Some Secrets of Effective Presentations

If you stay focused on your message during your presentations (and while you are preparing for them) you will definitely succeed, but only if you remember that the message comes from you.
Today, we often tend to rely too much on mass media techniques and the use of audiovisuals to reach an audience. At the same time, we neglect some very important intangibles that can spell the difference between success and failure, forgetting that the listeners' attitudes, beliefs and feelings will be reached mainly through trust in the speaker. With this in mind, those involved in business training should ask themselves if they have started taking their ability to "get a message across" for granted and failed to give it the attention and preparation it deserves.

Interacting with the Group
People often have difficulty in grasping new ideas because they need to learn what to extract from them. This tells us that we should always be ready to clarify and elaborate on what we have said, if necessary, and give the question-and-answer period at the end of the session the importance it deserves. Most misunderstandings arise over confusion about the meaning of a particular term, and key definitions should always be provided to the group.
During the session, a presenter should always look for something worthwhile in the ideas of the participants as they interact, listing any reservations they may have about what was said and pointing out areas of mutual agreement that were uncovered. This allows their acceptance of the message he hopes covey to develop freely and naturally.
Realizing that our gestures and mannerisms form the alphabet of "body language," we normally control our facial expressions and posture, and give attention to our personal grooming as well. While there is a some danger that we may tend to act artificially at times because of this awareness, we can make an effort to be at our best for a presentation and still be totally sincere.
Knowledge of so-called "body" language and carefulness in terminology can lead to increased awareness on the part of both the presenter and the participants of a session. Time after time, this realization — and the attempt to develop either a perceptible charm or an indefinable charisma — have led entertainers, politicians, beauty contestants and others to master their vocabulary. In giving business presentations as well, establishing a "comfort" level with the audience early on is essential to communicating effectively.

The Use of Color in Presentations
Psychologists claim that a specific color scheme triggers a definite response pattern on the part of others, that the dominant color in particular surroundings will affect the type of communication taking place there. This implies that the furnishings selected for areas where training sessions are to take place should be chosen with great care. Also, the misuse of color is worse than no color at all. It may receive initial attention, but this has to be sustained and developed. Poor choice and application of color can have a severe negative effect, repelling listeners soon after their attention has been captured and they have begun to gain security (temporarily as it turns out) from the environment.
When selecting colors for graphics, keep in mind that green and blue are the easiest colors to use. (How unfortunate it would be if the audience had to make such a physical effort to distinguish what was being shown on a particular slide that the message itself became lost in the struggle.) While combining colors can be an effective way to have printed matter stand out on the screen, its overuse can cause the audience to be overwhelmed — whether it realizes it or not.
In addition, presenters should dress in a way similar to that recommended in many articles and books dealing with the topic of preparing for job interviews. Speakers aim to appear polished, poised, and professional — avoiding both drabness (which would distract from their effectiveness) and flashiness (which would be too disturbing). If they strike the right note in dress and approach, they will be able to orchestrate a session that harmonizes well with the audience's needs and expectations, underscoring whatever they have to say.
Slight adjustments may have to be made for the climate, the season, or the conservatism of a particular group, but these few basic principles should be sufficient in making decisions about grooming as it relates to presentations.

Increasing Awareness on the Part of the Audience
A major purpose of giving presentations is to change unfavorable attitudes and opinions while reinforcing favorable ones (for example, regarding the future of a company). This is mainly accomplished through increased awareness, often known as "informed public consent."
Studies show that people are more influenced by human contact than by the mass media when making decisions, although their influence is not to be denied. In general, the mass media provide primary information about a proposed change or the existence of new information, but its later circulation and adoption results from the influence of some person who inspires confidence.
Confidence in speakers usually increases when they are considered to be knowledgeable and straightforward. It also develops, of course, if they are thought to have expertise on a given topic, or if they relate well to the listener because of a common background or past experience. Ideally, these tie-ins will be made early in the session. Above all, presenting the group with worthwhile solutions to existing and potential problems and suggestions for reaching common goals can really be persuasive in the long run.
In view of this, the good presenter is on the alert for non-verbal signals coming from the audience, either as a group or individually; does not attempt to arouse insecurity in the group; avoids being overly domineering or overly reticent; and never causes a participant to lose status among his peers in any way.
True master presenters show encouragement and support for the group they are working with, making it clear that they are not there to pontificate. With the aid of rehearsal, preoccupation with method is avoided — and as a result, we automatically stress the importance of our message. Practice also helps us to avoid any sign of con-fusion while we are speaking before a group.
All hints of defensiveness on the part of the speaker should be avoided as well, especially during the question-and-answer period, where it most likely to crop up.
Intention is another important factor in the presentation scenario, and many experts feel that the speaker's ability to persuade also rests on the his or her ability to make clear what those intentions are—and there is little danger that intention can be overstated.

The Role of Positive and Negative Feedback
Feedback is like a mirror — a means by which we can reflect back on our observations of other people's behavior and attitudes. When giving it, be specific and direct, and share the effect. This can be done through an anonymous questionnaire submitted at the end of the presentation by the participants. Also, provide both positive and negative feedback in order to get the best overall picture of things, as quickly as possible. Effective feedback is generally simple and to the point.
When receiving feedback, concentrate on listening. You do not need to respond extensively, but if you want to respond, wait a few seconds to let what was said to you really sink in. Repeat the gist of what was said to yourself, and ask for clarification if needed. you can also make notes and refer to them when preparing for future presentations.
Admittedly, when we find that we are slated to give a presentation, we can become very preoccupied with the tangibles needed for doing an effective job, and their importance cannot be denied. Yet companies exist today that supply much-needed technical staff and services for such occasions, helping us to conserve both time and energy in a cost-effective way.
Once the groundwork has been laid for a particular session—meaning that we have focused clearly on the basic ingredients of our message, our intentions, and the audiovisual tools needed to do the job —we must give equal attention to those intangibles that are as elusive as they are important.
Persuasion, trust, non-verbal communication, feedback and color selection all play a prominent role in the total training process. If they are neglected, if we foolishly assume that they will take care of themselves, we are operating at risk. Wise presenters know that when they operate on this basis their sessions may prove to be as insipid as a cake with a missing ingredient and as unsteady as a table with one leg shorter than the rest. When the intangibles are given due attention, on the other hand, they help to make training sessions smooth and complete — and we accomplish what we have set out to do.