[tweetmeme source=”lovestats” only_single=false]Having recently presented at five different conferences, I’ve witnessed hundreds of presenters and hundreds of presentation styles. There are the readers, the shouters, the quiet self-talkers, the conversationalists, the sermon givers, the suggers, the buzzword blatherers, and all of the terrible interactions therein.
It’s hard to learn new ideas from a presentation when you’re playing buzzword bingo, plotting escape routes, considering restaurant choices, or privately tweeting with others who are also dying from bad presentation syndrome.
There is a right way to present. It has nothing to do with powerpoint and everything to do with you.
Do you know who you are?
Who are you when you’re chatting with your friends? Are you funny? Full of stories? Deeply mysterious and intriguing? Wild and silly? Controversial?
For some reason, we check our personalities at the door when we present. We become “professional” and “serious” and, yes, I’ll say it, boring. We worry about using the right big words and appealing to the masses so as to offend no one. Of course, offending no one often means your audience leaves having learned nothing.
Chances are, if you’re presenting at a conference, it’s because you really like your work and you’re probably really good at it. You might even be passionate about it.
So why do you suddenly become boring? Perhaps you are shy and if so, I can empathize with you. Perhaps you feel you must be professional (boring) or no one will take you seriously (they will take you as dull and hang out with fun bobby instead).
Here’s the simple solution for a great presentation. Bring your personality with you. If you love telling stupid (but clean) jokes, then bring your collection of stupid jokes on stage. Bring your stupid stories. Bring your quirks too. Bringing these things on stage means you also bring pieces of your personality on stage. People will see the real you and see how you love your work. It’s really hard to be bored during a presentation when the speaker is sharing a piece of who they are.
So who will you be next time?
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I love this! I try really hard to let my personality show through when I present. Admittedly, it can be hard when nervous… but once you get started, it flows! Besides, it’s so much easier to be yourself than anyone else! (and so funny, I didn’t realize this was YOUR article until I looked to my right —> I found this another way! I feel like a stalker!)
STALKER!!!! 🙂