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Checkout this recent  example of how a powerpoint presentation can be interesting and engaging.  It’s by the author of Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds

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I have had a slow puncture in one of the rear tyres of my car for a few weeks now. I kept noticing it but I kept putting off going to the tyre depot and getting it fixed. I thought I couldn’t afford the time or the money right now so all I did was pump it up every so often when i filled up with fuel. However on Monday I noticed it was almost flat again and I made the decision to go to the depot and get it fixed.

The fitter examined the tyre and told me the bad news. They wouldn’t be able to repair it because the tyre was critically damaged as a result of my driving on it when it was almost flat! So instead of a low cost puncture repair, I had to shell out a lot more for a complete new tyre!

Now you may we wondering what all this has to do with presenting and influencing. Well read on..

If you are in the sales or presentation game, you know that part of your job is to persuade your audience to take action. Now that action may be to buy your product or service, give approval for your marketing plan or implement a new way of working.

This is not easy at the best of times because the majority of people are conservative by nature and they tend to feel comfortable sticking with what they know rather than trying something new.

Couple this hesitancy with an economic downturn and fear of recession and your job is all the more difficult - but it isn’t impossible.

You have to tip the scales and find a way of showing your audience that the cost of not implementing your recommendations, costly though they may be, is nothing compared to what they will have to pay if they sit on the fence!

Hopefully you can now see the point of my tyre story. If I had realised how much my hesitation about fixing the tyre was going to cost me, I’d have had the puncture repaired when I first spotted it and saved myself a lot of money. As a presenter or influencer it’s your job to help your audience see the cost of inaction relative to the cost of action. This process can really kick a cautious audience into action. Go on try it out for yourself and let me know how you get on.

I have just returned from a camping holiday in Dorset and whilst away I had the delight of lighting and then tending a camp fire every evening.   As I was gazing into the embers one evening it suddenly struck me that there are a number of similarities between lighting a camp fire and developing someone’s presentation or public speaking confidence.

As anyone who has tried to light a fire will know it is not always an easy job.   If the sticks are to thick or too damp, it is difficult to get the fire to take hold.   One has to look for a glowing ember and then feed and nurture it so that it glows brighter and brighter until it eventually bursts into flame.

Bringing out the confidence to speak in front of an audience requires the same approach.  Constructive criticism at too early a stage can have the same effect as putting damp wood on the fire - it puts it out!  Positive reinforcement and praise, on the other hand, fans the embers and causes them to glow brighter.

As a public speaking and presentation skills trainer I have often had to spend time undoing all the “good work” done by others who sought to help by telling their colleagues what they were doing wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that there is a place for constructive criticism but not in the early stages of the novice speakers career.

Why not tell me what you think

Today I was phoned by a guy who I have met on a couple of occasions at local networking events.  he works for a company called the disc directory, a local on-line business directory covering Portsmouth and Southampton.

Now I’m pretty hard on tele-sales people but his approach was so refreshing that I just had to post on it.   He called me up, started by saying something like ” Remember the good looking guy who’s been bumping into  you around the local networking scene regularly> - Well that’s not me!  I’m the ugly one and I promised to call you”  - So far so good, he made me laugh and his tone and delivery were congruent.

Then he said”   I’m going to be really direct, it’s Friday afternoon and I’ve got my targets to hit  so I am prepared to offer you a great deal.  Three categories for half price?  How does that sound?”

I paused and he said ” I know you are just wondering which of my arms you are going to bite off to take this great deal.  Well I can tell you that they are both equally tender so it doesn’t have to be difficult.  What do you say?”

Again he made me laugh and I was hooked and after a bit more discussion I agreed.

Now I am not saying that this irreverent and cheeky approach is the one to use all the time but it has it’s place.  He had ready my right and decided to give it ago and it paid off!

What’s the cheekiest sales pitch you have used or had used on you that has worked?

Recently I was invited to give a talk on presentation skills tips to JCI Southampton.  We had a lively evening in the lovely Jury’s Inn  Hotel and I was able to record the talk so that you all could hear it to.   You can listen to it from the web or download it to your ipod.  Just click on the link here and scroll down the page till you see the audio player.

The talk lasts about 45 minutes and covers a range of public speaking related topics including; handling nerves, setting objectives, slide design, & engaging your audience.   Listen to it and let me know what you think.