Chapter 9

Bulletproof Your Presentation

Your presentation is floating along flawlessly (you think). You’re on cruise control. Then reality deals you a frightening blow. As you look out into the audience, you are stunned. Five people are sitting with their heads propped on their hands, fifteen in the front row seem to be unconscious, there’s a group chatting in the right corner, and seven others yawn simultaneously. In the words of Dennis the Menace, “Yipes!”

Congratulations. At least you recognized that there’s a problem. Some speakers are so self-absorbed that they are oblivious to audiences’ signs of boredom. Now that you know that there’s a problem, you’re ready to bail out of the negative situation, and turn it around so the audience is reenergized, reactivated, and really interested. If you can do that, you are a champion presenter! In this chapter, you’ll learn presentation C.P.R.:

I began writing this chapter while flying to Phoenix for my two-day Speakers Training Camp, and I certainly used my own advice. My carefully chosen workshop site turned out to be the “hotel from hell.” In twelve years of training, I had never experienced a disaster of this magnitude. The executive from Hewlett-Packard had no bed in his room—just a couch; the accountant from Seattle had no running water; the staff had no idea what U-shape seating was, and the busboys barged into the meeting five times during the morning session. By using C.P.R., I saved the day (and my reputation). I checked the pulse of the group (slowly dying). I pinpointed the problem (bad hotel choice). I recovered (opened the program with comments about “the hotel from hell,” apologized, located the swankiest hotel during the lunch hour, and changed the workshop site). The end result: glowing evaluations and repeat business. (Whew!)

This chapter covers various things you can do to recover:

82. Check the Pulse

You have approximately 2.5 minutes to assess the situation. Is it you, or is it them? If only one or two people are dozing off, and the remaining thirty-three are alert and interested, don’t worry about it. Proceed. You might talk to the dozers during the break to check their interest levels, but you will not appeal to all listeners to the same degree. No problem. If, however, more than a few people are showing signs of boredom, then bail out and change course.

During one of my first presentations, I was delivering a lunchtime talk to about sixty members of the Rotary Club in rural Baldwin, Kansas. As I looked out into the audience, I noticed an elderly gentleman sleeping in the second row. I was devastated. I felt that my career was coming to an instant demise. Could my presentation really be so bad that someone would actually sleep through it? Luckily, the other fifty-nine people were attentive, eager listeners. My assessment? It was his problem, not mine. Prescription: Proceed!

A humor panel was delivering a breakout session at a national convention. After only five minutes, audience members began trailing out of the room until only about 25 percent of the original participants were left. The assessment? Speaker-related problems. Prescription: Bail out and change course. I left, too. The panel lacked preparation; they were obviously winging it; their attempts at humor were weak. One panel member was dominating the conversation. He did not use the mike correctly, and he could not be heard. The session was not going to be “how to,” which was what the audience wanted. These panelists did not change their course, and suffered the consequences.

Bail-out idea: Wake up! Take charge of the situation before the participants leave. Stand up, involve the audience, and ask each person what he or she would like to accomplish in the session. Then do it!

83. Pinpoint the Problem

It’s time to openly assess the situation. After all, things couldn’t get much worse. What is the problem? Chances are, it is one of three things:

Put your ego aside and be flexible for the good of the group. Find out what the problem is. Your dialog should go something like this:

84. Recover: Take a Break

In my twenty years as a speaker and trainer, no one has ever complained about taking a break. It’s one of my favorite escape routes when things are not going as planned. Audiences seem to enjoy taking a pause. It’s a natural energizer. It also gives you a chance to collect your thoughts and regroup.

During the break, you can continue your investigation. Talk to some of the people in the audience. See if you can discover the true cause of the distress. It could be something logistical: The heat pump outside the window is too noisy; it’s 4:30, and they thought you were ending at 4:00; there’s a glare coming in from the window, and they can’t see the TV monitor.

This is also a great opportunity to assess the interest level of individuals. Ask members of the audience questions such as: “Does this stuff make any sense to you?” “Are you learning anything?” “What would you like to do when we return from the break?”

Once the break has ended, you’ll have a chance to recapture the audience. Don’t blow it! Change something now! It’s a new beginning. If you go back to the old routine, you’ve lost them. You have one chance to save yourself, and it’s now! Do something different! The audience will forgive you for any previous offenses. But unless you correctly diagnose the problem and solve it, you’ll return to the same old boring rut.

I was delivering team development training to a group of British Airways salespeople who had just consumed a monumental seven-course breakfast. After the first half-hour, I noticed that the group was extremely lethargic. I had them take a break, and during the break I devised a team-oriented activity that would take them outside the building—moving, walking, talking—for the next forty minutes. It was an instant success. Participation was full-blast. There was lots of activity, laughter, and enthusiasm. At the conclusion of the activity, they diagnosed their abilities and achievements on a team profile. It was a glowing recovery!

85. Recover: End Early

When you hit the doldrums and there’s no quick fix in sight, you might consider ending early. It’s certainly better than keeping your audience in “presentation prison.” Sometimes it’s the best option. Here’s how to do it gracefully:

It was the second day of my Speakers Training Camp in Hood River, Oregon. All of the participants were preoccupied with the snow and ice storm that had occurred during the night. They were worried about getting to the airport safely and on time to catch their early evening flights. At the beginning of the day, I announced that I knew how concerned they were. In order to be sure that they traveled during the best possible time of day, I would end at 2:00 P.M. instead of the usual 5:00 P.M. I explained that the best time to make the 60-mile trek to the Portland airport was in midday, when the weather was warmest and the road crews had sanded the surface. I would still cover the major activities, and we would have a working lunch. From that point on, they gave me 100 percent of their attention. We covered all of the material, and everyone had a safe trip.

86. “Up” Your Energy Level

The audience sits out there like a bunch of chameleons. They will adapt to your mood. They will mirror you. If you are solemn and straight-faced, they will be solemn and straight-faced. If you are high-speed and jovial, they will be high-speed and jovial.

Check your personal energy level. Do you feel exhausted and lifeless? Does your voice sound monotone, uninteresting, and uninterested?

Maybe your style has become complacent and boring. Here are some ways to turn up the energy:

87. Get Up and Boogie

Get up. Get the energy flowing. Physical energy ignites mental energy. I attended a workshop with Anthony Robbins, the popular motivational expert. Anthony is an extremely high energy presenter. His ability to capture the audience is incredible. However, even though he had a very dynamic style, he knew that it would take more than that to hold the audience’s attention during the three-hour afternoon portion of his program. That’s a time when attention usually takes a major dip. What did he do? Every twenty minutes for the entire afternoon, he took a “back break.” He asked everyone to stand, find a partner, and, depending on each person’s comfort level, give that partner a vigorous back rub or “karate chops” on the back. The whole place erupted in laughter and movement. Best of all, it created a great energy boost—one that was repeated every twenty minutes.

One of my favorite energy boosters occurred after lunch at a convention I was attending at the Oregon coast. Again, the organizers knew the value of physical movement. Before the afternoon session, they had all the attendees assemble on a huge patio overlooking the bay. Then they taught everyone a country line dance. The music was blaring, 150 people were stepping in unison, and the sea lions were thoroughly entertained! It was a great release, and it paved the way for an afternoon of thinking and learning.

The responsibility for energy boosters can also be given to the participants. When faced with a warm training room one August day in Washington, D.C., I asked each of the participants to come up with a physical energizer. At intervals during the afternoon, one person was asked to conduct his or her activity. We marched; we did jumping jacks; we stampeded in place, we stretched; we did the “twist and shout”; we beat our chests and yelled “Tarzan.” What fun!

88. Lose the Notes

Speakers who are glued to their notes are boring. They are relating to paper, not to people. Gather your guts and toss the notes. Reestablish your bond with the audience. This is really scary, but it might just be the way to save your presentation.

Think about carrying on a conversation with the audience. Suppose you were sitting across from someone having lunch, and you were discussing the topic. You’d know exactly what to say, and you wouldn’t need notes. Treat the audience the same way. Don’t worry about remembering every point; just hit the highlights. What are the two or three points you want them to remember? Be natural. Be conversational. Use examples. Engage the audience in discussion. Wing it. Then watch the audience’s attention rise!

I was working with a phone company executive named Bob. He was a delightful person, full of laughter and enthusiasm. But when he delivered his presentation, he turned into a stilted, stone-faced figure, and the audience’s attention flagged. Instead of talking to the audience, he was constantly looking at his notes, trying to read every word. On a scale of one to ten, his presentation ranked about a two. After he had finished, I took his notes away and asked him to deliver the presentation again. He turned three shades of blue. I gave the group a ten-minute break and told Bob to think of the three most important points in his presentation and “just tell us.” He regained his composure, and did a 180-degree turnaround. He put his true lively personality into the presentation. He added some spontaneous stories and examples. He even included some off-the-cuff audience involvement. His three main points were emphasized very clearly. He was having fun, and the audience was having fun. Bob was a roaring success. In fact, when presentation 2 was over, the audience leaped to their feet, gave him a standing ovation, and broke into wild applause. The mist in our eyes said it all. Great recovery!

89. Step Out of the Spotlight: Involve the Group

Group involvement is usually a sure bet when you are trying to reactivate the interest level of your audience. It also takes the focus away from you and puts it back where it belongs: with the audience.

Divide the participants into groups of about five. Then use one of the following activities:

1. Problem solution. Considering the topic you are working on, ask the groups first to list the problems they see. Prioritize the problems. Then create some solutions to those problems. For example, if I were discussing the topic of nervousness, I would ask the groups to come up with a list of nervous symptoms that they have before giving a presentation. Then I would have them identify the most severe problems. Finally, I would ask them for some solutions to those problems. Groups usually will come up with 90 percent of the answers. It’s your job to fill in the gaps as needed.

2. Buzz groups. Ask the people in each group to brainstorm lists of the following:

After ten minutes of discussion, each group presents its ideas to the others.

3. Group presentations. Write down the topics that need to be covered. Have each group select and discuss a topic, then and make a presentation on that topic.

90. Change Pace: Do Something Different

When you’re in a rut, get out of it! And then never return to it. Think of changing the mood of the session:

91. Pack Some Ideas Into Your Hip Pocket

When I was an undergraduate at Penn State University, my Speech 101 professor often told the class, “Always have something in your hip pocket.” He explained that since you can’t predict what’s going to happen during every moment of a presentation, you should have a plan for expanding or shrinking your talk. Also, have at least five ideas to perk up your presentation if the attention level sags.

Here’s a guideline: Be able to add to or shrink your talk by 25 percent. That way, you will have already thought out ways to condense or expand the topic if you need to. For example, for my two-day Speakers Training Camp, I have at least three hours of additional material and activities that I can adapt to the group on the spot. Many of these activities are written out and categorized on index cards, so that they are readily accessible. In almost every session, I pull out some of my “hip-pocket” ideas. One morning, the participants asked for some fun and innovative ideas to use during routine review of training material. I had the group brainstorm some ideas, and then I told them that one of my favorite activities for review was a Jeopardy game. Many of them were not familiar with the format for using the game in a large group, and asked for a demonstration. Luckily, it was one of my hip-pocket ideas, and I could conduct the game on the spot. All of the game questions related to the topic of presentation skills. The group thoroughly enjoyed the activity, and were amazed that I could pull off such a feat at a moment’s notice. I explained to them the value of my hip pockets! (Actual preparation time for the questions used in the game was about two hours.)

Here are some universal ideas to fill your pockets: group activities, newspaper articles, aha sheets (participants write down the two most important things they’ve learned), prizes, action plans, pictures (attendees draw pictures of what they’ve learned), games (that relate to the topic), discussion topics, role play, “What would you do if . . . ,” case studies.