Professionally Speaking...

What Can Your Audience Absorb?

When we prepare a presentation, in our enthusiasm for and expertise in our topic, we often disregard our audience's capacity to absorb information. We operate from a "more is better" mentality, reluctant to leave out any detail that somehow, possibly, maybe could be relevant.

The result, however, is far different than what we intend. Instead of dazzling our audiences with our knowledge and depth of understanding, and motivating them to buy into our message, too frequently we create audience confusion and overload.

WHAT AFFECTS AUDIENCE ABSORPTION?

Certainly the sheer volume of information included in a presentation has a big impact. As you prepare your presentation, ask yourself, "What is my critical message?" "What is the one thing I want people to remember once they leave the presentation?" If you filter all your data and information through those questions, you will become clearer on what content is critical and what is just nice to know and could be provided in handouts or as a follow up after the presentation.

Other variables that affect audience absorption are:

• Rate of Speech. If you speak too slowly, listeners may get bored and take mind vacations. If you speak too quickly, particularly if your material is involved, listeners may not be able to follow. Audio record your presentation when you rehearse and see what the pace sounds like when you play it back. Since it is sometimes difficult for us to be objective about our own voice, ask a colleague to listen.

• Complexity of Information. The more complex your data, the more challenging it will be for your audience to absorb it. In your preparation, research what your audience already knows about your topic to help you determine the appropriate level of complexity to present. Be sensitive to non-verbal clues from the audience (frowns, confused looks) and be ready to re-explain a point or give an example to enhance understanding.

• Language Choice. Choose words that make it easy for the audience to grasp your information and remember it. Stay away from jargon unless it is well understood by the audience. Use descriptive, colorful words. Speak at a vocabulary level that is appropriate for your audience. If the audience has to invest a lot of energy in deciphering what you're trying to say, they will have less to invest in comprehending your meaning.

• Organization of Material. Even the most complex information is easier to absorb when it is presented in a logical, organized fashion. Create an outline of your presentation when you are initially designing it because an outline more clearly shows flow and progression. Chunk your material so that it falls into logical modules. Use transition statements between modules to help the audience move into a new section. Summarize frequently.

3 KEY TECHNIQUES TO HELP AUDIENCES ABSORB

These techniques can make the difference between an audience internalizing your information and being able to recall it or not being able to remember what you said five minutes after they leave the presentation.

• Pictures and Graphs on Slides. The more you can use relevant and engaging images or charts on your slides, the more you enhance the audience's ability to absorb your message. Slide after slide of wordy bullet points not only becomes boring, it makes it more difficult for the audience to pay attention, as they are splitting their focus between listening to what you're saying and reading what's up on the slide. Images can aid understanding and memory yet not distract, like printed words do, from the speaker's verbal delivery.

• Stories. Stories are an exceptionally powerful tool to help an audience retain key points because they are filled with human interest...characters, scenarios, tension and resolution. Craft stories that strongly support your key message and then practice them numerous times until you have the timing and intonation perfect.

• Examples. Closely related to stories in terms of impact, examples can help the audience understand relevance and application. When you are preparing your presentation, develop numerous examples that will resonate with this particular audience, perhaps using people or work situations that are familiar to them.

What other techniques have you used to help your audiences absorb your message?

In Presentations, Audiences Have Responsibilities Too

I'm a huge proponent of audience rights. I believe every presenter owes his audience complete focus and the respect of being well-prepared, interesting and relevant. However, audiences have some responsibilities in this partnership called a presentation. There is an implicit contract between presenter and audience, where each gets from, and gives to, the other. Too frequently, I have observed audiences just not living up to their end of the bargain. 

Here are the key obligations an audience has in order to fulfill their "contractual" responsibilities:

1. PAY ATTENTION. Give the presenter the courtesy of paying attention, at least long enough to determine if you are going to receive value. If you feel compelled to multi-task while in the presentation (e.g., checking or sending e-mail [I'm not talking about Twitter here], surfing the web, reviewing documents you brought with you, taking a phone call) consider not attending the presentation at all. You won't get much out of it, you'll be distracting to the speaker and other audience members and you certainly won't be able to provide constructive, meaningful feedback at the end.

2. ANSWER QUESTIONS. When the presenter asks a question, volunteer an answer. Don't sit like a lump, averting your gaze to ensure no possibility of eye contact. The more you engage in the conversation, the more value you are likely to get out of the experience. Obviously you're off the hook if you have no idea what to answer, but in most cases, you're likely being asked for an opinion...so share.

3. ASK QUESTIONS. Unless everything is crystal clear to you, ask questions and challenge the content being presented. Ask for clarification, ask for jargon to be explained, ask for an example of how this would work in your situation. Not only will this make it more interesting and relevant for you, it's quite possible that others in the audience may have the same questions, so you're helping everyone by asking.

4. RESPOND. Be involved rather than sitting passively. When appropriate, laugh or smile in response to what the presenter says. Maintain eye contact to capture the nuances of meaning on a given point.

5. EVALUATE. If you engage in the above four behaviors, you will be in a great position to provide meaningful, specific feedback to the presenter which will improve his skills thus ensuring better presentations for future audiences. Take the time to fill in that evaluation sheet thoughtfully. Even if you're not an expert in assessing presentations, you know what worked for you and what didn't. Make some notes throughout the presentation about areas or techniques you found useful and other areas where you wish the presenter had covered something in more depth or used more examples or made eye contact instead of reading from his slides. The majority of presenters want to hear how their audiences felt about the information they provided, even if the feedback points out some weak spots that need improvement.

So what's in this for you, you ask? As Seth Godin says, being a responsible audience member has big paybacks -->> more energy and insight from the presenter and more focused answers to your questions. And by raising the bar for the presenter by evaluating critically, you will contribute to a better presentation the next time around. 

So, audiences, make the choice to hold up your end of the bargain. The rewards will definitely be worth it!

When Audiences Give False Feedback

I have written recently about the lengths to which a presenter should go to obtain specific, timely, usable feedback. The most critical source of that feedback is, of course, the audience. Yet what if the audience isn't cooperating?

I'm beginning to think that business audiences and presenters are in collusion. Theoretically there should be checks and balances between these two entities, much like there are between buyer and seller or the executive branch and the legislative branch.

Audiences should be the watchdog for the presenter, alertly evaluating whether or not they're getting value and their needs are being met. And ready to provide constructive feedback if that's not happening. But too, too frequently I see audiences providing at least adequate, if not highly positive, feedback to crummy presenters.

SHOULDN'T WE RAISE THE BAR?

If we keep telling presenters they're OK, how will we ever encourage them to stop reading PowerPoint slides, to rehearse their presentation before delivering it, to incorporate examples and stories to help us understand better, to stop saying "you know" every 5 seconds, to use simple words instead of jargon, to....? Those 3s, 4s and 5s (out of 5) on the feedback questionnaire allow the presenter to dwell in a self-congratulatory bubble, neither cognizant of nor caring about his presentation inadequacies. After all, the scores were pretty good, weren't they?

WHY ARE AUDIENCES RELUCTANT TO BE HONEST?

I think it's either fear or apathy. Fear of not being a nice guy, of delivering feedback and a low score that the recipient won't like or that will hurt her feelings. Or...perhaps worse...too apathetic to take the time and energy to provide thoughtful, constructive comments. Hmmm...who's the loser here??

This begs for someone to develop a list of audience responsibilities. Stay tuned.

People Talk...Are You Listening?

Just how much do you search out feedback after you've made a presentation? Do you quickly collect the smile sheets [a.k.a. feedback forms...more on these in a subsequent post], breathe a sigh of relief, and stuff them into your briefcase where they're unlikely to again see the light of day?  Do you gratefully accept thanks from the event organizer without probing for more detail about whether you really hit the mark? If this sounds familiar, you are missing a fabulous opportunity to gain insights, correct shortcomings and generally improve your presentation effectiveness.

WHERE CAN YOU GET FEEDBACK?

You can certainly obtain feedback from the forms that your audience fills in at the end of a presentation. These will give you a general idea of how your comments were received and perhaps even a few suggestions for improvement. But frequently these are filled out in a hurry or audience members are reluctant to provide negative feedback.

And then, what about the situations where there are no feedback forms? Like the presentation in the boardroom or the remarks at the employee meeting.

Luckily, there are several sources of feedback which can be useful in giving you insights about your presentation effectiveness. Here are some to search out.

AUDIENCE

Since your entire focus should be on understanding and meeting the audience's needs with your presentation, the folks listening to you speak are the most critical and valuable source of feedback.  During the presentation, consciously read the non-verbal clues your audience provides to understand how they are receiving your message. Are you seeing boredom, excitement, confusion? Learn to read and interpret these signs so that you can make adjustments in your message or your style of delivery, if necessary.

After the presentation, don't rely solely on formal feedback forms to assess your effectiveness. Engage audience members as they are leaving the room or when they approach you with questions. Don't strive for the useless "Oh, you were great." Ask open-ended, non-threatening questions to get specifics about what worked. Ask what they found most useful. Ask what resonated with them. Ask what more they would like to have heard. This not only gives you valuable data but it shows the audience that you genuinely care about serving them.

COACH

A coach or mentor can provide usable feedback to help you improve your presentation content, techniques and delivery. The key is to find someone who either knows a good deal about your audience's needs or who knows a good deal about what makes for a successful presentation, and ideally both. The coach/mentor can work with you before your presentation, assisting with your preparation and rehearsal. If they can sit in on the actual presentation and provide feedback based on their observations of the audience, all the better.

A trusted colleague can also perform this role, but be sure to choose someone who has the background to offer you insightful critique, perhaps someone whose own presentation style you admire.

VIDEO

Don't overlook the power of video feedback. You will hear and see things, both positive and negative, that you were not aware of and the visual aspect of the feedback will solidify the insights. However, for it to be useful, you have to know how to interpret what you are seeing, which means you need some knowledge of what effective presentation skills look like. You also need to be able to assess your own performance through the filter of this knowledge. Once you can do that, you will gain great insights from watching your presentation on video.

THE EVENT ORGANIZER

The meeting planner or the admin assistant who organizes the event at which you're presenting can provide unfiltered feedback that augments the more formal feedback you receive. This person will likely hear "buzz" and candid remarks about your presentation and can share that with you, as long as you've clearly communicated that you are open to constructive feedback.

HERE'S THE TAKE-AWAY

No matter how skilled (or even famous) we get at making presentations, we never outgrow the need for feedback. Although our skills may reach an expert level of competence, every audience is different and therefore we need to continuously evaluate how effectively we are communicating our message.

Photo Credit:
Zimbabwe Wildlife 
Derek W. Keats, Cape Town, South Africa
License: Creative Commons::Attribution-ShareAlike

PowerPoint: It Depends On Where You Stand (or Sit)

There is a striking dichotomy between what people say and what people do regarding PowerPoint.

When I ask participants in my presentation skills classes what bothers them the most as they sit in the audience listening to a presenter, they invariably say, "...too many words/bullet points/text on the slides." When I probe to uncover why that behavior is so annoying, I get responses like:

• It makes it more likely that the presenter will read most of his slides.
• It's too distracting to have that much information visible...I can't concentrate on what the speaker is saying and read at the same time.
• The type is so small I can't read it. 
• The presenter isn't adding any value to what's on the slide...why didn't she just send me the PowerPoint deck?

Yet the puzzling part is that when these same participants start working on their own presentations, they typically have way too many words on the slides.

So why the disconnect between audience attitude and speaker behavior?

I think the big reason is that overloaded PowerPoint slides are so ubiquitous and standard operating procedure, many people are afraid to deviate from the method that everyone else uses...even though they know, from the perspective of audience member, this method is not effective. [Read about more reasons in Olivia Mitchell's excellent analysis].

I also think that most presenters care about having an impact, care about engaging their audience and are looking for opportunities to improve. But they may not be prepared to go totally "Garr Reynolds" with simple, elegant graphics, numerous pictures and minimal text.

So I suggest the following steps to course participants as a way to test the waters:

• In preparing the presentation and slides, put your audience hat on and think about how you would respond to those text heavy slides.
• Try changing just a couple of slides to start with. Perhaps pick a complex point in your presentation or an aspect that always generates a lot of questions; develop another way besides text to display this information, like a chart, graph or image that symbolizes your meaning.
• Then assess how the audience responds to the information in this format. Do they understand better? Do they have fewer questions or are the questions different? Do they seem more engaged?
• Solicit feedback from audience members to validate what you observed.

What kinds of experiences have you had using a PowerPoint format markedly different from the norm?

Presenting in a Crisis

When most of us think about making a presentation, we don't typically think of having to do that in the aftermath of a tragic event. Yet that is the situation faced this week by Washington, DC and NTSB (National Traffic Safety Board) officials following Monday's subway train disaster in which 9 people were killed and many others injured. Mesmerized by the television coverage of the shocking accident, I couldn't help but observe (and be proud of) how skillfully these officials communicated to the public in this difficult situation.

There was no PowerPoint. There was no time to rehearse. But there was an audience of reporters, commuters, family members desperate for information and assurances.

WHAT ARE THE PRESENTATION LESSONS?

Among the presentation lessons worth noting:

• At Monday night's press conference, all presenters started their remarks with condolences for the families of the victims, recognizing that no matter what details, facts or explanations they might be providing, at the core, this presentation needed to connect with the audience on a human level.

• Debbie Hersman, NTSB Lead Investigator and Dennis Rubin, DC Fire Chief, instilled confidence in the audience by assuring them that the accident scene was under control and that both entities had a clear idea of their objectives going forward. They looked directly into the cameras and spoke clearly, explaining what the next steps were, what they already knew and how their investigation would proceed. Transparency in providing details is a key strategy in crisis communications. As Dan Hicks describes here, in his blog, Communicating Through a Crisis, the court of public opinion is unforgiving when it appears that information is being withheld or officials are hiding behind corporate shields.

• One can only imagine how difficult it was for John Catoe, General Manager of WMATA (Washington MetropolitanArea Transit Authority) as he stood before the cameras, having lost one of his employees and ultimately holding responsibility for the accident. Visibly moved, he spoke with sincerity and simplicity. With no euphemisms or gobbledy-gook, he gave the details he had.

(this clip is not of the press conference I referred to, but it does give you a sense of the speakers' styles)

Here are some additional ideas about managing crisis communications.

Let us hope that none of us will ever have to make a presentation following a disaster. But the lessons learned from how communication was handled in the Metro accident will be valid for any of our presentations: concern for the audience, sincerity, transparency and quiet confidence.

TWITTER IN PRESENTATIONS...LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT?

With the explosion in popularity of microblogging tools like Twitter, presenters are now faced with the possibility, or even likelihood, that some members of their audience will be tweeting (posting on Twitter) during the presentation. Initially, that idea is off-putting to many presenters. They sputter, "But that means the audience won't be paying attention to me." Or "It will be distracting for me to see everybody typing on their iPhones." Or "What if they say something negative about me or my presentation?"

Those concerns are all worth examining. Let's look at them one by one.

THE AUDIENCE WON'T PAY ATTENTION

Even without Twitter, you run the risk that your audience won't pay attention to you. Certainly to minimize that concern in any situation you must craft a presentation that is relevant to the audience, addresses their needs and employs the various presentation techniques designed to involve and engage the audience.

Interestingly, however, some research suggests that the audience may be even more engaged when there is a Twitter backchannel in a presentation. In the Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching(Volume 2, 2009), Dr. Martin Ebner, Head of the Social Learning Department at Graz University of Technology in Austria conducted research at the e-learning conference, Ed-Media 2008, to determine the behaviors of attendees using Twitter during a presentation. Throughout the keynote, the Twitter stream was projected on the screen along with the presenter's slides. During the 45 minute presentation, there were 54 tweets which Ebner categorized into 4 buckets:

• concerning the presentation content (22%)
• discussion between 2 or more Twitter users (2%)
• links to various resources (31%)
• comments, including reactions to the speaker's presentation, feelings, thoughts and opinions (43%)

As presenters, assuming we have created a relevant presentation, we need to ascribe the respect and integrity to our audiences that they will, in fact, be engaged in what we are saying and thus, will further the discussion through their tweets. Particularly when the Twitter stream is projected for all in the room to see, most attendees want their tweets to be intelligent and germain rather than silly or off-topic.

I'LL BE DISTRACTED

This may indeed be the case initially. But let's break this down. Audience members punching letters into their phone or typing on a keyboard is really no different than audience members taking notes. We need to ensure that we don't let our self-talk convince us that the audience is no longer listening to us simply because they are using an electronic device.

More challenging in terms of distraction is projecting the Twitter stream on the screen behind you and knowing that electronic dialogue is going on while you are talking. Here the speaker is competing with the constantly changing flow of information.

You could speak directly to the tweets. This requires ultimate flexibility, a thorough knowledge of your subject matter, a crystal clear understanding of what you want your presentation to accomplish and the ability to return to your presentation flow after responding to a tweet. If you can manage it, this is the pinnacle of real time, interactive exchange between presenter and audience, furthering and deepening the conversation.  

A complementary option is to have a moderator or partner who can help you manage the dialogue. The moderator can prioritize the tweets, answer or redirect some and pass questions and salient comments to the speaker.

Most definitely, rehearse these techniques several times before going live. This is a fast-paced exchange of ideas and information; being super prepared and comfortable with your subject matter and giving thought to the audience's point of view are the keys to success.

THE AUDIENCE MIGHT BE NEGATIVE

Yes, there could be a tweet that says something negative about you or your content. However, most audience members have the maturity and integrity not to post something inappropriate or cruel, particularly when all their fellow audience members can see it. More likely, someone might post a legitimate disagreement or difference of perspective. Handle this the same way you would any objection in a presentation...with grace, respect and facts.

SO, IS THIS TWITTER THING A GOOD IDEA?

Yes, I think it is. It's still a bit scary for most presenters. The dynamic is evolving and we will no doubt continue to refine how to integrate the Twitter backchannel into our presentations. Look for a subsequent post on best practices for how presenters can become comfortable with this tool.

But the benefits of using Twitter during a presentation are unmistakable:

• It gives the audience more ownership as they have a tangible role in shaping the discussion.
• The presenter can gain immediate feedback.
• It facilitates and encourages discussion among tweeters after the presentation.
• It creates a wider audience and more visibility for your message, since the presentation tweets will go out to everyone's followers and even be re-tweeted.
• It gives your presentation a longer life through archiving (the symbol # before any word or phrase creates a hashtag [#twitinpres] which then allows Twitterers to use that hashtag to group all relevant tweets).

The exciting thing about Twitter in presentations is that it removes the presenter/audience barrier that we all bemoan. The speaker is no longer delivering wisdom from on high. The audience becomes an active participant in the conversation, shaping it to meet their needs. And isn't that the ultimate example of audience focus?

What experiences, either as a presenter or an audience member, have you had using Twitter in presentations?
 

 

PRESENTATION TIP: THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE

Are you afflicted by the curse of knowledge?

No, this isn't the latest bit of Harry Potter wizardry. It's a phenomenom that many presenters suffer from, to the detriment of their audiences.

Popularized in Chip and Dan Heath's book, Made to Stick, the curse of knowledge is when you can't remember what it was like not to know the things you now know.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR AUDIENCE?

It means that:

• You may cover your material from a more advanced perspective than your audience can process because they don't have the necessary foundation.

• You may use terminology, acronymns or jargon your audience doesn't comprehend.

• You may not recognize that the audience has concerns or issues that will make it difficult for them to understand or buy into your message.

The best antidote to the curse of knowledge is forcing yourself, while you are preparing your presentation, to focus on how much the audience knows.

• Discover what your audience understands about your topic by asking some of your prospective audience members or a representative of that group who could give you insight.

• If you're presenting a topic on which you had to do research, make a note of 5 things you didn't know when you started and then address those points in your presentation.

• Make liberal use of metaphors and stories to bring your topic into the audience's sphere of familiarity.

• Use concrete, descriptive, unambiguous language.

Being conscious of the curse of knowledge will help you make your presentation more relevant to the audience. It will also greatly enhance your chances of having your message understood and acted upon.

PRESENTATION BALANCE: CONTENT VS. EMOTION

You have a presentation coming up...one you haven't given before...so you know you need to set aside some time to create it. You go through your mental check list...

Confirmed the topic? Check.

Composed an outline? Check.

Started designing PowerPoint slides? Check.

Decided where to include emotion? Hmmm.

Frequently we see content and emotion as competing choices. Either a presentation is full of meaningful content, replete with facts and supporting data OR it's a "make everyone feel good" presentation, short on real detail but long on platitudes. What we neglect to realize is that our audience responds to what they hear on both rational and emotional levels.

When I say emotion, I'm not talking about a gooey outpouring of emotional pap. Nor am I advocating you turn into a hyped up, game show host persona. I'm talking about connecting with your audience on a human level, appealing to their hearts as well as their heads.

According to USC professor of neuroscience and head of the USC Brain and Creativity Institute Antonio Damasio, emotions form a necessary part of almost all rational thought and in fact, play a central role in decision making. It has been said that logic leads to conclusions while emotion leads to action. And isn't action generally what we want from an audience as a result of our presentation?

It may be action to adopt a new policy, buy our product, agree with our idea or join our committee. Yet, too frequently we feel that showing anything other than a calm, reasoned, "professional" demeanor is not appropriate for a business presentation. We forget that our audience is comprised of human beings. Human beings who respond on various levels to far more than just the content they are hearing.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOOLS?

In any situation where you are speaking to others, words are only a small part of what you communicate. Tone, facial expressions, body language and eye contact all deliver a message as strong as or stronger than the words. These non-verbal cues convey a speaker's attitude, conviction, credibility and passion for the content. Your sincerity and enthusiasm inspire your audience. And an inspired audience is much more likely to buy into what you're saying and take the action you suggest.

HOW TO DO IT

Some of the same techniques that we have discussed here before are helpful in bringing some emotion to your presentation:

• Stories and anecdotes connect with the audience on a more "gut" level than impersonal facts and figures. Use stories to humanize your rational content but make sure they are linked to your message.
• Tell your audience what your information means to them and why it's relevant. Show your own passion and commitment for your content by speaking enthusiastically. Enthusiasm is contagious. 
• Stand up straight and look your audience in the eye, demonstrating that you are eager to share your viewpoint with them.

At the end of the day, it's not an either/or proposition between content and emotion. These two elements are like a dance...having all the technical steps down perfectly is merely the placing of the feet on the floor. It doesn't become a "dance", flowing and graceful, until the two partners put their heart into those steps.

So make your presentation dance across the hearts and minds of your audience when you combine emotion with your content.

WEB 2.0 PHILOSOPHY FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS

I attended a presentation recently (at the DC Chapter of ASTD - the American Society of Training and Development) on using Web 2.0 tools to enable social learning. The presenter did a great job on most presentation techniques but one thing really stood out -- his connection with the audience.

He used many presentation best practices to engage his listeners -- eye contact, asking rhetorical questions, having some knowledge about issues important to this audience. But what was particularly impressive was how he modeled the philosophy of Web 2.0 in his presentation.

WEB 2.0 PHILOSOPHY

Web 2.0 is all about collaborating, sharing, facilitating rather than teaching, embracing an abundance mentality. So instead of presenting gems of wisdom from the lofty perch of the expert, accompanied by a multitude of PowerPoint slides, this speaker encouraged a dialogue where audience members interacted with each other, sharing ideas, commenting on others' comments and making discoveries along the way.

Now this was not audience members being put into groups at their tables to discuss a point and then report back. This was real time interaction and sharing, facilitated by the presenter who managed the timing, asked questions, synthesized and added value to the comments.

The audience was energized and very involved. They had contributed to their own experience.

And they had made new networking contacts to follow up with after the presentation.

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

What ingredients does a speaker need to create this sort of presentation?

• a clear understanding of the key messages and how to get back to them
• significant comfort level with the material
• willingness to give control to the audience
• ability to get that control back
• lack of heavy reliance on PowerPoint slides
• skill in anticipating questions
• ability to think on one's feet
• ability to let go of one's ego and be OK with not having all the answers

A tall order, you might say. And I agree that it is not the typical presentation style. But the payback in terms of audience response, engagement and value makes it a format worth putting into your tool kit.

What are your thoughts on the benefits and challenges of this type of approach?