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Tips For Trainers |
About the Author . . .
Andrew E. Schwartz has been designing, developing and delivering management and leadership programs since 1982. He is founder and CEO of A.E. Schwartz & Associates, a comprehensive management training and leadership development organization offering over 40 skill-based programs and assorted consulting services.
Mr. Schwartz conducts over one hundred programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is an adjunct professor who has taught and lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States. He is also a prolific author having published over 200 articles, dozens of books and hundreds of products. He is often found at conferences with his fast-paced, participatory, practical, succinct, and enjoyable style.
A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION – Andrew E. Schwartz
Enjoy what you are doing, or at least appear to. If you are well-prepared, working with and in front of a group can be fun. If you appear to be enjoying your presentation, your audience will be likely to enjoy it as well.
NERVOUS PRESENTERS
Control nervousness - by converting it into a positive force. Everyone gets nervous; although it cannot be eliminated, it can be controlled. Uncontrolled nervousness can result in loss of memory, trembling voice, shaking hands, shaking knees, an urge to talk faster and exit. Controlled nervousness can result in clear thinking, physical energy, and even an emotional high.
GET FEEDBACK FROM YOUR LISTENERS
Be sensitive to the needs of the group. You should genuinely care about each member of the group, and should be able to convey this caring. You can do this by picking up cues from the "body language" of group members and adjusting your presentation accordingly.
SUBVERTING YOUR EGO
Suppress ego when giving a presentation. Subvert your ego to that of the group. We tend to forget at times that our main objective is to deliver information or skills to the group. For example, if we are too nervous, we are more concerned with our own failure than the group's reception of the message. At the other extreme, some people like to hear themselves talk. In those cases, they are usually the only ones who do. An excellent strategy in assisting you to subvert your ego to that of the group is to know your audience members' background, and their reason for being in the training session.
TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION
It is the trainer's responsibility to customize the training to be responsive to the needs of those attending. To be a successful trainer you must successfully communicate the information your trainees are there to learn. In addition to communication, four other tools can be used by a trainer to make their presentation more effective - purposeful movement, voice, eye contact, and questions.
KEY TO A GOOD PRESENTATION
Movement should be purposeful. Excessive movement is distracting. A trainer should always stand, and should resist the temptation to lean or sit on objects. Convey enthusiasm and energy as well as vitality by closing the distance between you and your audience to make a specific point. Use gestures in a natural manner; don't bring them in on cue. Be careful not to turn your back on your audience. We communicate as much with our bodies as we do with words. Don't give the group conflicting messages.
ON SPEAKING
Use your voice to your advantage. One of your main tools as a trainer is your voice, and you should be aware of several of its characteristics.
1. Training requires a bit more Volume than your natural speaking voice; speak loud enough to meet the situation. Then, there's pitch; the variance in your voice. Avoid a monotone or patterned pitch, which often is a result of memorization and sounds unnatural.
2. Use Inflection, which is the varying emphasis on spoken words. When used properly, inflection can place emphasis on key points. Used improperly or carelessly, it can drastically change the meaning of a statement.
3. Vary your rate of Delivery. People listen faster than they talk. Increase your speed to maintain interest, but watch for cues from the audience to tell you when to do this. Attempt to vary your rate for interest, and make use of pauses.
4. Perhaps the most important factor about your voice is clarity, or how clearly your words reach the audience. Always speak as clearly as possible.
LOOK INTO MY EYES
A tool to make your presentation more effective is eye contact. According to a study done by Richard Hildreth, speakers who were rated sincere looked at the audience 64% of the time, while those rated insincere looked at the audience only 21% of the time. Look individuals directly in the eye; when a glance has been returned, move to the next person. Like purposeful movement, eye contact should be done naturally. It should never be used to intimidate.
ANY QUESTIONS?
We use questions for four basic reasons: to get feedback, to stimulate discussion, to provoke thought, and to maintain interest. Mishandling questions can destroy an effective talk. Always prepare for questions by knowing both your topic and the audience, and anticipate areas for potential questions. When answering questions be concerned with the whole group. Never let one person dominate; repeat or rephrase questions for the entire group. If you do not know an answer, admit it, but do try to find the answer or advise the person who asked the question where the answer might be found. An excellent technique for involving the group is encouraging others in the group to respond to questions. |
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