The purpose of this book is to share with you the tools and insights I have discovered after almost thirty years of teaching presentation/communication skills worldwide, in order to support your transformation from a so-so presenter to a “superstar.” Although most of the people I have coached are from the IT* world, the presentation tools and insights discussed are applicable to anyone who has to stand up and talk in front of audiences.
I have had the privilege of working with thousands of IT professionals in over fifty countries and representing many diversified cultures. And the one fact that is readily apparent is that cross-culturally our similarities far outweigh our differences. The blocks and barriers that stop an engineer or account manager in Tokyo from having full self-expression and presence are the same that block the engineer or account manager in New York, London, Moscow, New Delhi, or Johannesburg. We may speak different languages. We may have been raised in different cultures. But the essence of our humanity, being, and spirit are all the same.
The key element in this transformation for any person is the ability to stay in present time while delivering your communication and not get distracted or seduced by the data. IT professionals are masters at the ability to acquire the knowledge but are often challenged by the ability to take that knowledge or content and effectively deliver it to the audience. By diminishing the blocks and barriers that stop your full self-expression and clarity, you increase your ability to stay in present time, which I refer to as the Broadband Connection. When the blocks and barriers begin to dissolve, your Being, which is right underneath the surface of consciousness, can begin to emerge and illuminate space. You then have a greater connection to this moment of now and in this new state of consciousness will have the maximum capability to be of service and contribute to the audience.
This light of illumination, which is analogous to watching high-definition television for the first time, captivates an audience. They aren’t able to take their attention off the presenter. They are inspired and appreciative that someone is actually taking the time to consciously encapsulate the thought and project it across the space with the intention that it be absorbed and understood.
My own ability to be in present time in front of an audience was developed through years of practice, the opportunity to teach others, and the inspiration of some brilliant guides who pointed the way.
In my early development back in the ’70s Werner Erhard was a brilliant light in my life. I had unknowingly been protecting myself from being present with the audience, erroneously thinking that if I was fully present I would be psychologically vulnerable, which would lead to rejection. Through Werner’s training I was able to surrender, take a leap of faith into the unknown, and risk what I thought would be total annihilation in front of the audience.
But to my amazement I wasn’t annihilated. Quite the opposite. I discovered a space of awareness or consciousness that I had never tasted before. The space of freedom. Freedom to be myself. Freedom to tell the truth about my experience of life. Freedom from being suppressed by what I thought the audience would think about me. And one of the most wonderful and unexpected gifts I received was the ability to generate compassion for myself and others.
The heart and soul of The Broadband Connection was and continues to be inspired by Eckhart Tolle and his insight into consciousness. His understanding of presence and the ability to clearly deliver that understanding to others through his words and videos is a gift to the world. For example, he makes a simple distinction that there are only two things in this world: space and things in space.
When I hear ideas like these a part of me gets very excited because I may not have the direct experience of what the teacher is talking about but I intuitively sense that it points to a profound truth in consciousness. Then I am blessed with the opportunity to take the idea into training rooms around the world to see if it aids in diminishing the blocks and barriers that stop my students from being in present time and maintaining their own broadband connection to the audience. And over the years a process has emerged that supports students in transforming their ability to be clear, confident, and powerful presenters. They now experience that standing in front of audiences is not something to dread but rather one of the best and most fun parts of their job. Their audiences look at them and exclaim, “Wow, that looks like a superstar!”
With the Warmest of Regards,
Alan
Saudi Arabia
January 2009
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* The term IT stands for Information Technology and is defined as the study, design, development, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications, networks, and computer hardware.