Debunking The Presentation Myths

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Debunking The Presentation Myths

Public Speaking and Presentational skills are areas that seem to attract more myth than reality.

Our first set of secrets debunk some of the myths I hear most often.

MYTH #1
“Won't everyone just laugh at me?”

REALITY
Sure they will. If you turn up late, trip up over the leads and spill your coffee over the projector then you probably will hear a laugh or two in the room.

However, at some point, we all have to do a presentation in front of our colleagues, superiors, potential business partners or delegates at a conference and if you know your topic then the
audience will respect you for it regardless of how nervous you may be feeling.

MYTH #2
“Anyone can stand up and speak, but don't I really need to be some kind of marketing guru to create a truly effective presentation?”

REALITY
Let's start with the basics…

You've probably been approached or landed with the task of making the presentation in the first place, because you have some kind of specialist knowledge or the inside track on the subject you'll be speaking about.

Never forget that it is the knowledge that you will impart that people primarily want to discover!

That said, it is perfectly possible to be the most outstandingly knowledgeable person delivering a speech to an appropriate audience (those who want to hear your particular message) but
still bore them to tears.

So delivery is critical too, but your own knowledge or at least your researched knowledge on the subject should mean that you certainly don't need to be some kind of marketing guru to present
your presentation effectively.

In fact this manual and toolkit mostly assumes that you probably already know a thing or two about your subject and will ensure that you don't need to be a personal marketing guru to put the message across to your audience and receive rave reviews in return.


MYTH #3
“I will need to have had prior public speaking experience, to ever make a convincing presentation.”

REALITY
This is certainly not true.

Everybody has to start somewhere, since none of us are born with public speaking experience!

In fact, even the most polished public speakers have rarely had much training in the subject. This is one field where there are very few formally qualified people.

So when it comes to making a presentation, having had prior public speaking experience may be an advantage, but it isn't a prerequisite.


MYTH #4
“Can't I get my message across just as well if I send out a memo or email on the subject I was going to speak about?”

REALITY
No.

That's not to say that there are not times when a memo, email, letter, phone call or even a printed out and distributed copy of your presentation, wouldn't be appropriate.

But unless you command 100% of your target audiences attention, you will always be battling against numerous other distractions in the lives of those you are trying to address.

So you could print off your presentation and if you're lucky, half of your colleagues or targeted audience will keep a copy filed away in the back of their drawer whilst the other half will put it instantly into the trash. Emails and memo's are effective when they are kept short and brief. But they are generally impersonal and usually ineffective for longer or more complex messages. Can you really sell what you want to get across when it is only written down or presented over the
telephone on a conference call? Probably not.

Let's say that you're tendering for new business, what would be more effective?

1. Send the client some printed information on your company + product and services, or

2. Going in to personally see the prospective client and present to them?

There's simply no competition when it comes to communication effectiveness, creating and making a presentation will win every time.

Blogged on 7:18 PM

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