A dozen suggestions from my mother
By Thomas Lawlor
My mother hates making presentations. She hates addressing a group of people. To be honest, she's not all that fond of people. Why she had so many children, I will never know. In the process of raising the children, she unknowingly taught us invaluable tips on making presentations. When I stand in front of a mirror practicing for a presentation, I can almost feel my mom spit on her hand and smooth my hair. Of course, now there is less hair to smooth than when my mother did it for me.
I call her presentation tips "Mom's Do's and Don'ts. Mostly Don'ts."
Look me in the eye when you talk to me.
As a teenager, I occasionally did not look her in the eye, especially the time she found something under my bed. As a presenter, I want to make a connection with my audience. I want to catch as many eyes as I can. If you can, try to get the lights adjusted so you can see the audience. It improves the level of impact.
Stop mumbling.
My mother used to kick me under the table whenever I would mumble. Her favorite word was "enunciate." She would drag it out for emphasis. E-nnun-ci-ate. This is especially important when using a microphone. With a microphone in a large venue, your last words bounce around. Always talk slowly, deliberately, and annunciate.
Don't slouch.
You may remember a few years ago when the queen came over to visit us. She was much shorter than the previous speaker. The podium was not lowered, and all we saw was her hat. The speech became known as the talking hat speech. It is extremely important if you are small or large. I am 6 foot 5, and I hate to bend over for a 20-minute talk. My back hurts. No matter what the circumstance, take a few seconds to adjust the podium or the microphone. Even better, familiarize yourself well before-hand with how the podium works and how the microphone is adjusted.
Get your hands away from your mouth.
While my mother meant this tip to be used to ensure one is heard during one-on-one conversations, it also applies to presentations. Don't put your hand between your mouth and a microphone and never play with your tie, your lapel, or anything else in that area, when wearing a lavaliere microphone.
If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times . . .
There is a presenter's adage: Tell your audience what you are going to talk to them about. Then give your talk, and finally summarize or reiterate what you told them for a total 997 less times than my Mom had to say things.
Stop picking at that.
I went to a presentation where the speaker looked down at the podium and picked at the walnut veneer as he spoke. I don't think he impressed anyone. And the point of his speech was entirely missed.
Get your hands out of your pockets.
My mother didn't mind casual, but she hated slovenly behavior. This was a problem because as a child, I excelled at it. There is, however, a difference between an informal presentation and a sloppy one. Even an informal one should have structure.
Have tissues in your pocket.
When we went to church, she always put tissues in everyone's pockets. We would say, "I don't have a runny nose". And she would say, "Be prepared." Things may not go as planned. Build catch-up points or slides into your presentation. Think about what happens if equipment fails or a slide is skipped and there are no handouts. Be prepared.
Don't talk badly about others.
I got caught in this trap a few years ago. A person in the audience asked me what I thought about the competition. I probably was a bit too candid. Soon after, I found myself working for the same competition. I had to say to the same people, "Never mind."
If I have to pullover and stop, we are all going to be in trouble.
In order to avoid stopping, make sure your AV equipment is running properly. You should have extra bulbs in a slide or overhead projector, fresh batteries in your wireless microphone and a backup projector if you are using an LCD projector. And make sure nobody is going to accidentally kick out the plug for your equipment.
If Donna Blake jumped off a cliff, would you jump off a cliff?
I have a confession. My mother never said this. My wife's mother did. My wife wanted to be like the other kids. Her mother wanted her not to run with the herd. To be her own person. If someone else is doing a presentation a certain way, it doesn't mean you have to. "It's always been done this way" is not a good enough answer. Shake things up a little. Look at things differently. Don't follow Donna over the cliff.
Stop teasing your sister Ellen.
That one is self explanatory.
We have all heard similar tips. Probably as many times as I heard my mother say
them. I
suggest attaching these ideas to an image of a mother, in your mind. Psychologists tell us
that we retain more information if we can attach an idea to another idea already in our
minds. What more powerful image than that of a mother. Hopefully before you give your
next presentation, you'll remember these tips as you feel your mother spit on her a hand
and smooth your hair.
Thomas Lawlor is with M Communications, an audiovisual company in Stamford, CT. He can be reached at Tlawlor@mcommunications.com or (800) 788-4445.