Eric Feng What it takes for you to become a World Class Presenter.........
Since 2008 I have evaluated more than 1500 presentations delivered by executives, salespeople and the C-suite. I’ve
come to the conclusion there are nine distinctions you need to internalise and act on for you to become a world-class
presenter.
- Get to the point!
Your audience is living in a world of dramatic distraction where everything around them is competing for their
attention. You cannot afford to be long-winded. Cut the fluff and get to the core of your message fast. - Less is more
It is not about how much information you can give. It is about how much information your audience can receive
and remember. No one will ever complain that your presentation is too short. But you can be assured that they
will complain if your presentation is too long. - Sell the WHY first
Context is more important than the content. Your audience won’t be open to hear the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ until
they are sold by the ‘why’. Start by answering the ‘whys in your audience’s heads: ‘Why should I care?’, ‘Why is
this important to me?’ and ‘Why does your message matter?’ - Every presentation is a persuasion opportunity
A presentation is a lousy way of dumping information at your audience. It will be faster if they read. Instead, your
role is to persuade your audience to change their preferences or their perspectives. Your words, your slides and
your props are merely tools to help you achieve the above objective. - Your audience is king
They did not come to your presentation to exalt you. They came to find out what you can do for them. Success as
a presenter means that you help them solve their most pressing problems, you share insights that will make their
lives better and most importantly, you leave them better than before. - Connect before you influence
People buy people first. Before your audience buys your idea, your product or your service, they have to first buy
you. Only when they like you, trust you and believe in you, will they buy what you are saying. So before you
attempt to influence, first connect by speaking their lingo. Even better, show them that you are on their side. - Help your audience see what you say
Words have the power to motivate change and inspire results only when your audience can see what you say
in their minds. It is the visual images you paint in their minds that rouse their emotions and energise them
into action. - Facts tell but stories sell
Stories are real. They are easy to tell and relate. They are memorable. They are emotional. They give third party
credibility. And above it all, stories have the power to move people into action. Perhaps that’s why the late Bill
Gove summarised the essence of public speaking into six words: Tell a story, make a point. - Be authentic
your audience will choose an authentic speaker over a polished speaker every single time. Make sure you believe
every single word that you say and most importantly walk the talk. Ultimately what is going to give weight to your
presentation are not your stories or your slides. It is you.
Eric Feng has invested the last three years helping executives,
salespeople and C-suite present with more clarity, confidence
and charisma. His book on presentation skills “Get To The
Point®” has sold over 12,000 copies to date. Recently, Eric hosted a high profile business
event graced by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Go to http://www.ericfeng.com for more
resources on public speaking.