Profile of the Month - September

Michael Ronayne - communicating clearly, concisely and with confidence.

This month Carolyn finds out more about Michael and the College of Public Speaking. As the name might suggest, the College places Public Speaking skills at the centre of its training programmes; believing that the fundamentals of communication are unchanging and if you can communicate with conviction in front of a group of people, you will also come across as more animated and confident on a one to one basis.

Michael Ronayne, alongside Vince Stevenson and Richard Johnson, is one of its 3 Directors.

About the College

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): How did you start and why did you decide to call it a college?

Michael (The College of Public Speaking): Each of us came into the College of Public Speaking from different directions, but unified by a public speaking background and with a passion for communication.

The root definition of ‘college’ as a group of people living together under a common set of rules (‘con’ with; ‘lego’ law) appealed to us. Happily we do not actually live together, but we felt it captured a little of the idea of educational diversity; the ability to provide recognised qualifications; that like a musician, communication skills can be honed, studied and refined throughout a lifetime; that we see the importance of speaking in a vocational sense, rather than purely as a business. It also allows for a more academic element (in September for instance I delivered a paper on ‘Successful Speaking in the Business Sector’ at the ‘Spoken Word Conference’ at Kingston University) and therefore providing a sense of skilled individuals with a common aim coming together and sharing and developing ideas.

For me it was a logical evolution. I was a professional ‘cellist for 15 years and then spent 8 years in the sales industry. Once I left the music profession I took up public speaking, as it gave me an element of ‘performing’ that I began to miss when I stopped playing the ‘cello.
Carolyn: You are a performer at heart. Where did you start? From playing music to just talking is quite a leap!

Michael: I started in my local speakers club in Wimbledon and went on from there. I quickly realised that speaking was a lot easier than playing the ‘cello – I mean ‘What can go wrong?’ The worst that can happen is you get your words mixed up; whereas when playing the ‘cello you can drop your bow, play wrong notes and shake so much that your fingers go wobbly. So quite quickly I moved on to reach National Speaking Finals - and became a UK National Champion in the process. It was challenging, and a great development path, being a ‘competitive’ speaker.

All areas of my professional life so far have had an element of performance and communication in them - sales then added the one element in the communication process that I have always found fascinating – people. Public Speaking for me is about learning to communicate directly and effectively with different types of people. And the more effective you are at communicating, the more effective you are at sales or whatever else you choose to do.

Carolyn: There are many training companies out there, what do you think makes you stand out particularly?

Michael: In our case it is simple: 2 things - Firstly, we are all active public speakers, so there is always an aspect of genuine experience and of “walking our talk”. I remember from my sales years going on a particular training session with my colleagues. It all started well, but within a few minutes we all started making eye contact with each other, because it was suddenly clear that our ‘trainer’ had never actually done what he was asking us to do. We made sure we never made that mistake! The results are consistent feedback references to us ‘knowing our stuff’ and ‘speaking from experience’. It means that when we are asked by a client ‘What would you do in this case?’ or ‘How do you react in this situation?’, we can usually answer from direct and recent experience.

Our second ‘unique selling point’ is that we are the only Public Speaking trainers that can offer nationally recognised BTEC qualifications, rather than just a certificate of attendance.
We offer a BTEC Professional Award in ‘Training the Trainer’ and a BTEC Advanced Award in ‘Public Speaking and Presentation Skills’. We are serious about our business, and passionate about our subject.

Carolyn: I’d love to be able to have people ‘hear’ you say all this, but we’ll have to rely on them reading. Can you tell me more about how you see your business’ future?

Michael: I have a very specific vision - to have Public Speaking and Presentation Skills recognised as a core competency from school onwards, rather than just and add on that some employers feel ‘would be useful’. Having delivered Public Speaking training in a number of secondary schools I would suggest it is simply a matter of developing awareness. Once a teenager realises that speaking skills are not just for lawyers and politicians, but they are an essential life and social skill for any career choice, their perspective changes. The debating societies of our great universities are about the only place where these skills are honed – and there’s some pretty impressive names in business, politics and the media that have cut their teeth in the Oxford or Cambridge debates.

Too often in business there still seems to be an almost childlike belief that for most people good speaking and presenting skills are not attainable. I really want to change that perception.
Carolyn: Your commitment is evident – what else would you say is important in this area of training?

On the broader level; self belief and confidence – it is nice to see the light coming on as a person realises that they can do this.

On a more specific and technical level; structure. Whether conducting training in public speaking, executive speaking, media skills or training trainers, the one key aspect that I believe has the greatest impact on how a person comes across is good structure. Not complicated or ‘clever’ structure, just clear, concise and transparent. After all, most of the detail of what is said in a presentation is forgotten within a very short time by the audience. Good structure leaves a good impression.

Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

Michael: We are based in London and most of our work is in the South East of England. Our Training the Trainer programme usually runs at the City University in Islington and we are very fortunate to be able to use the Playhouse Theatre in London for many of our Public Speaking programmes. However we work more widely in the UK too. One of my colleagues has recently run a programme in the Isle of Wight and I have just been asked to run the BTEC Training the Trainer programme in Cyprus. I have travelled quite a lot as a musician, and I suppose the same rule applies; if it makes sense for us and for the client, we are happy to be flexible.

Carolyn: What are you most proud of about your company?

Michael: I think it is attitude and ethos. We do some advertising, but a lot of our work comes from recommendation. We are an accredited BTEC centre, which is something to sing about, but we do not attempt to be overly aggressive in promotion. We only take on clients and projects that we feel we are ideally suited for, and that the client particularly needs. For instance, a few days ago, after a brief conversation with a lady, who thought she might need to go on one of our open courses, I received an email from her thanking me very much for my time and saying ‘I still cannot believe you happily talked yourself out of a customer’ – the fact was she probably did not need a professional course, she probably needed to join a speakers club. In the end I would always want clients to come away thinking unreservedly, not just that we were excellent but, that they had genuinely benefitted.

Carolyn: I’ve heard quite a lot about training suffering in the current economy. You offer what you have already said many people consider a ‘non-essential’ business skill, has this affected your business?

Mixed. On balance I would say that larger organisations have been more likely to postpone training, while individuals have been more likely to take a view that they need to get the skills for themselves. So open courses and particularly the BTEC in ‘Training the Trainer’ have attracted increasing interest.

Carolyn: Can you give me an example of where you think you have really made a difference?
I think we are very privileged in the area in which we work, because more often than not we do make a significant impact on an individual. However, the people that interest me the most are not necessarily those who display natural ability and apparently make the most progress, but rather the more timid soul who maybe was dreading the training, but really managed to get over a hurdle in the process. I had one such a little while ago from a very shy and nervous man working in the Royal Household, who went out of his way to tell Buckingham Palace training department what an enormous difference the training day had made for him.

Open Programmes

Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 17th October Premier - Euston: £150 + VAT
Training the trainer (2 days) 22nd-23rd October City University, Islington: £580 + VAT
Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 31st October & 14th November & 5th December Premier - Euston £150 + VAT
Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 19th November & 11th December Playhouse theatre £250 + VAT
Training the trainer (2 days) 23rd-24th November & 17th-18th December City University, Islington £580 + VAT

http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/
michael@collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk

The College of Public Speaking donates a percentage of its profits to the Speakers Trust, a charity devoted to the development of effective communication skills throughout all strands of society.

Testimonials

"The BT Effective Speaking Programme has had excellent results. Participants have been able to learn how to improve their speaking skills in a safe and supporting environment. BT is very pleased with the College of Public Speaking’s programme and are looking to extend it next year"

Keith Dickerson, Head of Standards, BT


“From the outset, the approach of The College of Public Speaking to the task of running a series of training sessions has been friendly and efficient. Before any training took place, one of the directors of the College of Public Speaking, sat down with members of the Leadership and Professionalism team to identify the precise needs of the organisation and to discuss the most suitable structure and content for the proposed training.

From then on the trainers from the College of Public Speaking each demonstrated a very positive and professional manner and the clearly defined focus of the training has meant that, although different sessions were run by 3 separate trainers, the feedback has been universally very positive.”

Marianne Lister, Head of Leadership and Professionalism ,
Ministry of Justice (UK)

“I have undertaken a huge amount of training, but I can honestly say the trainer is one of the best trainers I have worked with. He had all the core competencies that you would want from a learning environment, supportive, caring, always willing to help further, flexible, but most important – really valued the work we the students undertook. I am going home on a real high.”

John Roberts (London Borough of Lambeth)

Telling Stories

I am a story teller! You may notice from my blog posts, articles or – if you know me personally – most certainly from my songs and my creative writing. I write about events and people (you can hear a snippet of my song about the infamous witch finder Matthew Hopkins on theMP3 page of www.shavethemonkey.co.uk/) , many of my articles feature on this blog and my story telling style comes through very strongly on my personal blog.

So why am I telling stories on The Complete Trainer? Because there is not a single training experience I have yet been on that does not, to some extent, rely on storytelling. No matter what slides or materials are presented, the trainer or facilitator can usually bring an example to life by adding a story of their own. Sometimes it’s a ‘stock’ tale, sometimes personal experience. But story telling in training, and in business, is important, for a very simple reason – it builds credibility.

In these days of information overload, with millions of messages hitting us every week from every direction, the brain does it’s favourite ‘delete, distort and generalise’. This applies not only to the many indirect messages we receive but also to the key messages we want to receive. So in order for us to really listen, we need to have belief in the information giver. Story telling is a great way of doing this.

Storytelling has been with us since humans could first speak – it is as natural to us as breathing. We are raised with the story, and stories are used to influence, inspire and persuade us. Advertisements for products don’t just extol their virtues any more (Irish Stout is Good for You, Mr ‘Shine’ Makes Umpteen Things Clean), they create stories around characters and we are involved in the mini tableaux we are presented with:

• Anthony Head visits his neighbour to borrow coffee, is there the prospect of romance?
• we know the whole gravy family
• we want to know what the ‘good news’ is that the man in the phone ad is telling his friends.

People LIKE stories.

Stories for business development are not just anecdotal – though the retelling of an incident that serves as an example is one great way. You can also use storytelling to teach lessons that only the listener can learn. By presenting a situation as a story, you can create discussion, evolve solutions and raise issues that engage us through the use of our own imaginations.

I’ve seen storytelling done by forum theatre actors (they leave the ‘action’ mid performance and ask for response from the audience), I’ve watched corporate videos that the group must then discuss and, of course, even the good old slide show can tell a story. But the use of audio – whether spoken by an individual or through recordings – allows even more freedom for the imagination because it presents no pre-set visual context.

I’ve been listening to the Telling Tales series and the pictures they create in my head are, undoubtedly, going to be different to the pictures they would create in your head. My interpretations of an accent or simply the sound of voice will have different associations for me than for others. This is amazing – it means that every single person can interpret and create their own meaning and learning from the sound of a voice as well as the content of the tale.

I also pick up ideas from the radio– from the BBC programme ‘Word of Mouth’ (on the power of language) to The Archers (wonderful examples of how not to communicate between family members), I learn from these ‘stories’. Something goes in that I will access and retain for future reference, even if it means using the ‘listen again’ function.

We may well admire the raconteur at the network meeting (as long as they are not too pushy) and we are entertained, engaged and entranced by stories. The same goes for the gregarious friend who delights us with their tales at the dinner table. We will talk about their story, what we would have done in that situation or marvel in horror or delight at what happened. We are fully engaged – our brains are keen to receive this information. This, surely, is an amazing tool to use when developing yourself, your people and your organisation.

Why you should update your skills as a trainer

How often as trainers do we find ourselves telling people that in order for them and their company to stay ahead of the game they need to invest in their staff and give them training so they can stay on the cutting edge of new methods and working practices? How often do we apply that same thinking to ourselves, however?

It's very easy when we are busy to stick to the training methods that we already know and never find the time to look at what others are doing and how things have moved on. We use the same methods that we have used for years and a format we know is tried and tested. We often tell people that in order to move on and develop they need to stop sticking to tired old habits, break patterns and take risks, but do we tell ourselves that too, as trainers? Maybe it's time to take a little of our own medicine.

When was the last time you went on a course for your own CPD? Do you know where your strengths and weaknesses as a trainer lie? Do you know what skills you would like to develop further? Maybe you would like to increase your confidence in using interactive techniques or to enrich the depth of learning by using a more creative approach? Whatever you need, it's out there waiting for you. I always find it truly enlightening when I get together with other trainers and we pool our skills and learn from each other. It's usually a very positive experience and we need as much strength from each other as we can get, in these tough times.

The downturn and the fact that we may not be as busy as we would like to be is giving us a chance to take a step back from putting our nose to the grindstone and an opportunity to review our training methods. There may be coaching and courses out there that are running a little cheaper at the moment and will give you a chance to explore new ways of working, meet like minded people and add new tools to your kit.

We all want to be able to say that we are on the cutting edge of current training practices and mean it. When the upturn comes I know that I for one will be ready to offer a higher quality of service having taken the time to take a spoon-full of my own medicine and develop my own skills.

By Hilary Lewis
www.creative-training.org

Hilary is running a train the trainer day on active and interactive learning techniques, at the Chipping Norton theatre on 5th May. For more information and to book, email Hilary at bespoketraining@yahoo.co.uk

Survey on presentations

The results of the survey (you can take the survey here on http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cYgIgDgzCT7XJbuy9LhcGA_3d_3d ) are proving interesting already!

I'm collecting data on presentations for the British Psychological Society - hopefully I will have enough data to do a credible article on web verus traditional presentation techniques.

So far people are very open to the idea, but I'm waiting till I have a certain 'critical mass' of data before I make any conclusions whatsoever!

Public Speaking and the Workshop Leader

By Michael Ronayne

What is the key element of a good public speaker?

Answers will vary from; eye-contact; vocal variety, engaging manner, confidence, subject matter. However there is one element without which, even if everything else were perfect, interest would quickly ebb away. And I would even go as far as saying that if you had this element alone and nothing else, your listeners would forgive your failings and would still listen to your message.

The element? – Structure

Structure creates clarity. Clarity breeds trust. It is like being on a train journey, where each station is announced and so you know how many stations to expect before your stop.
Nothing loses an audience quicker than a sense of ‘Where am I?’ and ‘How much longer will this be?’

Good speech structure is simple and robust. It helps the speaker because it is easy to remember and it helps the listener because it is easy to follow. A strong opening, a clear message at the end and no more than 3 points in the middle is more than enough.

For the workshop leader or trainer, the same principles hold true.

The opening of a training session should have the same preparation as a speech.
I am not suggesting it should be delivered in a dramatic rhetorical manner, just that the same level of structural thought should go into it.

Starting a session with low energy and with either vague or too many goals for the day can cause the participants to suffer what Jerry Weissman refers to MEGO (‘my eyes glaze over’).

A simple clear opening, that reassures the participant that their attendance is going to be worthwhile, that gives a clear overview of what the training is going to cover, will go a long way to setting up a positive foundation for what is to follow.

First impressions are indeed lasting impressions and a lot of trust can be won by quickly establishing that you know in which direction you are leading your students, and that you are the right person to lead them there

Another speaking principle says that ‘How you deliver your message is often more powerful and memorable than the message itself.’

So as a trainer of workshop leader, delivering a clear strong opening to the session will gain the double benefit of giving clarity to the day both in words, and more significantly, in manner.

Once this level of trust is established, it then becomes much easier for the participants to dive confidently into the body or the training.

From then on all the trainer needs to do is occasionally come back up to the surface to introduce different sections of the training programme and then immerse the group in the next activity.

A training session can then become a series of ‘set pieces’ that the trainer uses to introduce or bridge between different activities. Each set piece, if approached from the stand point of a speaker, will then have a clear simple structure that highlights the key points to be covered and acts like a solid fence post, providing structure for the trainer and participants alike.

As a 4 times Finalist and UK National Public Speaking Champion for the ASC (Association of Speakers Clubs) and with a background as a professional musician, Michael Ronayne has developed a profound understanding of the different aspects of speaking and public performance. He is a Director of the College of Public Speaking: http://collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/

Presentation tips

I asked my trainers about good presentation practice; here's a summary of the 80+ replies and some great comments too (this article is also available as a free pdf download ):

Top tips from twenty trainers for live presentations

If using slides, use simple, clean slide design
Do not have too many slides
Make sure the change of slide in live presentations is appropriate to the pace of the presentation
Don’t rush through slides
Don’t leave the wrong slide up when you have changed subject
Use YouTube/videos where appropriate
Do not use too much animation except for ‘slide build’ of complex graphic ideas that have to be illustrated
Don’t be too clever!
Consistent animation/transitions if used
Use relevant quotes from inspirational figures
Use shortcuts to turn screen black or white between important points so there is no visual distraction to what you are saying
Never fill your screen with words so that people are reading instead of listening to you
Use an off-white background
Use quality original or royalty free photographs not clip art
Do not use photographs, questionnaires or other proprietary information without permission
Original cartoons or illustrations
Not too many colours
Restrict number of fonts used
4 x 4 rule: maximum 4 lines per slide, four words per item (if possible)
7 rule: never more than 7 objects (bullets, pictures, logos, headers) on any slideBe interactive, don’t talk ‘at’ your audience
Accelerated learning – use ‘toys’ to stimulate brain activity
Use audio where appropriate
Use mood uplifting music for atmosphere setting (ensuring the venue has a music licence)
Use shortcuts and hyperlinks to navigate around the presentation quickly
Consider using alternatives to PowerPointTM such as mind mapping software
Consider using the MACTM alternative KeynoteTM
Consider NOT using presentation software at all
Use clear language and avoid jargon (unless technical training – and even then make sure the terms are known to your audience)
Deliver with enthusiasm and passion
Know your subject – be able to answer questions
Have Q&A as you go, not at the end
Each section of training should be no more than 20 minutes long
Have breaks so that people can absorb information
Use recaps to embed learning, reminding of key points
Have useful handouts that are not just printouts of the slide show
Be interactive – use exercises and get your delegates moving
Use the environment (outside, other rooms, etc) to stimulate your delegates
Use tools appropriate for the audience and the learning (flipcharts, games etc)
Make eye contact and watch the body language of your audience
Use storytelling and anecdotes to illustrate relevant points
Use interactive whiteboards if appropriate
Make sure the content is targeted to your audience level
Use samples/objects (physical) to illustrate points
Avoid jokes unless you know your audience very, very well
Build rapport with your audience
Learn your material, do NOT read your slides
Watch Barak Obama – see how he presents/talks to his audience and learn from him
Rehearse, practice, don’t just ‘read the script’ – have live rehearsals with an audience if possible
For your handouts you can use different artworks such as clipart etc to make valid points
Put case studies first not last (let the audience know they’re in good company)


Tips for Web-based presentations

Make sure you have a thorough technical brief and know what is expected of you
Make sure your delegates understand what is expected of them
Get a good camera angle
Avoid any facially-related habits (hair flicking, frowning, other extreme expressions that work fine live but not on cam)
Make sure your graphics are engaging
Use plenty of slides but do not make over complicated
Do not use too many words on screen
Do not use clipart on screen
Use photographs to illustrate points
Do not use photographs without permission
Use audio to enhance the vocal contribution (music, soundbites)
Use video to enhance the presentation where appropriate (YouTube etc)
Ensure anything you are broadcasting you have permission for
Know your subject
leave it too long to answer questions (flagged by your system) – the system is real time and your delegates should be treated as if they were live in the room with you



What trainers say about presenting

What's in - Be punchy, dynamic and captivating. Leave the audience wanting more. Have your own unique selling point. Use the following
format:

1. Tell them what you are going to tell them - capture interest from the outset 2. Tell them - deliver the content of the presentation in a non-verbose and interesting way (don't bore them to death with power point or ohp's) 3. Tell them what you have told them - summarise briefly what has been covered

What is out - don't deliver long winded, high powered presentations to people who don't really have an interest. Boring lengthy presentations send everyone into a coma - make it short, snappy and punchy.

Be prepared to answer questions (was recently at a presentation and when questioned, the presenter was clearly out of his depth). Know your subject or get someone else to deliver it.

Lin
http://www.brookfield-associates.com/


What’s in? A presenter who knows their subject, does not read what’s on the slide and is not a distraction to the slides or vice versa. Slides with fewer words on.

What’s out, slides with graphs etc you can’t read, incompetent presenting which no matter how good and flashy the slides are ruined by the presenter.

I don’t agree about using many slides, using 80 slides and running out of time to get through them all so whizzing through the last 20 like a person possessed is terrible.

Anne
http://www.advantage-gb.co.uk/

There is no “in” and there is no “out” in training. It does not matter if you use one dimensional PPT from 1998 or 11 dimensions with sound effects. The only thing that matters is to tell a good story, and to do it with passion. Being boring is out. And being boring can be accomplished in so many ways, including using photos and fast slides. My classes at The Academy of CI are all based on interactive case study with a Socratic method by which students discover the answers themselves. And I use a white board, on which I WRITE. Can you believe it? Write, as in 19th century.
Ben
http://www.giladwargames.com/

The message my colleagues and I are getting as we deliver presentations training around the world is that the following are back in fashion:

No slides - No PowerPoint
Oratory - rhetorical techniques such as the 3-part list and juxtaposition
The voice as a tool to persuade
(and for native English speakers) Offshore English

Barack Obama's oratorical skills have had a huge influence.

Richard
http://www.canning.com/


In the coaching/people management circles that I have contact with, PowerPoint presentations are definitely out. Interactive presentations are very much in (as you indicate), and lo-tech pre-prepared flipcharts are coming back.
Also coming back are hand-drawn visuals and cartoons and hand-drawn story-boards (as in old-fashioned advertising). My partner is a graphic designer/visualiser and - to his surprise - has had quite a lot of story-board and 'magic marker' work for corporate presentations lately, as opposed to Mac-designed work.
Melanie http://www.melanieallen.co.uk/
Interesting that all your in's and outs revolve around PowerPoint, whereas my preference and instinct is that PowerPoint if definitely "OUT" (especially for training)

For presentations I would say that "in" is: personal story telling, handouts and workbooks for the audience to follow, examples for them to touch and experience, questions.

"Out" is PowerPoint, scripts, selling and over-branding.

Andrew
http://www.tenminutetrainer.co.uk/
Lecture is out and performance-based training is in (It has always been in but there are so many companies that aren't on board.)

Process information is out and results and best practices are in. Who cares what was done if it didn't produce results valued by the organization.

Dan
http://www.advancedjobaidsntraining.com/

The very word “presentation” when used in conjunction with “Training” fills me with horror. I know it shouldn’t but it does. I also know that some presented information is necessary but it should be minimal. It goes back to my fundamental beliefs - no I am not religious. Those beliefs dictate my behaviour as a trainer. Starting at the top:Purpose. “People make profits” so training is set within a framework of the purposeOutcome. “Change of behaviour” the only output of training that is meaningful is when people can do things that they could not do before or they can do better that which they could do before.

It follows from these two limited beliefs that any ‘Presented’ information comes from the needs of the ‘practice’ to ‘implant’ or ‘improve’ skills. In this context skills are a complex set of behaviours. So what goes into a presentation and how it is presented is determined by the needs of the ‘practice’. My experience is that presentations provide information. Some information is required to enable the ‘practice’ but to often presentation is wrapped up in the word training as if it was synonymous with training. Then a “training course” becomes a series of presentations and in effect no real training actually occurs; just a presumption of one.

The thinking of the “trainer” becomes focused on how to present information in order that the learner can recall the information presented. It means the behaviour change achieved is the ability to respond to a question with an appropriate answer and not actually be able to do anything that meets my first belief.I must emphasise that I believe that presentations are a great tool to convey information, such as occurs in sales, or background information or direction for business and in this latter case may be a precursor of training. For me a flip chart diagram or a few words given to me by the learners have always been the most powerful “presentations”.

Barry
http://www.learningpartners.co.uk/

My view is that when using PowerPoint the graphics should act almost as a tease/ aid memoire and should not be a bullet-pointed script.

They should be colourful and stimulate interest rather than being something which will distract the learner from the oral message the trainer should be communicating. Any handout should perhaps be written in a different style so that the PowerPoint is not simply transferred to the Notes/handout style, even to the extent that any PowerPoint may be unintelligible as a learning resource, only of use to the presenter/ trainer.

John
http://www.yale-wrexham.ac.uk/

I aim for the "WOW" effect in the training, and how to get it. You get it when there is some form of magic involved in the process, i.e. astonishment that learning was so easy, and that an INTERNAL TRANSFORMATION is taking place during the course. This is realized especially through use of tangible tools and practical techniques, e.g. SWOT, SMART, PIN, 5 WHYs etc. You get it when exercises are relevant to the field of work of delegates, and when training is fun, interactive, and they can talk (everyone loves talking), and people do not forget what they practiced for a long time (When they talk and participate in group exercises and use tools the topic is not easily forgotten). It is nice to hear that "the course has changed my life or career". There is WOW effect when you become a different person after the course!

Another matter is to facilitate practice of the tools and techniques outside the course, i.e. at work, this during the course period. Hence one should provide some gadgets and tools for the delegates to carry with them and which will help them practice, such as small pocket manuals.

Another incentive and which produces the WOW effect is to give prizes to all delegates, and some three special prizes for top performers if there is a final test, as appreciation of their contribution. Prizes can be obtained free from different suppliers as promotion for their products.

Stephen
http://194.116.254.30/index.asp?profile=3261&req=people


I can add this – I coach people every day in presentations and speech-making and right through from my early days in TV and radio I’ve found the same thing: people assert that they are going to be brisk and clear and involving, but then they get up on stage and the usual droning dullness happens!

I encourage all my coachees and trainees to practice – REALLY practice! Not just go through it on the train, or in the office before the meeting: but to actually talk it through, speak it, rehearse it. It’s a performance, like it or not, and the truth is despite most conventional presentation training – the stuff everyone has had (and which is rarely if ever given by people who actually know how to hold an audience!) – the vast majority of presentations are BORING!

So – practice – really!!

Tony
http://www.tonyharecom.com/

There are only two ways we learn as human beings – through trial and error or by copying. Remember this when you are training or delivering a presentation. You need to get interactive or your delegates will not learn.

I’m not convinced that there is an in and an out – it’s all down to the presenter being able to USE the content as a VISUAL AID – not a visual crutch!

As the old song goes it’s not what you do but the way that you do it…. That’s what gets (learning) results…

Next big thing – appropriate use of what is on screen rather than a fad for content!

Mike
http://www.rapidbi.com/

In my industry, the popularity of SlideShare means that presentations are becoming simpler so that the slides still work after being exported to SlideShare. As a result, I'd say that fewer slides and static pictures are still very important; SlideShare struggles with any sort of animation in particular.

I'd also say that the rise in webcasting means that interactive web-based training is mostly used as a post-sales tool, with webcasts still dominating the pre-sales arena. But it's still not all that common; face-to-face training still dominates in my industry at this time.

And I don't know any serious presenters who are still struggling with PowerPoint. Keynote has almost completely taken over the field.

I don't know about "the next big thing", but Kosslyn's "Clear and to the Point" book has become the basis of my own presentation work, allowing me to make hugely successful presentations at major industry conferences in the last five months. It's far more practical than Presentation Zen or competing works.

Stu
http://www.stuartherbert.com/


...think about small group sizes also being beneficial - but this is where there is a difference between a presentation and a training session, the later needing to be much more interactive.

The current big focus is on 'learner centered deliver' - which is basically recognising that each delivery needs to be tailored to your audience and that different people have different learning styles...ie some like to do workshop activities, some like to learn visually ie photographs and pictures, some like to read information ie slides etc! Be careful of having too many slides as this can turn into death by Powerpoint. There is quite a lot of info on the internet on different learning styles so have a bit of a trawl through if you need more details.

As for the next big thing.... not quite sure to be honest, because of the variety of learning styles I think there will always be a call for a mix of delivery styles and I think that is the key, no matter what the length of the training session.

Sarah
http://www.envirofocus.co.uk/

Instead of complete and very wordy handouts I remove key sections, cover the learning objective and then provide time for the learners to complete the gaps in their own words. Similarly I give out handouts of my presentations with again, key elements from each slide (as appropriate) missing so the learners can complete and add their own dimensions as they see fit. So, I guess my addition is interactive handouts which, I have found very popular with my groups and adding value during student lead segments of the sessions.

Best regards

Iain
ihwilson@btinternet.com
I’m not quite so black and white about presentations as “in versus out” because if it was “in” before and “out” now that must have been “in” for a good reason. We are no smarter than we were yesterday so what has changed (in fact according to biologists we are no smarter than we were 12,000 years ago either) – have we learned something of value or it is just fashion (i.e. we are technically able to do more “in” stuff now). I find that in my work I’m varying the presentation style to the scenario – and for small group one-to-many communication I’ve dropped PowerPoint almost completely and use flip charts and practical exercises. Much more fun and effective.

Simon
http://www.threewins.com/
It's a very subjective area.

For me, I was brought up in an era when we didn't have PowerPoint, but we did have OHPs and flip charts. I dreaded OHP because of the heat they generated. But you could do a lot with flipcharts, OHPs and quality handouts.

Personally, I never use PowerPoint except to demonstrate what a mess you can make with it.

Good visuals are incredibly useful when you consider that the majority of people have a predominantly visual learning style. Clipart is so 1980s and should never be used.

In training, doing is everything, it's how the skills are transferred. Too much theory is a killer. Hands on is key.

If you have access to web based interactive media, give it a go. It might work for you, but it definitely doesn't work for everybody.

When you're the trainer, the trainer's job is to bring the subject alive for the learners in a rich variety of ways.

Most people will remember the trainer for many years to come if they produce a top quality learning event.

It's the trainer that facilitates and takes responsibility for the learning. Different mediums are merely sideshows.

That's my subjective opinion.

Vince
http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/

The presentations I work with are more for teaching purposes than business or sales. Most of the "in" list I agree with, however whilst Interactive web-based training and seminars are extremely cost effective, many users find them to be a waste of time that teaches them nothing because the interaction that you would get with a face-to-face presentation is not there. In addition, the "many slides" preference has never been the case. I would expect there to be just enough slides to do the job; I'd be more interested in what the facilitator has to say than looking at masses of slides.

This is particularly the case when doing a rolling presentation (e.g. at an exhibition). I once did a rolling presentation on the dangers of drugs and alcohol for a school exhibition and people loved the presentation because it told them what they needed to know without going on forever. I think I had 8 slides in total.

Finally "pictures" photographs are preferable to clipart cartoons (which have always been a bit iffy or naff), however both static pictures and interactive graphics serve a purpose depending on the topic of the presentation and the audience. People should create their presentations based on the feedback from previous attempts and/or the content and message to be conveyed. They are very much like websites. Flash based websites might look impressive the first time they are viewed, however the viewer soon gets annoyed with them and the attention is lost. Presentations are a supplement to the message contained or the message the presenter, facilitator or teacher is giving.Soniahttp://www.yourwriter.org.uk/

Have you seen my little YouTube video on Pecha Kucha, a different way of thinking about slideshows? Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGaCLWaZLI4

Alison
http://www.spiraltraining.co.uk/

1. It really depends if the training is developed to change knowledge or behaviour or a bit of both
2. Behaviour change training really ought to be more interactive
3. Cleverness with technology is not always best – it can be distracting or mask what are the really important points/messages
4. The use of Visual Materials should really relate to the Style of Audience you are training (consider ‘direct CEO type , versus Creative type , versus Heavily Technical folk , etc)
5. There is definitely a set of differences and requirements between Training & Presentations

It is probably not a good idea to develop rules for such things but as guidelines I’d say less beats more in terms of PowerPoint slides , Clip Art is a bit dated and over used and too much technology (unless it a presentation about technology) doesn’t always work

Kevin
kevin.simms@xtra.co.nz


For me presentations are about, interpretation rather than dictation. A photograph, or an animation, can be interpreted so many different ways and therefore you get lots of input. Words can simply be dictation, a one way conversation.

Personally, I believe that presentations should be about inspiration, emotion and imagination. For example, I attach a photograph my friend’s son took at the Dublin Marathon in 2007 – my friends and I are way back in the group but doing it never the less.

At the front you can see a young man with his arms out – number 10343.
The future winner is just behind him. It is the front line – the elite starter group.

As you can see the young man is having a great time – this is his moment! He has quickly run to the front to get in the picture – a bit like a streaker. I show this picture as part of my confidence and talent workshops. I ask the group how long did they think it took him to finish, or whether or not he finished at all. Most people say that probably didn’t finish, or that it took him about 5 hours. After all there is always one really isn’t there – the one making a fool of himself!

Then I tell them that his name is Robert Treveen, he’s Irish, and he finished in 2.38 – an elite runner. In fact he could run marathons for his country. He came 32nd out of about 10,000. We should never take anyone on appearances, although his pictures nearer the end are quite a different story. An amazing young man!

Christine
http://www.cstraining.co.uk/


In:

Interactive whiteboards (used properly)

Appropriate short, punchy, video clips

More movement (by presenter AND audience – because if your body don’t move, your brain don’t groove!)

Out:

Long “corporate training” videos

See this TEDTalk on the Sixth Sense for a glimpse of what’s coming (I want one!)

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

Kimberley
http://www.kaizen-training.com/


In – video and id add clip art as there are so many issues using Google images or any free images from websites Getty are suing people left right and centre and most packages you buy Microsoft etc give you quite a lot of pics and photos that certainly do for presentations,

Check out Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds http://www.presentationzen.com/

Jeremy
http://www.realitytrain.co.uk/

I’m doing some work at the moment looking at traditional construction training, with a focus on toolbox talks. They are very much still in fashion, but are there any learning objectives or any demonstration of learning, apart from the “pass this signing in form round”.

Generally I’m seeing a real mixture of teaching styles in industry, ranging from the extremely tedious lecture with PowerPoint excesses to some very good work based sessions.

I think the “next big thing” I’m hoping (and I’m pushing) will be a shift from delivered training to operatives, to more focused and targeted briefings, with some confirmation of learning. Also I think as money becomes limited, more value is needed from existing competence training, where specialist training, such as environmental can be gleaned from existing training at no extra cost.

David
http://www.diemltd.co.uk/

the one thing I do consider when thinking about any aspect of learning, and that is the degree to which new techniques are more 'whizz-bang' than truly effective, and will always think through the relevance and applicability of any aspect of what I present in the context of the specific learning aims and objectives of whatever session I am designing.

To that end, some of your 'outs' will always have been so - many slides when few will do, interactivity as opposed to passivity, and so on. Some 'ins' are there because they were unavailable before, and can really add value - such as the swift transitions from slide to slide, and the use of photographs rather than the often twee cartoons available on clip-art.

The danger areas are where technology offers things that look tempting and sexy, but which do not present information or ideas better than more simple options. An obvious example is the 3-D presentation of block charts or pie charts, which, in most cases are better presented in two dimensions, the third adding nothing but frills.

In a nutshell, I would tend to write an article on this topic from the point of view of a yardstick for learning, and evaluate each option on that basis. This means that your 'ins' and 'outs' are backed up by the ways in which each of the pair add to or detract from the desired learning outcomes, and you can give reasons other than what might be seen by some as 'fashion' for the inclusion or exclusion of each technique or element.

Keith
http://www.lcsacademy.com/

I note that quotes are making a bit of a comeback – one liners with attributed names also on IT training they are now giving delegates the criteria for a presentation – content, must have points etc and getting them to construct a presentation to present back to the class.

Shortcuts are important too – e.g. pressing “B” on the keyboard turns the screen black. Press “B” again and the presentation resumes. (The same happens when you press “W” except the screen goes white). If you have 40 slides in your presentation and you press “8” then “enter” your presentation will go to slide number “8” – this happens with any combination of numbers. e.g. “3” & “2” then “enter” takes you to slide 32.

Finally I would also suggest that any presenter has a remote that can be plugged into the USB of the computer and can then be worked from a distance – companies are currently into hiring the smallest room possible for training & presentations and without a remote it can severely restrict a presenters positioning. If you are using a remote and it has a laser pointer attached, whilst this is useful, if you are travelling by plane, it cannot be taken on board as hand luggage and it may be confiscated.

Peter

http://www.coachingformore.co.uk/

And finally:

How to give kick-ass presentations with a hangover:

http://www.pubcon.com/blog/index.cgi?mode=viewone&blog=1187123220

Death by PowerPoint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagxPlVqrtM


This article is also available as a free pdf download

Rules of Engagement for Speakers

Rules of Engagement by Richard John

Whenever we organise events - and it’s someone else doing the speaking - we use the following as an unofficial contract between ourselves and our presenters. It’s not designed to teach professionals to “suck eggs”; rather to make it clear what’s expected of them. After all, while this may be an everyday task for us, for our speakers it may be unfamiliar territory.


1. Public Speaking is an excellent opportunity to “sell” your company and yourself. However, delegates do not like being unsubtly “sold to”. So, give them valuable information, hints, tips and case studies, and leave the “selling” to the post-show chat, or the follow-up ‘phone call. We are happy to provide all speakers with a list of their delegates after the event.

2. Please remember that delegates pay to attend the seminars – albeit a small sum – and expect something in return. Please ensure you have copies of the presentation to distribute (we will be happy to arrange this). Be generous with information, and do not worry about “giving too much away” – if you impress your delegates, they will be back to you!

3. On the topic of notes, we would like to make a full set of seminar materials available at and after the workshop from all the speakers. We will be asking you to provide a master set of notes to us by the end of (date). When applying to speak, please ensure you can meet these guidelines.

4. Please give careful note to the time available. You will be allocated 90 minutes; running your session for 80 minutes is acceptable, as is running it for 100 minutes. Running outside this time frame either “short changes” your audience or causes havoc for the next session.

5. Most of you are already first rate speakers; however, if you need help in putting together any part of your programme, please feel free to ask. We promote your seminars as being “educational, entertaining and informative”; please bear that in mind when writing your material.

6. We appreciate that illness, or some other event can sometimes result in you not being able to deliver the seminar. However, under these circumstances we would expect you to find a replacement speaker. Please be prepared, and perhaps have someone forewarned – just in case.

7. We will endeavour to send you a list of those people who pre-book. However, if the numbers are smaller than you anticipated, please don’t think about cancelling – after all, these people have made a commitment (and a payment) to come and see you. And it only takes one person to provide that big contract.

8. Similarly, you may find that some of the delegates who book on your workshop are people you regard as competitors. Again, don’t think about cancelling – youshould be very flattered that they want to hear from you!

9. Please be accurate in describing your presentation, and remember that we may have to edit your text for the promotional material. Always bear in mind that the reader will be thinking WIIFM – that’s “What’s In It For Me”.

10. Do feel free to bring along fellow speakers – all we ask is that you let us know they are coming, so that they can be welcomed appropriately.

11. Finally, we appreciate your involvement, and all feedback on any aspect of the show is welcomed by the organisers. After all, how else will we get even better?

Richard is an event consultant, coach, trainer, speaker and presenter. Leading exhibition organisers use RJA to deliver powerful, entertaining and effective exhibitor training workshops. More information on: RJA (GB) Ltd

All rights reserved (C) 2009 Richard John. Please do not use without acknowledgement.