It’s surprising how often people present in pairs on stage, or set up panels, or group shows of one kind or another. It’s also surprising how often people miss some simple ways to make the experience more engaging and more delightful for the audience and themselves. All too often, everyone just does their own thing – serial presentations, rather than taking advantage of the fun that adding more people offers. Following are some quick tips for looking like pros who do joint presenting all the time.
1. The audience cares about how you relate to one another, so show them. As soon as you get more than one person on stage, you have the potential for drama, and the audience wants to know, how do these people feel about each other? What’s their relationship? Let’s see some banter, or at the very least, some by-talk. Tell us what you two, or more, have in common, or do together, or feel about each other, and if at all possible, make it fun.
2. Introduce each other; don’t introduce yourselves. Come on, everyone knows it’s hard to introduce yourself. It’s much, much easier for someone else to talk about how great you are. And much more believable. And yet how many panels have you seen where the host asks everyone to begin by introducing themselves? Lazy, poor form, and hard work for the audience to get through. If you’re leading a panel discussion, either introduce everyone, or get people to introduce each other. Having to start by talking about oneself makes most people uncomfortable; why start out uncomfortably?
3. Appoint an MC; preferably one who is comfortable playing the role. The MC should think of herself as the audience’s advocate, helping them through the day, putting learning together, summarizing, analyzing, doing the hard work of making sense of what the audience is hearing.
4. Look interested when a colleague is speaking. This is a particular pet peeve of mine. If someone else on your team is talking, pay attention. Look interested. In fact, look like it’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever heard. It’s the height of arrogance and un-team-like behavior to do something distracting when another teammate is presenting. Don’t do it. Ever. Look interested – and be ready to help if something goes wrong.
5. If you’re presenting something technical, or a demo, be prepared for things to go wrong, and get help. Demos are the Devil’s children. When they go well – a rare occurrence – they’re quite impressive. But usually Satan is in the room and something goes wrong. Then it’s important to have a Plan B, a co-presenter to talk through things, and support from the team. The best approach is always to be real. Don’t think of it as an error, but rather an opportunity. Explain what’s going on, don’t try to hide it.
6. Rehearse the hand-offs and transitions. Rehearse them again. All too often, people rehearse their own stuff and forget about the handoffs. And that’s where the problems and awkwardness therefore inevitably show up. It’s harder than it looks! Practice handoffs! If you’re under-rehearsed, and you will be, then consider talking yourself and your audience through it out loud, rather than trying to make it look cool. In other words, say something like, “We’re almost done here, and now Francis is going to come on stage and talk about next steps.” That approach has the added benefit of cuing Francis in case he’s lost somewhere in the script.
7. Don’t hog the limelight. But do stand up to speak. If you’re presenting as a team, give everyone a chance to shine. Don’t let one superstar do all the talking. That’s not teamwork. But do stand up to speak; the tallest person in the room commands the attention and authority, so if everyone is sitting, it’s a simple way for the speaker to be the center of attention while he is speaking.
Finally, mix things up. Don’t do all the panels the same way or have an endless series of 20-minute talks just because you want to imitate the TEDx format. Variety is extremely helpful for an audience to remember more of the information coming at them during the day because variety is interesting. Always remember that sitting in a hotel meeting room is like a sensory deprivation chamber – typically there are no windows, there’s a background roar from the A/C system, the lighting is bad, and there’s little for an audience to do except sit. Every way that you manage to change that experience up will be wonderful and invigorating for the audience.
Good morning Nick
As always a message of audience first and have fun. I came across this quote the other day which I really liked.
“Not until human nature is other than what it is, will the function of the living voice-the greatest force on earth among men- cease. . .
I advocate, therefore, in its full extent, and for every reason of humanity, of patriotism, and of religion, a more through culture of oratory and
I define oratory to be art of influencing conduct with the truth set home by all the resources of the living man.”
-Henry Ward Beecher
A bit of gender balance “among men and women” but I really liked “influencing conduct with the truth,” that would be a new experience for some.
And I loved the Utopian “culture of oratory”.
Thank you as always.
Kindest regards
John
John, speed the day when we (once again) have a “culture of oratory”! It will be a better world, I have no doubt.
Nick, another excellent column. I especially love idea number 2, and think it’s a brilliant twist on the usual slog thru intros. All of this applies so beautifully to the work I do with my CIO events — You can be sure I’ll be sending links to your column to many of my speakers in the future!
Years ago I wrote a column with10 points each on being a great panelist or a great moderator. I’ll send that along to you for your amusement. :) Fondly as always, Maryfran
Thanks, Maryfran — I remember your CIO events with fondness, and am delighted to think I could help improve them (in a small way, since they were already great). I’ll look forward to your column.
Good morning Nick – I am having a problem with your email, the one I have used in the past, but keeps failing.
This is my message
Road Manager reporting in. I will meet you at your hotel 10am on Tuesday morning. We take a short stroll, weather permitting, have a coffee and then our first place to visit is at 11.30am.
This is a place, I feel, you will find very interesting and requires smart casual attire. I have invited a special friend to come along, hopes to make it for 11.30 and if not, we will catch up later. Lunch.
After that Guinness and after we have choices.
I sincerely hope you are very happy with the clarity of my planning.
It is interesting our connection from the virtual world, to face-to-face meeting, to a sense of friendship.
It follows your book in many ways, you send out highly engaging content, I throw in my penny’s worth, you reply, connection is made, face-to-face, friendship.
Kindest regards
John
John, I’m in! Use the following email: nfrodom@gmail.com