He’s your content expert ….. and his personality disappears in presentations. She’s the smartest engineer on your team…and her body language radiates hostility in public settings…. Or, perhaps he’s the star IT techie so sure of himself in front of an audience that he talks “at” the group and turns people off with his arrogance. There are as many chronic challenges in presentation styles as there are presenters. But if you find yourself cringing at the thought of sitting through another presentation given by this person, DON’T just endure it! Be proactive in getting them some guidance, and everyone will benefit. I offer five simple suggestions as a place to start:
1. Ask for some help from this co-worker on a presentation YOU need to make – doesn’t have to be long – just ask them to give you some feedback on your opening or closing or some other short portion. Notice what they pay attention to in giving you feedback. Thank them for their help, and offer to reciprocate. This provides a way into the topic, as well as a sense that everyone has something to learn, as well as something to offer in the presentation arena.
2. Start to notice speakers that you think are amazing, (TED talks are a great resource for excellent presenters!) isolate a few reasons why, and bring this up to your colleague(s) at an appropriate juncture – say, the next time the group plans a sales or other presentation event.
3. Find one thing to compliment this person about re: their presentations. It could be their energy, their vocal delivery, body language, content delivery. This doesn’t have to be a long list – just one thing they do well will suffice. You can then mention that it’s too bad there seem to be other issues getting in the way, and that if they could get some guidance, they would be a truly terrific presenter.
4. If you get pushback from your team member on this – don’t give up! Often, you can entice them with a quiz, like the one listed Here…. Their score is not the point. Regardless of how many points they rack up, chances are good that this exercise will show them areas where they can improve. The fact that you have gotten them thinking about their presentation skills is a first step towards progress.
5. Organize a brief presentation training – facilitated by you, members of your team, or an outside resource to get focused on honing these skills. Once your working group gets intentional about presenting to the best of their ability – your colleague will have to step up to the plate. Check in with him/her afterward and have a few additional resources; coaches or programs, etc., to offer.
If you employ even one of these strategies, at the very least, you’ll give your team member a heads up that you are on to their presentation issues, invested in their progress as a speaker, and can offer resources for them in this area. I’m glad to offer help in this area (Click Here) or to refer others more suitable to your specific situation. You can know that the first step to progress is admitting the need for help. Once your colleague has come that far, you’ll be glad you got proactive on this issue and the entire team will thank you!