ask

“What is it about some speakers that can turn an audience off? Let’s

make a list of things that speakers do wrong.”

Note a few observations on the flipchart, and then ask how many

things on this list have to do with content. The participants should see

that most mistakes have nothing to do with content, yet most of the

planning time is spent on content. “Today we will focus on your

delivery.”

Step 3: Write the following facts on a flipchart page.

Where does the real impact of a message come from?

7% comes from your words.

38% comes from your tone of voice.

55% comes from nonverbal communication.

Discuss how people feel about these research findings, and explain that

when we communicate by phone, the percentages shift: tone of voice is

said to make up 80 % of what is conveyed!

Step 4: Explain that you will now give people a chance to look at their own
performances.
Lay out the three colored signs (Fair, Good, Excellent) on the floor,
each 6 to 10 feet apart.
Ask everyone to stand up and listen to a question posed by you. They
should then move to the colored sign that most closely fits how they rate
their presentation skills. Follow this same procedure for all five questions,
and encourage them to keep a record.
The questions are:
How do you rate your level of comfort and confidence in delivering
presentations?

How do you rate your ability to organize the content of a

presentation?