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  When you’re more successful in your job, you will receive a bigger bonus. You’ll get a raise and eventually a promotion. The move up the ranks will lead to a higher salary and an even bigger bonus, along with some stock options. Eventually you will have larger and more exciting opportunities that give you a chance to have an even more significant impact on the business.

  All this progress will give you a sense of purpose and direction in your life. Ultimately, it will make you more successful, more prosperous and more confident.

  In short, this book—by helping you become a better presenter—will improve your life.

  The Problem

  “Good evening!” I welcomed my class of MBA students at DeVry University’s business school. It was a cold November evening. “Tonight we have team presentations,” I continued. “We have a lot to get to, so we should dive right in. Let me introduce our first group. Here is team number one. Take it away, team number one!”

  The group of students slowly and hesitantly came to the front of the room. They gathered around the podium and fumbled with the cables to connect the computer to the projection system. The team spent about five minutes trying different connections and talking about potential issues while their classmates and I watched.

  Eventually, the first slide filled the screen. One of the students centered himself behind the podium, looked down at the computer and read the title of the presentation out loud. He then clicked to the next slide, which was a page full of numbers.

  “Here is the market share analysis by quarter and by region,” he said. He focused intently on his computer.

  “You can see that the share is 34 percent. In our most important segment, it is 26 percent,” he continued. The student nodded his head and moved on to another page, this one showing a detailed SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

  “The business has a number of strengths and weaknesses,” he explained. “There are also opportunities and threats. The main opportunity is the size of the market. The biggest threat is competition.”

  He moved on to the next page, and students in the class shifted in their seats, clearly bored. The presenter clicked to a slide titled “Competitive Analysis.” Still looking down, he continued speaking. “There are four large competitors, as you can see here. All of them have several different brands.”

  He pressed on through more slides, reviewing pages titled “Customer Segmentation,” “Pricing Trends” and “Financials.”

  It didn’t take long for him to lose the audience entirely. I looked around the room and noted the scene. Some of the students were staring off into space, presumably thinking about their plans for the break or the attractive student they’d bumped into at the gym that morning. Others were studying their own slides, preparing for their presentations. A few students were subtly checking emails. One fellow was asleep in the second row.

  It was a painful experience for the presenter and for the viewers.

  Unfortunately, this situation is all too common; many people simply don’t present well. The slides are cluttered, there is no story or clear recommendation, the delivery is dull.

  This is a huge problem. The best recommendation in the world will seem feeble if presented in a sloppy manner; the smartest business executive will seem ineffective and weak.

  Poor presentations like this aren’t usually due to a lack of effort. In most cases, the presenters are really trying to do well. The students I teach, for example, are smart and motivated. They invest significant time and money to go to business school. They have high expectations for themselves, their classmates and their professors—so they work hard. When creating a presentation, they consider the flow and the data, think about the recommendation and support their points. Despite all this work, though, the effort often falls flat, because the reality is that all too many people just don’t know how to create and deliver an effective presentation.

  Everyone Can Present Well

  I believe that everyone can give an effective presentation.

  There isn’t anything secret about presenting. The necessary skills are simple, the keys to success are clear, and the problems are easy to identify and correct.

  You don’t need to be trained in theater to present well. You don’t need to have the humor of Jerry Seinfeld or the looks of Brad Pitt or the stage presence of Taylor Swift. You simply need to think logically, prepare diligently and speak clearly. It doesn’t require special skills or gifts. Chris Anderson is head of TED, perhaps the most famous platform for public speaking today. He observes, “Facility with public speaking is not a gift granted at birth to the lucky few. It’s a broad-ranging set of skills.”1

  Many people point to British prime minister Winston Churchill as one of the great orators of the twentieth century. His speeches motivated and inspired, creating feelings of confidence and commitment. Yet Churchill was not born with a gift for public speaking. On the contrary, he stammered and had a lisp. He became a great speaker because he knew it was important for his career, and he worked hard to improve his skills.

  Anyone who sets their mind to it can become a strong presenter. By employing some commonsense techniques, even the most socially awkward person can deliver a presentation that is effective and clear. It might not bring people to tears or inspire a standing ovation, but it will accomplish the task.

  Everyone Can Present Better

  Everyone can present well, and everyone can present better. Presenting isn’t a skill you master and then declare it done; it is a constant challenge. There is always room for improvement.

  In this way, presenting is different than riding a bicycle. When learning how to master a bike, you practice and practice. Someone gives you a hand and steadies you. Your parent might guide you along as the bike starts to gain momentum. Eventually you figure it out; you learn how to accelerate, gain speed and stop. And once you have the skill, you tend to keep it. People don’t forget how to ride a bike. They don’t say, “Well, Joe, I haven’t ridden a bike in a couple years. Do you think you could steady me for a while?” They just remember.

  Presenting is different.

  Presenting is a set of skills and techniques that one can learn. Still, every presentation could be better. Perhaps the introduction could be tighter, or the support could be stronger. You might have rushed the first section or run out of time, and, of course, it is hard to catch every typo. Maybe you stumbled when responding to a question.

  This means that there is always a chance to improve. Every presentation is an opportunity to communicate more effectively. Even the best presenter can find ways to perform just a little bit better.

  Room for Improvement

  In an effort to understand how people view presenting, I recently completed several surveys with my MBA students at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In total, I received responses from 379 people.

  I asked a variety of questions, including the following:

  Do you enjoy presenting?

  Do you get nervous when presenting?

  How good are you at creating and delivering presentations?

  How easy is it for you to construct a presentation?

  How much training have you received on presenting?

  The results were remarkable and not particularly encouraging. The first takeaway: people don’t like presenting. The average response to the question “Do you enjoy presenting?” on a scale of 1 to 10 was just 7.0 on one survey and 6.5 on another.

  People also don’t think they are very good at presenting. On the question of “How good are you at creating and delivering presentations?” the average scores were 6.8 and 6.6 out of 10. These are not impressive figures, especially when you remember that people tend to be optimistic—studies consistently show that on topics such as intelligence and appearance, the vast majority of people think they are well above average.

  Students don’t think their classmates are very effective, either. When I asked them how effective their class
mates were at creating and delivering presentations, the average score was just 6.8 out of 10.

  So here is the unfortunate situation: people don’t enjoy presenting, don’t think they are particularly good at it and don’t think their peers are good at it, either. This is a problem.

  Three Segments

  One striking thing that emerged from my research was that people have very different feelings about presenting. Behind the averages are distinct groups.

  I was able to identify three segments. The first group I call the Confident Presenters. This group makes up about 30 percent of students. These people enjoy presenting, think they are good at it and find it relatively easy.

  On the other extreme is a group best named the Struggling Presenters. These people have a very different view of things. They don’t enjoy presenting, don’t think they are very good at it, find it difficult and get very nervous. This group is about 25 percent of students.

  In the middle are the Solid Presenters, about 45 percent of people.

  I saw the groups emerge in multiple surveys. Below are highlights from two.

  Exhibit 1-1 Views of Presenting Fall 2017 Survey Confident Presenters Solid Presenters Struggling Presenters

  Percentage of Respondents 30.4% 43.5% 26.1%

  How good are you at presenting?

  (1 is poor, 10 is excellent) 8.0 6.6 4.6

  How easy is it for you?

  (1 is very difficult, 10 is very easy) 7.1 6.3 4.9

  Do you get nervous when presenting?

  (1 is not nervous, 10 is very nervous) 4.6 5.5 5.8

  Exhibit 1-2 Views of Presenting Winter 2017 Survey Confident Presenters Solid Presenters Struggling Presenters

  Percentage of Respondents 25.5% 45.1% 29.4%

  Compared to others, how good are you?

  (1 is worse, 10 is much better) 8.0 6.8 4.8

  How easy is it for you?

  (1 is very difficult, 10 is very easy) 7.9 6.5 4.1

  Do you get nervous when presenting?

  (1 is not nervous, 10 is very nervous) 3.5 5.3 7.5

  Reinforcing Cycles

  Presenting can quickly become reinforcing. People who are good presenters will likely get even better over time, while people who are weak presenters will get worse.

  This happens for three reasons. First, people who fall in the Confident Presenters segment will get more practice. When there is an opportunity to deliver an update, they raise their hands and volunteer. After all, they are pretty good at it and generally enjoy it.

  People in the Struggling Presenters group will naturally try to avoid presentations, since they find the experience to be difficult and scary. They look for any possible reason not to present.

  The impact is that people who think they are better at presenting will get more practice, which will then make them still better at presenting. People who don’t like to present won’t get much practice and won’t improve.

  The second dynamic is that people who like presenting will spend more time preparing. They will dive right into the project and get started. It is, after all, an exciting and largely positive time.

  People who don’t like to present will probably procrastinate. Who wants to even think about a presentation when it will be scary and probably won’t go well?

  The result is that the people in the Confident Presenters group will have more time to perfect the presentation, making refinements to the argument and polishing the slides; those in the Struggling Presenters segment will scramble to get ready.

  Finally, people who are Confident Presenters will be more assured. They think they are good presenters, so they are less nervous. They speak loudly and step forward in a confident manner.

  Struggling Presenters will have a different experience. Because they are nervous, they might rush or stumble over words. They may read the slides or focus on their computer. They will avoid making eye contact with the audience.

  Combined, all of these factors mean that Confident Presenters, with practice and positive outcomes, will tend to improve over time. The Struggling Presenters will continue to struggle. The Solid Presenters will remain average.

  The Circle of Presenting Success will propel Confident Presenters forward, and the Circle of Presenting Doom will pull down Struggling Presenters.

  Exhibit 1-3 Circle of Presenting Success

  Exhibit 1-4 Circle of Presenting Doom

  A Lack of Training

  In my student surveys I asked about training. Most people replied that they had received some training in presenting skills, but not much. Across my different surveys, the average response to the question “How much training have you received on presenting?” was just 5.8 (1 was nothing, 10 was a lot).

  Training varied between the segments. In every survey, people in the Confident Presenters group reported that they had received much more training than those in the Struggling Presenters segment.

  Exhibit 1-5 Views of Training: How Much Training Have You Received?

  Fall 2015 Survey

  From this data, one might conclude that training is essential for developing presentation skills. Clearly, the Confident Presenters benefited from all the training and the Struggling Presenters didn’t.

  I suspect the story isn’t quite this simple because the causality isn’t clear. Did training drive this difference? Perhaps. But it might just be that people who like presenting and think they are good at it tend to sign up for presentation training programs. People who don’t like presenting don’t seek out the programs.

  I notice this dynamic with my colleagues at Kellogg. When there is a seminar on teaching techniques, perhaps a review of ways to establish positive classroom norms or a discussion about fostering debate, the best teachers show up. Professor David Besanko, for example, might be the top teacher at Kellogg; he is the only person to have won the L.G. Lavengood Award, the top teaching prize, three times. Considering that you’re only eligible to win this award once every five years, that is quite an accomplishment. Whenever there is a seminar on teaching, David shows up. He clearly doesn’t need the help. I suspect he just loves thinking and learning about teaching.

  Still, training is an important way to improve your presenting skills. How else will someone improve?

  The Bottom Line

  This book will help you deliver better presentations whether you’re a new college graduate or an established professional. You can find something useful in here if you’re working for a not-for-profit organization, a corporation or a government agency. The characteristics of a great presentation don’t really change from one industry to the next.

  People who are Confident Presenters will find this book to be a refresher; it will provide some validation. Many of the concepts and ideas will resonate; I suspect you are using many of these already. This is a chance to compare what you are doing with these best practices and find opportunities to improve even more.

  Solid Presenters can use this book to get to the next level. It will reinforce some of your practices and provide concrete suggestions to propel you forward to the Confident Presenters segment.

  Those in the Struggling Presenters group will benefit from the tips and suggestions. Consistently using these practical ideas and approaches will improve your overall presenting skills. If you have a bit of success, you might be inclined to present more often. This can lead to additional success. It can start you on the Circle of Presenting Success, where one good presentation leads to another. Experience leads to confidence, and confidence contributes to success.

  This is not a general book about public speaking. I don’t discuss poetry slams, karaoke or cowboy storytelling contests. I don’t spend time on debate strategy or how to give a toast at a wedding.

  It is a guide for business leaders and, in particular, people on their way up.

  3

  PICK YOUR MOMENT

  * * *

  The first step in developing a great presentation is simple: ask yourself if you really have to do the presentation at al
l. If there isn’t a compelling need, you should save yourself and your audience a lot of time and just skip it.

  Great presenters know when they need to present and when they don’t. Picking the right moment to present is an important part of the process, and you want to set yourself up for success.

  Don’t Waste People’s Time

  Many people (most people?) hate attending meetings and sitting through presentations. They lampoon these events as a grand waste of time. PowerPoint takes much of the blame; people are quick to attack it as an evil program that consumes time and dulls the mind. People joke about Death by PowerPoint.

  In many cases, however, the problem isn’t the presenter or the software platform. It is a more basic issue: there was no need for the presentation at all. A simple way to put someone to sleep is to show them a lot of information that isn’t particularly important or relevant.

  The point is simple. If you don’t need to do a presentation on a particular topic, if there isn’t a compelling reason—don’t. As Sun Tzu, the great military strategist, supposedly said, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”1 The same could be said for presentations. The best presentation may well be the one you decide to not give at all.

  There are several benefits to not presenting. One compelling reason to skip the presentation is that you’ll save yourself a lot of time. A theme that carries through this book is that creating a great presentation isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. You have to craft the story, find key pieces of data, refine the pages, polish the document, presell the material, practice and set the stage. It isn’t simple, and it isn’t quick.