Show Them Who's Boss: Three Tips for Rocking Your Next Presentation
By Christina McKenna
“I didn’t want to act too confident because our group president was in the room.”
That was the explanation a mid-career professional offered recently when he confessed to a lackluster performance during a high-stakes presentation in front of his supervisor and the entire leadership team.
He’d prepared for weeks and knew his content inside and out. But when it came time to deliver, he downplayed his authority on key points out of deference to the VIP watching from the back.
“I knew more about the project than anyone else in the room,” he explained. “I guess I just didn’t want to look too certain about my opinions in front of so many people who have roles senior to mine.”
But, ironically, his “hesitant and timid” delivery style was the one criticism that made its way back to him from the group president. What should have been a victory lap for this rising star, instead became a cause to question his capabilities. Not the outcome he wanted!
At Bluestone, we urge presenters to avoid this misstep by thinking of themselves as an airline pilot whose job it is to take command of the plane, no matter who else is on board. After all, the pilot has to stay in control, even if his passengers include the president of the airline, or the president of the country for that matter.
If you struggle to convey your authority when presenting to those senior to you, here are three strategies to help you show your audience who’s boss (at least for the moment).
Prepare and practice a commanding open. Use those first few lines to grab the audience’s interest and tee up your thesis statement or “big idea.” Just as a pilot comes on the loud speaker to reassure passengers of where they’re going and when they’re going to get there, a commanding open will go a long way toward establishing your credibility and putting the audience’s minds at ease right from the start.
Leverage your physicality. If you’re presenting in person and able to stand, be sure to do so. In addition, square your shoulders, hips, and feet to the audience to signal that you’re confident about your material and eager to share it.
Convey authority with your volume and cadence. Though you’ll want to vary your pace and volume, in general, speak a bit more loudly and slowly than you would in private conversation to be sure all can hear you. Avoid “upspeak,” (the habit of raising your voice at the ends of sentences to make statements sound like questions) which will instantly undermine your authority.
Finally, whenever possible, smile. Though you might not think your topic lends itself to affability, smiling is perfectly appropriate more often than not. Plus, a smile goes a long way toward convincing the audience that you’re comfortable in the spotlight—as you should be after all you’ve done to get there.
Give it a try and let us know if it works for you or what else has worked better. For more great ideas and tips for rock solid communication, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn.