Death by PowerPoint isn't working!

When asked in the same survey about slide presentations they had seen in the last 12 months:

• 70 per cent of respondents said that workplace presenters generally relied heavily on PowerPoint slides. This limited their ability to connect with the audience and make their subject matter engaging and memorable.
• 55 per cent of respondents said that, in general, presenters read from their PowerPoint slides — at which time the audience members mostly chose to switch off and think about something else.

It's clear from this research that business audiences are asking for a new and better approach to presenting that doesn't involve death by PowerPoint.

We know we need development

When asked in the same survey about presentations they deliver at work:

• More than 60 per cent of respondents admit to using their slides to help them remember what to say.
• Nearly 60 per cent of respondents admit to being frequently nervous before giving presentations, which reduced their ability to connect with their audience.
• Only 37 per cent of respondents feel that they are engaging, persuasive presenters.
• 75 per cent of respondents believe that they would receive more respect for their knowledge and expertise if they were better public speakers.

And my work in the years since my 2010 survey has only confirmed these findings. My most recent survey conducted in 2022 asked businesspeople about their common practice in online meetings. This survey found:

• 97 per cent of respondents admitted to sharing their screen in online meetings and never selecting ‘stop share' to bring the view back to all the faces on the screen. It was like watching a TV show for the audience — one slide after the next.
• 93 per cent of respondents felt disconnected in their online meetings (whether they were the presenter or the audience member).
• 86 per cent of respondents felt increased tiredness or ‘zoom fatigue' after a day of online meetings as compared with their memory of attending meeting after meeting of ‘live' interactions prior to COVID-19.

Virtual platforms aren't (always) the answer

I feel strongly that just because we can use virtual platforms, doesn't necessarily mean we should! Email, phone and, increasingly, good old-fashioned ‘live' meetings are alternative options.

And even though we have the technological capability to share our screen (and render our face the size of a postage stamp to take the pressure off our public speaking), that doesn't necessarily mean we should! After all, it's close to impossible to create a connection, build rapport and persuade someone when you can't really see their face.

What to do about ‘Zoom fatigue'

And, yes, it's not in your imagination! ‘Zoom fatigue' is real. Since the global pandemic of COVID-19, researchers far and wide have begun studying and reporting on this phenomenon that causes us to be more tired in a video call than during a face-to-face live meeting. Video calls force us to focus more intently on the conversation in order to absorb the point, require the audience and presenter to both stare directly at a screen for too long without any visual or mental break, and cause cognitive overload (and confusion) when audio and visual cues are out of sync due to dodgy internet connections.

Zoom fatigue was investigated by psychologist Jeff Hancock and his team from Stanford University. They interviewed 10 322 respondents and released their findings in 2021. One in seven women reported feeling ‘very' to ‘extremely' fatigued after Zoom calls, compared to around one in 20 men. Some experts suggest this is due to what is known as ‘mirror anxiety' — that is, women are more likely than men to look at themselves on the screen rather than at the other audience members or straight into the camera. The researchers concluded that it is important to maximise the benefits of virtual meetings while simultaneously reducing any psychological costs.

Suggested ‘fixes' to the problem of virtual meeting exhaustion are:

• video-free meetings — just sound, no camera
• guidelines regarding the length of meetings
• rules about breaks between meetings
• standards outlining how frequently people meet online.

Let's be clear on what presenting means

I believe presenting is any form of communication with another person (including virtually, face to face, over the phone, by email or through the internet). Presenting can be one to one, or with small and large groups. I believe we present both formally and informally. In short, most people in business present every day of their lives — over and over again.

Presenting is about connecting with people through the words you choose to say and the way you choose to say them. When you present, you show people who you are and how you can help them. It's an opportunity to step up and be noticed for what you can offer. Presenting provides a unique opportunity for you to showcase your professional expertise and accelerate your career.

Many people think of presentation skills as the techniques that help you to have a confident voice and good posture, or that help you design your slides. I believe that presenting is not just about an ability to speak clearly with precise articulation and beautiful posture, and it's definitely not about your slides! Of course, presenting does include these things — and it is much, much more.

Many people confess that their standard approach to presenting is to spend most of their time on their visual aids or slide presentation, and then just hope that they can wing the rest. At best, the slides end up restricting the presenter's ability to connect with their audience; at worst, this approach forces the presenter to simply read out their slides to their audience. I'm sure you'd agree that neither of these options is very good for your audience.

Successful, confident, engaging presenters think deeply about their audience, and they are sure about what they are trying to achieve. In short — they do the work! They respect their audience and they master their craft.

If you want to be a confident, influential, impressive presenter, understanding your audience — before you even think about designing what you're going to present — is critical. If you take some time to think about what the current state of your audience is and then work out what you would like to achieve, you'll be much more likely to begin your presentation in a confident frame of mind. You'll also maximise the likelihood of changing your audience's behaviour — which is usually why we present, isn't it? Regardless of whether you wish to sway opinion, introduce controversial ideas or change long-standing policies or redundant methods, understanding your audience will help you feel so much more confident. Chapter 2 gives you the specifics on how to do this.

Successful presenting is also about staying true to yourself. In the business world, many people spend a lot of their time trying to please or impress others. If you find yourself doing this as you're presenting, you may lose a sense of yourself. You may become confused about who you really are, and the result is that the audience can then find it difficult to connect with you. Thank goodness the world is made up of all types of people. And I know that whoever you are, whatever your style, you are gorgeous!

Instead of trying to be someone you are not, just know you are fantastic — and be as good as you can at being you! In other words, focus on your strengths and on being the best you that you can be. That's the key to ongoing confidence, rapport and authenticity as a presenter.

Remember, exceptional presenting has only three phases:

1. Analysis
2. Design
3. Delivery

All you need to do is go through these three phases step by step and you will influence your audience to change their behaviour. It's really that simple! And remember the wise words of author and international speaker Marianne Williamson, who said, ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure … We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant …? Actually, who are you not to be?'

Guiding principles for presenting

Through my research and work, I've developed the following guiding principles, which should be your presentation mantra every day you go to work. Your guiding principles are:

• It's not about me. It's all about the audience!
• I respect my audience, prepare in advance and strive to master my craft.
• I understand that structure is essential for both me and my audience.
• I will always use proven formulas for structuring my communication, so everyone wins!
• I am confident and interesting and I will strive to be as good at being my authentic self as possible.
• It doesn't matter how good my message is if no-one is listening! I will do what I can to help them listen.
• Presenting is a lot more than a nice voice, good body language and some slides.
• Presenting is about connecting with people through the words I choose to say and the way I choose to say them. I will choose carefully!

Moving from ‘fight or flight' to eustress

In 1915, the concept of fight or flight was developed by Dr Walter Cannon to describe an animal's response to threat. Essentially, you can think of this theory like this: when you are faced with stress (presenting is very stressful for many people) you have two choices:

• Fight it: In other words, you can soldier on and push through your discomfort to beat the feeling. If you choose to fight, you can make the most of the opportunities that emerge and step up and be heard so people know what you are capable of.
• Run away: That is, you could choose to flee, avoid presenting, and delegate the job to a colleague. If you flee, you will avoid the stress and conflict, but you will also pass up the chance to showcase your professional expertise. No-one will know what you actually think or feel about the subject, and you may find yourself being passed over for future opportunities.

This understanding of fight or flight from Dr Cannon can be coupled with a concept described by Dr Hans Selye, who discovered and documented the fact that as humans we experience two main kinds of stress: distress and eustress.

Distress is the bad, or negative, kind of stress that weakens and disables you; eustress, on the other hand, is a positive, or good, stress that enables you and makes you powerful. The main way to turn your distress into eustress is to use the power of your mind and your self-talk to reframe in your mind that you are a strong and confident presenter, and you will do a great job when you present.

Another way to make your stress positive is to try really hard to keep reminding yourself that the presentation is not about you: it's all about the audience. If you can focus your attention on how your audience is feeling and what they need to hear from you, your nerves will immediately begin to dissipate. This is because you have less space in your brain for analysing your own consciousness. In other words, if you are more focused on your audience, you will be less preoccupied with yourself.

You can use a number of excellent techniques to reduce your nerves and increase your enjoyment when presenting — and they don't include imagining your audience naked! What a laugh! I've been told stories time and time again from presenters who were told by their manager to imagine their audience naked, and they either froze on the stage or felt more nervous than ever.

You will manage public speaking nerves if you understand your audience (chapter 2), prepare thoroughly (chapters 3 to 8), rehearse (chapter 9), warm up your mind, voice and body (chapters 9 and 10), and connect with your audience by ‘extending the self' (chapter 11) or projecting into the camera (chapter 20).

If nerves really are a problem for you, taking steps to eliminate your limiting beliefs, being yourself, and actively seeking positive feedback (chapter 18) is also important.

Let me tempt you towards increasing confidence by briefly touching on some of these elements before examining the nerves dilemma in more detail through the course of this book.

Common mistakes people make in attempting to reduce their nerves

The two common mistakes people make in an attempt to reduce their nerves are:

1. They make themselves too dependent on slides.
2. They avoid presenting altogether and delegate to someone else.

Let's explore this in more detail.

Top tips for developing more confidence when presenting

No single thing, magic formula or short cut is a panacea for a lack of confidence when presenting. If you feel you are lacking in confidence, consider a change of approach. Begin by writing a slogan in big letters:

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE AUDIENCE!

And then try the following tips:

• Analyse your audience.
• Structure your message.
• Rehearse until you can't get it wrong.
• Breathe deeply using your diaphragm.
• Relax your muscles.
• Focus fully on the audience.
• Use the power of your mind.
• Get feedback.

The following sections (and chapters in this book) provide further help in each of these areas.