Whether in the boardroom, at an industry conference, or the company’s quarterly earnings call, it’s the presenter’s job to deliver clear, congruent, and concise messages that connect with the audience without distractions. This column from public speaking expert and veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal hits all of the right buttons on how to avoid going overtime while speaking — and how to keep everyone’s attention.
By Rosemary Ravinal
Special to RBR+TVBR
At a recent town hall meeting in my community, an elected official gave a 40-minute state-of-the-city presentation in a 10-minute time slot and bored everyone to death.
You could see people squirming in their seats, looking at their phones, talking among themselves, and stepping out for bio breaks. Yet the speaker persisted with self-serving long-winded statements, PowerPoint overkill, and disregard for the fidgety audience.
Presenters may think that their rank and status give them carte blanche to ignore the ground rules of impactful communications. As a leadership communications coach, I can’t help but pick apart almost any presentation. When I see the same errors repeated, I feel compelled to offer a refresher on the best presentation practices.
There are ways to overcome these unnoticed pitfalls of in-person presentations, and I’m pleased to provide some insights on how to avoid them.
1. Lack of audience connection.
One of the most significant mistakes a presenter can make is failing to connect with their audience. This often stems from a lack of awareness about who the audience is and what they’re looking for. Presenters may overlook the importance of tailoring their content to the interests and needs of their specific audience, preferring to speak about their interests instead.
One of my favorite quotes about missing the point with your audience comes from former AT&T marketing guru Ken Haemer: “Designing a presentation (product) without an audience (a customer) in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it to whom it may concern.”
Solution: Before the presentation, conduct thorough research on who will be in the room. Understand their background, interests, and expectations. Incorporate relevant examples, anecdotes, and language that resonates with them. What keeps them up at night? What’s the itch they want scratched? What are they expecting to receive from you that they didn’t have before they entered the meeting? Establishing a connection with the audience is vital. Without it, you might as well be speaking to yourself.
2. Overloading slides with data.
Presentation slides have become an integral part of conveying information today. However, a common mistake is overloading slides with text, charts, and graphs, creating an overwhelming visual experience for the audience. This not only dilutes the message but also hinders audience comprehension. If the audience must read the text, look at a picture, and pay attention to the speaker at once, one of the three will suffer.
Solution: Follow the “less is more” principle when creating slides. Use concise bullet points, try to keep to three per slide. Add compelling visuals to illustrate key messages. Slides should complement your spoken words, not replace them. Focus on clarity and simplicity to help the audience absorb and retain information. The 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint is a straightforward concept: no PowerPoint presentation should be more than ten slides, longer than 20 minutes, and use fonts smaller than 30-point size. Coined by Guy Kawasaki, the rule is a tool for marketers to create excellent PowerPoint presentations.
3. Speaking to the screen.
Turning your back to the audience is rude. If you load your slides with text, you will be tempted to turn around and read from your slide. Removing your eye gaze from the front of the room is an instant disconnection. If you fail to look at the people you’re talking to, you have broken an invisible bond of trust you will need to succeed (even if you bomb).
Solution: Think of yourself as the lead singer on the stage and your slides are your backup chorus. Either you are the star of the show, or you default to your slides. A well-calibrated interplay of visual content and your narration will make your presentation smooth and memorable. Another solution is to have a confidence monitor at the foot of the stage or somewhere in front of you but out of the audience’s view. That way your eyes will stay focused forward.
4. Going overtime.
Staying on time is a sign of professionalism. Going over the allotted time imposes on your audience and robs the next speaker on the schedule. It’s rude and reflects poorly on your preparation. Presentations that end early allow more time for Q&As and give the audience more time for a break or conversation about your topic.
Solution: Rehearse and prepare 20 minutes of content for a 30-minute slot. Divide your content into chunks that you can switch out or eliminate segments if you run out of time. Front-load your main messages in case you’re asked to cut your talk short for reasons out of your control. Ask for a countdown clock from the venue or bring your timing device.
Virtual presentations come with slightly different guidelines driven by the technology and confines of the video frame. I’ve covered the topic of video conferencing extensively over the last few years but will update the best practices for Zoom meetings in a future blog post.
Do you have a public speaking or presentation skills training question for me? Explore how Rosemary Ravinal can help you and your organization level up the impact of speeches, presentations, and media interviews online and in person, in English or Spanish. Click here for more information.
Rosemary Ravinal is based in Miami and has worked at companies including Univision Communications.
