Life Is a Series of Presentations

8 Ways to Punch Up Your People Skills

At Work, at Home, Anytime, Anywhere
by Tony Jeary with Kim Dower and J.E. Fishman
Copyright 2004 by Tony Jeary with Kim Dower and J.E. Fishman
Published by Fireside / Simon & Schuster, Inc., N.Y.
Used by permission.
304 pages

Focus
Leadership & Mgt.

Take-Aways

Strategy

Life is a matter of making presentations one after another. Every time you talk to or
deal with someone youre making a presentation.

Sales & Marketing

Make presentations well and youll succeed, make them poorly and youll fail.

Corporate Finance

Persuasion can be based on reciprocity, consistency, commitment, social proof,

affection, authority or scarcity. Most people want to be persuaded.

Human Resources
Technology & Production
Small Business
Economics & Politics
Industries & Regions
Career Development
Personal Finance
Concepts & Trends

Theres no such thing as a slight misunderstanding.

Persuasive presentation requires mastery of both preparation and delivery.
Know your audience and talk in terms they understand, even to an audience of one.
Presentations can inuence, inspire or inform. Understand exactly why you are
making a presentation and what you want it to achieve.
Full sensory acuity means using all ve of your senses to get information.
Inhibitions that hurt presentations can include being too eager to please, feeling like
an imposter and being too intent on perfection.
Great presenters prepare well, stay exible, study the audience, ask why, avoid
fear, assume leadership, stay calm and work hard.

Rating

(10 is best)

Overall

Applicability

Innovation

Style

10

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Relevance
What You Will Learn
In this Abstract, you will learn: 1) A great deal about how to make a good impression; 2)
How to present your ideas persuasively; and 3) How to win allies and inuence prospects.
Recommendation
The book jacket bills author Tony Jeary as coach to Americas top CEOs. It doesnt
identify them, but the author clearly has a certain bold presentational style, and stressing
his identity as a expert coach could be both a strategic and an educational tactic. The
books content is evergreen, a mixture of hortatory slogans and amusing anecdotes, all
designed to make you a better presenter whether your audience is one listener or
an auditorium full of people. The authors advice is, for the most part, solid, detailed,
practical and conservative. Dont be too put off by a few dated examples (Bill Clinton
and Gary Condit) and if youre pressed for time just read the handy lists of very
important points that close each chapter. getAbstract.com assures you that you cant
waste time reading this book. Its that useful.

Abstract

Every time you

touch a life you are
making a presentation.

The Nature of Presentation

Every human interaction is a presentation. Each time you talk to someone, youre
presenting yourself, pushing your image, trying to make that person see you in a certain
way, trying to persuade that person to see things the way you want them seen. Clearly,
mastering the art of presentation is indispensable, especially for people in positions of
leadership who must persuade and direct people. As you conquer presentation skills, you
will learn how to instill in people the desire to go where you direct them. There is truth in
the old saw, Its not what you say but the way you say it. The way you present something
can have enormous consequences. Just regard presentation as an ability you can learn.
During his famous debate with the rst President George Bush, then candidate Bill
Clinton connected with his audience. Bush kept looking at his watch. Who won? Bush
lost and poor presentation was one reason. Throughout his presidency, Clinton presented
so well that even in troubled times, he enjoyed tremendous personal appeal.
Presentations have several purposes:

The single most

powerful thing you
can do to convince
your audience of
something is to
provide a compelling reason why
they should do
what you suggest
(or believe what
you say).

To inuence You might be trying to inuence the CEO to promote you, or your
subordinates to pitch in with extra effort on a new project, or your children to tidy up
their rooms. Persuasive presentation is the key to exercising inuence.
To inspire Think of a great preacher or a football coach at halftime.
To inform Some informational presentations are boring, but some have moved
people to devote themselves to a cause or belief.

Great presenters, no matter what their purpose, have a few things in common:

They are careful about appearance.

They prepare assiduously.
They understand that inspiration might be nice, but skill and hard work carry the day.

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Ive worked the

eight essentials
into a mnemonic: I
P-R-E-S-E-N-T.

I is for Involve
your audience.

P is for Prepare
your audience.

R is for Research
your presentation
arsenal.

E is for Explain
why before planning how.

They study the audience to understand how its members want to be addressed.
They really, really seem to care.

Persuasion
Research into the psychology of compliance suggests that animals have hardwired patterns
that cause them to respond the same way to the same stimuli repeatedly. People may be like
that, too. Researcher Robert Cialdini identied six categories of persuasive techniques:
1. Persuasion based on reciprocity Think of the charities that send you a cheap gift in
the mail, such as a calendar or address stickers. Some even send a penny. They know
that many people will feel that once they receive a gift, they owe a donation.
2. Persuasion based on consistency and commitment People like steady, reliable
behavior and dislike the opposite.
3. Persuasion based on social proof When in doubt, people tend to follow the crowd.
Good marketers know this and will sometimes offer an extraordinarily good deal to a
company or two just to be able to cite them as satised users of a program or product.
4. Persuasion based on affection People like people who are attractive, seem to like
them and seem to resemble them. They are more apt to respond to people they like.
5. Persuasion based on authority Audiences tend to respond to people in authority.
Great con men understand this, and arrogate the attributes and insignia of authority,
including clothes, trappings and titles. Persuasion by authority is also the reason why
sports stars and other celebrities get multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts.
6. Persuasion based on scarcity People fear a loss more than they want a gain. Thats
why sales are always for a limited time only.

S is for State
management:
achieve the proper
mental states.

The Realm of the Senses

Use all of your senses sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch to understand the world
around you and to communicate with others. Use full sensory acuity to put your ve
senses on heightened alert as the channels through which information about the world
comes to you, and through which you communicate.

E is for Eliminate
unknowns by
turning them into
knowns.

Communication is not merely a matter of choosing the right vocabulary. Words may
elicit a variety of responses from people depending on their experiences. The idea of a
swimming pool elicits one response from someone who won trophies for swimming the
buttery and another from someone with a pathological fear of water. Prejudices and
preferences affect how people listen. This diversity is a force you need to confront.

N is for kNow your

audience.

T is for tailor your

presentation
throughout to keep
your audience
focused.

Avoid generalizations, especially about political or social controversies. Avoid historical

references that may be emotionally explosive for members of certain groups. Be sensitive
to how your audience is reacting. Listen and watch. Are they leaning forward, sitting on
the edges of their seats, or are they shufing papers, whispering and turning around to
talk with the people behind them? Presentation is not a one-way communication; sense
what the audience is demanding of you and deliver it.

Competence and Security

Presentation, like any other skill-based activity, calls upon four levels of competence:
1. We dont even know that we dont know Think of an infant who doesnt even
know what shoelaces are for, much less how to tie them.
2. We know what we dont know Think of a toddler who knows shoes need to be tied
but doesnt know how.
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Most audiences
spend the rst
three minutes of
the presentation
sizing up the presenter.

3. We know that we know Think of a ve-year-old paying careful, conscious attention to every loop and tug as he ties his shoes.
4. We dont even think of what we know Did you tie your shoes this morning?
As you set out to master the art of presentation, your goal is the last level, unconscious
competence. Even with this goal in mind, those who are inhibited about speaking suffer
when they must make presentations. Even when they know what they have to say and
how to say it, they remain self-conscious. Some common inhibitions are:

You must be mentally present to

make a successful
presentation.

A great desire to please People who are too eager to please their audience may
speak very fast, deprecate themselves and generally make the audience uncomfortable, the same way a too-attentive waiter makes a diner uncomfortable. Leverage this
inhibition into a strength by resolving in advance that your goal is to make sure the
audience enjoys the presentation.
Feeling like an imposter Successful people with this well-studied syndrome feel
that they really dont deserve their success. They are sure people will see through them.
To deal with this inhibition, write your resume as if you are applying for the job of
giving this presentation. Record your strengths, consider them carefully and go for it.
Shooting for perfection Perfectionists fuss over every detail and never really believe
theyve done enough. They end up delivering a disorganized mess because every time
they start on one train of thought, they shift to another. They try to include far too
much information. In an effort to do everything, they accomplish nothing. Convert
this weakness into an advantage by blocking out plenty of time to prepare. If you are a
perfectionist, that could be a lot of time, but take however much you need. Review and
revise until youve done well even by your demanding standards. Then deliver.

The Eight Essentials

Developing excellent presentation skills requires having these eight essentials in place:
Our focus must
always be on the
audience, not ever
only on our
agenda.

What distinguishes winners is

the will to prepare
to win.

1. Know to whom you are speaking Know the audience and understand what will
evoke a positive response and what will turn people off. Watch the audience carefully, paying particular attention to the personality or personalities driving the audience. Learn as much as possible about the audience prior to the presentation.
2. Always ask Why? Know the purpose of the presentation or the meeting. Know
what you need and why. Ask why your audience is there and answer your own
question. The word because is a powerful persuader. Use it early and often in
your presentation. You may need to convince several individuals, including powerful
decision-makers but you can only convince them individually. That means your
presentation, even to a group, must answer each persons Why? with a Because.
3. Fear not Being a bit anxious and uncertain before a presentation is natural, but
you simply have to get beyond that. Careful preparation and forethought can help put
your fears to rest. Use a chart, or power map, to identify every person in the meeting
and to gauge each persons political power in the group. Assess the leaders degree of
commitment or antagonism to your proposal. Determine whether you can take any
action to build support or reduce antagonism. Leave nothing to chance.
4. Do your homework Build an arsenal of anecdotes, quotations and data points.
Have them all in writing and put some on slides. Organize them carefully. Your
homework should also include preparation of the props and implements of presentation the tools and hardware you may need. Your homework should even include
the shirt on your back and the jacket over the shirt.
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When we understand what makes

people receptive to
an inuence, we
are in a position
to be a motivating
force in their lives
even if its only
for a moment.

The more precise

a person is in
communication,
the more successful he or she
becomes.

5. Lead the audience gently Dont jump from point to point and force the audience
to keep up or drop out. Theyll drop out. Build connections between your points to
ease the transition. Take the audience along on a gentle and interesting ride. Remember that the audience will have an internal dynamic of its own, and that there will
be competition for attention from members of the audience itself. Various political
dynamics may be at work and your presentation could wind up in play. Control the
audience by engaging it.
6. Calm down so you can calm them down Stress is destructive. If you are stressed,
you wont be at your best. Interestingly, you can affect how you feel by how you comport yourself. Walk condently even if you arent sure of yourself, because carrying
yourself with poise and pride will make you feel more self-assured. Use music, food
and attire, whatever helps you feel calm and strong. Use the same tools to help set a
mood during your presentation. Certain music, for example, can make your message
more memorable and can make the audience more inclined to assent.
7. Give them room Pause frequently in your presentation to give the audience time
and space to absorb what you are saying. Involve them. Invite them to respond to
questions, to cheer and laugh. Break the ow of your words and images so your presentation does not become monotonous and overbearing. Plant a shill someone
in the audience who will endorse what you are saying. Play games. Take a break.
Tell the audience to assemble in small groups. Give them a handout. Anything that
breaks the steady ow of words will give them the room they need to take a breath
and agree with you.
8. Be exible You may have carefully prepared a presentation that for some reason just
wont work. Maybe the audience is smaller or larger than anticipated. Maybe the air
conditioning has failed or a construction crew is making noise. Be ready to be exible.

How Persuasive Are Your Presentations?

To make sure that your presentations do their job, develop habits based on the eight
essentials. Use your presentation skills consciously with large and small audiences,
including preparing your listeners, setting a future focus, covering the whys of the
situation, placing your message in context and putting persuasive techniques to work.
Sincerely appraise where you are now in comparison to where you want to be. For
real-world feedback, ask your audience to complete an evaluation questionnaire. Their
evaluations can help you build your skills and your message. With some audiences,
simply talk to people or have them respond to you online. Your presentation universe
includes the spheres where you want to have an impact, from family to work to
volunteer organizations. In each setting, assess your total presentation and stay focused
on continual improvement.

About The Authors

Tony Jeary has teaches CEOs and other executives how to be more effective communicators.
His company, Tony Jeary High Performance Resources, has worked with more than 500
organizations in 35 countries. Kim Dower worked in book publishing for more than 20
years and has advised more than 1,000 authors and celebrities. J.E. Fishman has 15 years
experience in book publishing.

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