Lynn Espinoza is a broadcast news veteran with more than a decade of media, presentation and executive coaching experience. She has developed personal coaching sessions for Fortune 100 C-level executives, corporate communicators of all kinds, doctors, lawyers and leaders in non-profit.
Presentation Tips - Authenticity
Posted on May 2, 2008. Filed under: The Tip Sheet
Of the many good presentation tips and techniques, there is one too often overlooked. It is simply autheniticity.
A spokesperson may be cool and calm. They breath right. They project beautifully. Excellent, natural gestures. All of those things are important. But what about the ability to speak in a way that says, “this is who I am and what I stand for”? There has been an interesting emergence of authenticity in the current presidential election. Like them or not, Senators McCain, Clinton and Obama all seem to show a true self when speaking. Their styles are different from each other, and each leaves the impression of authenticity.
I find myself thinking back to the last presidential election, and two glaring examples of what not to do. First, recall Howard Dean, and the scream heard ’round the world. He was authentic alright, but without control. Meanwhile Al Gore was in total control of his message, yet appeared stiff, over-coached and not at all authentic.
The magic comes when a spokesperson is both controlled and authentic, whether in a media interview or delivering a presentation. Here’s how to make it happen:
- Know your material. Don’t let your PR people write your presentations or key messages and hand them to you just before you speak. Make sure your presentation/message writers know who you are, and what you want to say rather than what they want you to say.
- Get in on the ground floor. Make sure you have an active role in the presentation, and that you agree with the direction and tone.
- Seek coaching, but don’t let yourself be over-coached. Practice is critical for success, but too much practice or input from a coach can make you seem wooden; more interested in the process than the meaning.
- Don’t strive for perfection. Your audience is imperfect, and they appreciate that you are too. Don’t get caught up in the small stumbles and stutters that are part of natural conversation. If you mis-speak, simply correct yourself and move on. We all do it.
- Be humble and respectful. Nothing turns off an audience faster than a patronizing or ego-centric spokesperson. Say you’re glad to be with the reporter or audience, and mean it. Don’t be afraid to admit a mistake or two (but do point out how you’ve learned from your mistakes).
- Make it personal. Give them a glimpse of what drives you personally. These can be brief stories about your family; a valued (or difficult) customer; an activity that gives you energy or strength.
Connection and understanding are your goals - not perfection. Know what you want to say, and say it authentically.
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