Presenting To A Group

Presenting to a group can be a daunting prospect it is easy to be intimated when having to do it. These nerves can cause us to make basic mistakes when presenting. I'm sure that you had had the misfortune to sit in on some quite terrible presentations over the years and hopefully also had an opportunity to see some great presentations.

While most would say that some of us are natural in these situations and therefore find it easier there are some guidelines to making the task more enjoyable and stimulating for all concerned.

All of us get nervous before the event so we need to be aware of how this nervousness can surface as part of the task at hand. Lets start before the event itself, usually we will have a chance to prepare, and this is crucial particularly if presenting is not one of our strengths. You have an opportunity to find out what will be important to those attending and can tailor your structure and content accordingly. It also gives you an opportunity to have a dry run. Get there early so that you have a chance to set up and familiarize yourself with the layout and structure of the room.

When you are introduced, slow down the process, in other words take more time to remember each person's name. One of reasons that we don't remember people names is that we rush through the initial introduction. Before you start ensure by checking that you are audible and that equipment can be seen. I always like to stand when there are three people or more. Speak more slowly than you would with your friends in the pub but remember to mix up the speed and tone of your voice accordingly.

Introduce the topics and running order of the presentation proper. In a group situation I will only spend a little time on rapport building. During the presentation play to your strengths, don't try to be a comedian unless you are genuinely funny.

Unfortunately most of us still depend on power point as information tool, the big problem with power point is that it is one-dimensional and non interactive so it is up to the presenter to compensate for these limitations. No one wants to hear power points slides being read word for word unless they have trouble sleeping so my suggestion is to only use it as a guide and to use your own words to communicate your pitch relaying real life examples of situations to demonstrate the benefits of your product.

Make sure that you move around. A moving person is a much more stimulating picture to our eyes and will hold our attention more than a stationary person. Be aware of both your own body language and of those attending. Try to involve the prospects in the process and take care not to single some one out as the main decision maker and focus all your attention on them. Encourage and stimulate questions and in a situation where you don't have the answer at hand, take a note and ensure them that you will get back to them.

In the unusual situation where one person is overly difficult or using a disruption behaviour pattern, agree to meet or talk to them one to one to resolve their concerns and relay the solution back to the entire group at a later.
Before you leave agree a next or serious of next steps tying in a time frame to carry out any objectives. Thank everyone for their input and shake hands with all present.

During the presentation if there is a disruption, someone needs to leave etc, stop presenting unless told otherwise and then highlight any points missed with the person when they return to the room.

Presentations to groups need not be the daunting experience that we sometimes think. It is hugely important that we inject our own personality into the task and do not depend solely on ill equipped tools such as power point. You never know, you might start to enjoy it.