Don’t forget to have fun during presentations
Posted on June 12, 2024 by Martin Hahn, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
This artcle discusses the importance of having fun during presentations.
The company I was working for arrange for me and some other high-potential employees to take a three-day course in communications. It was held in our offices and taught by a well-known TV personality, “Ted,” who was gradually moving into his retirement years by taking on part-time communication jobs. The course was interesting and fun. I was pleased with what I had learned and absorbed and happy to have graduated.
Not long after I graduated, Ted called me and said, “Be sure to call me right after your next presentation. I can’t wait to hear how you did.” I informed him I would be giving a presentation the following week to some people from our community, and I would definitely get back to him.
When I had given that presentation, I called him as soon as I got home that evening, as promised. He asked, “Well, how did you do?” I regretted to tell him I felt I hadn’t done very well. He asked, “Really? Did your PowerPoint deck work?” I replied that it had worked fine. He then asked, “Could you answer the questions?” I said, “Yes, I answered every one.” “Was the audience giving you a hard time?” “No, they were very friendly.” “Did you go over the time allotment?” “No, that wasn’t an issue.” “Did you have fun?” It was then that it hit me: “No, I was terrified.”
Ted then explained how important it is to have fun in order to be effective, whether one is a TV host, a person giving a business speech, or simply an employee talking to one’s boss. If you are having fun, the chances are strong that your audience will enjoy the experience, too, even if you can’t answer every question. that was truly an “aha” moment for me. Since that time, I have made a pledge to myself to have fun no matter what, and I have succeeded at it the majority of the time, which has made my job much more pleasurable.
While you may not be fortunate enough to have a well-known TV host coach you on speech-making, I strongly urge you to sign up for a speaking class early in your career. They are not hard to find. I guarantee it will be worth your time and effort. This could be one of the most important things you will ever do. No matter your expertise, it is highly likely that at times in your career you will have to talk to vendors, students, interviewers, your bosses, employees, and others you meet. Such a class will help you learn how to get past the nervousness and how to formulate your ideas and express them in a coherent manner. As a result, your confidence will soar. Give it a try; I know you will be glad you did.
How to have fun during a presentation?
You can’t just tell yourself to “have fun” and get it done. First step I took was to accept that I was not going to be able to answer all the questions I’d get from the audience. I also discarded the large number of note cards I had only used the outline of my talk, but also lots of other related info and data. In the past I had been “cramming” on the specifics of the talk right up to the last moment. This time I stopped preparing the night before. The next morning, I went into the classroom with only a bare outline of what I was going to say, fully expecting that I would not be able to answer some of the questions on the spot, and intending to agree to get back to those questioners later.
Right off the bat, I could feel that I was giving a more relaxed presentation. When I got into the Q&A, I applied a technique I had not often used: when I was asked a question I couldn’t answer fully right away, I asked generalized questions of the group and engaged in a back and forth Q&A with them. It became much more like a conversation between a couple of people than a solo presentation. The results were clear to see and feel: the group was more attentive and interested, and I indeed had fun and felt great after the presentation. In addition, after the presentation, many of the students and the supervisor expressed their appreciation for the interactive presentation style.
Having fun takes a little work and courage and is almost certain to produce a win-win for the presenter and the audience.
