“By your entrances and exits shall ye be known.”

– William Shakespeare

When you deliver a presentation – or make a sales call – the two most important segments are:

Grab the audience's attention with a strong opening.

Make your closing statement memorable and actionable.

It's really that easy.  However, most presenters flub both segments.  Why?  Perhaps it is stage fright that causes them to stumble at the start.  They have not taken the time to “mingle” with the audience ahead of time – which helps a speaker to relax and relate to their audience.  Or they put too much faith in their ability to “just wing it” or worse, “tell a little joke.”  Never attempt either of these beginnings!  It is the rare – and gifted, and practiced – professional comedian who can deliver a good joke with exquisite timing and a perfect sense of the audience.  You are not that comedian.  Don't start your presentation with a joke.  You can't afford to “just wing it.”  You can't afford to blow your opportunity to make a strong first impression.

You could start off with:  an interesting statistic, a current (and pertinent) event, a (relevant) story, a question, a quotation or even … a dramatic pause.  These techniques will work – if you put the effort into crafting their content and delivery.  Even if your delivery is less than perfect it is preferable to “It's great to be here in Cleveland tonight,  How are you?”  You never know how many people in the audience hate being in Cleveland – or wherever – that night, so don't start out this way!

Start out with a purpose!  Start with the end in mind!

“A speech without a purpose is like a journey without a destination.” – Ralph C. Smedley

What is the purpose of your presentation?  If you can't (succinctly) answer that question … then don't make the presentation!  If you don't know your purpose, how do you expect your audience to know it?  What do you want your audience to do?  To think?  To feel?  You have to tell them.  They have to get it.  They have to want it.

But first … you must  know the purpose of your presentation – right from the start!

You can end your presentations with some of the same techniques I suggested you use when you start to speak:

1) An interesting statistic. – that relates to your topic and captures the attention of your audience.

2) A current (pertinent) event – these could relate directly to your speech or the conference.

3) A (relevant) story – that will reinforce your message.

4) A question – in this case, a rhetorical question would be effective.

5) A quotation – that relates to your message and is memorable.  Also memorize-able!

6) A dramatic pause…

But don't … ever… end with “Well, my time is up, so I guess that that is all I have to say.”

Learn to be know – practice your entrances and exits.  It worked for Shakespeare.  It will work for you.  And you will get more work – or sales, or gain more influence.  Simply because you have learned how to start – with your ending in mind!

The Question & Answer (Q & A) part of your presentation is either an opportunity for you to really “connect” with your audience or… it is a “trap door” that can make both you and your message quickly disappear.

Many inexperienced speakers fear Q & A.  Even if they don't fear it, they usually mishandle the opportunity that it presents – to demonstrate that you are truly there to meet and answer their needs.  As a presenter, your credibility will either rise or fall depending on how you handle Q & A.

Audiences are tired of “scripted” presentations.  They want you to go beyond your 300 bullet points.  They want to probe and will not settle for merely being told.  Q & A offers the perfect opportunity for you to have a “conversation” with your audience.

I found a very amusing – and useful – post on Seth Godin's Blog (Click here)  Seth tells the story of a presentation made without PowerPoint; actually without any formal presentation  – it is 100% Q & A.  In the right hands and with the right audience that just might work.  Of course, as Seth suggests, you should have a “plant” in the audience to ask the first question and get the dialog rolling.

Personally, I encourage Q & A whenever I present.  Here are a few pointers to keep in mind to help make your Q & A opportunities complement your presentations and strengthen your message:

1) Always have one question in mind to get things started (should no one volunteer)  e.g. “Frequently, my audiences ask me for more examples of…

2) There is nothing wrong with having a “plant” in the audience to ask the first question.  This is merely opening up the dialog.

3) Always anticipate the possible questions that might be asked – and… prepare your considered response ahead of time.

4) Always repeat the question so that everyone in the audience can hear it.  This also serves to give you some extra time to think about your response.

5) Answer the question – and then move on!  Don't offer additional information.  Save that for another question from the audience – or offer to respond in more detail after the session has concluded.

6) Give your response to the entire audience – resist the temptation to direct your answer exclusively to the person who asked the question.  This is a mistake that many presenters make – and they risk losing the attention of the (rest of the ) audience when they do so.

7) Be especially aware of your body language during Q & A!  If you are not “stuck” behind a podium make every effort to move forward toward the question.  Maintain eye contact even when being asked tough questions.  Do not let your eyes roam (to the floor or to the ceiling) or your attention level drop when you are being asked a question.  More than any one gesture, your ability to maintain eye contact reflects your level of confidence!

8) Always signal that Q & A is coming to and end – “We have time for one final question.”  And then conclude with a strong restatement of your main message and / or your call to action.  Make sure that this is the last thing that your audience hears before they leave.  Do not end on a whimper , “Well, if there are no more questions… Thank You.”

In another post I will discuss techniques for handling “trouble makers” or “wind bags” who threaten to hijack your Q & A sessions.

I'll conclude by reminding you to include Q & A opportunities in all of your presentations.  They are a terrific way to gauge the level of understanding that your audience has as a result of your presentation.  Or, as Coach John Wooden says, “You haven't taught until they have learned!”

I am preparing several new presentations for a few new clients.  Getting the client is one thing.  Satisfying the client is quite another thing.  How do you know what will work or not?  How do you really get to know what the client expects?  What standard do you have to meet in order for the client to refer or retain your services?

I always “sweat the details” when I give a presentation.  I know that my content is good and I am confident in my delivery and my ability to be flexible in the face of the unforeseen accident.  Question & Answer (Q & A) portions of the presentation do not throw me off balance.  And yet, there is always something unnerving about working with a new client;  delivering my first presentation to this new group.

This morning, I had my “Eureka moment” while re-reading the book, “Present Like a Pro,” by Cyndi Maxey and Kevin O'Connor:

“Your presentation content will only be a part of your success.  Real success in presentations is measured by the effectiveness of your connection with the audience.  This happens only when you know the audience, why you were selected, and the standard for success set by the person who asked you to present.”

This is the key – It is not about you as the presenter. It is all about them (The audience)   And be sure to give them both what they want and what they need.   But most important of all, be sure that you know and deliver exactly what your meeting planner (or the person responsible for hiring / firing you) really wants!

To find out what they really want, you have to ask and often probe to find the answers. 

Here is how I plan to do this for one of my new clients.  I picked up the phone and asked if I could attend the presentation that they have scheduled for this week.  The client was thrilled that I showed this much interest in his program (and his success if I deliver as promised.)  But, the real pay-off will be for me.  I will get a chance to observe – one week prior to my presentation – the facility, the organization and the audience.  This will give me plenty of time to adjust my presentation to best accommodate my client's needs.  It is a huge benefit for me that I have the time and am close enough to drive down for this pre-visit.

All presenters should make every effort possible to get into the room, where they will speak, ahead of time.  Get up on the stage to get a feel for the room.  If possible, test the audio and visual effects; try to get the lights set to presentation level.  This is standard operating procedure.

What the real professional speakers do goes far beyond this:

1) They obtain a copy of the program ahead of time, to see where they fit into the big picture.

2) If they can, they actually attend one of the sessions prior to their own.  This provides many benefits:  the speaker gets a chance to see the stage from the audience's perspective and the audience gets to see that you – the next speaker – really cares about them – you want to know more about them.

3) They ALWAYS attend the cocktail party (even if they don't drink) the night before; they attend the lunch or dinner (even if they don not eat) or any other function that the group holds while they are at the facility.

4) The ALWAYS mingle with the audience prior to going on stage.  They chat with the audience – and check in with the meeting planner – to pick up any last minute “hints” or “tips” that could make or break their presentation.

I highly recommend “Presenting Like  Pro” for anyone who ever has to deliver remarks in public.  It really is a field guide filled with practical information that anyone – regardless of experience – can benefit from.

Even better!  One of the co-authors – Cyndi Maxey – has a great website where she has (in her Press Kit) a Pre-Presentation Client Survey.  She circulates this to her meeting planner ahead of time.  It is a great idea!  And… I plan to adapt this idea and incorporate it into my website too.  Here are just a few of the questions that Cyndi asks (before she makes the presentation):

1) If my presentation succeeds, what key points will the participants walk away with?

2) What is to happen before and after my talk?

3) Who are a few key people to recognize and why?

Terrific!  I really enjoy going to an author's website to find out more details – and this one offers a treasure trove of (valuable) details!

I send my best wishes to all of you for a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2007!

As I write this missive, I am watching the ceremonies in remembrance of Gerald R. Ford.  So images and memories of the past overlap the normal upbeat resolutions for a new beginning.  But then.. that really is the role that President Ford performed so well.  His inauguration was not filled with the usual celebration and promises of a brand new day.  Rather, we remember his acceptance speech when he told us that “our long national nightmare has ended.”

In an earlier post, I commented on a comment that President Ford made after he left office.  He said that if he could return to school, he would now pay more attention to improving his communications skills.  Specifically his presentation skills.  He would never have the powerful oratorical presence of a President Kennedy or a Winston Churchill.  Instead, many of us were left with a memory of a bumbling, stumbling and rather common man who always managed to hit a golf ball into the crowd – and injure a potential voter.  Impressions and perceptions count a lot – they shape opinions and either open or close the door to opportunity.  It is difficult to convey a sense of leadership while the mass media is constantly showing images of the president falling down the steps as he alights from Air Force One.  And Chevy Chase and Saturday Night Live are making their mark parodying these pratfalls!

And yet… now… as we remember President Ford, a new perception emerges.  We read (not listen to) the words that he spoke and the wisdom of those words is revealed.  We can now appreciate his “common man” style as just the perfect choice for a President to lead our nation forward – past the tumult of Vietnam and Watergate towards a new beginning. 

I have been struck by several impressions as the memorial services have evolved:

Vice President Cheney gave the best speech of his career as he eulogized his former boss on Saturday evening in the Capitol Rotunda.  Perhaps, this illustrates the point that when we speak from the heart our message is clarion-clear.

The four Ford Children standing for hours to greet the mourners (ordinary people) who came to pay tribute to their father!  Remarkable and unstaged.  What a tribute to the values that their mother and father imparted as they grew up as a family while the national spotlight was shining on them.

The importance of candor – Betty Ford set a new standard as the First Lady – she could never hide the truth.  She spoke to – and for – all of us as she dealt with Breast Cancer and addiction.  She survived and inspired so many to follow her lead.

In a few days, a new congress will convene and most likely we will return to the policy of political bickering and “single issue” politics.  The exact opposite of the collegial style of leadership that President Ford personified.  Maybe, these days of remembrance will serve as a national “speed bump” to remind us to slow down and consider another point of view before launching into a diatribe and personal attack on others.

So, for me, January 1, 2007 is not just another “out with the old and in with the new” year.  I have no idea how the year will turn out.  But I am starting this one with a greater appreciation of the lessons of the past and a recognition that actions truly speak louder than words.