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“All the world's a stage. And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts.” – As You Like It, William Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 7 (and presentation expert Trina Brinkman)
By now it should be no secret that in business, everyone sells. From the moment you sought a position or opened the door of your company, every part you’ve played has required convincing decision makers you're the right person for the job and that your product and service is the right solution to meet your customer’s greatest challenges and fondest desires.
Retaining your position and sustaining your business requires the ability to present and persuade. Therefore every individual on a business stage needs to develop the strongest presentation abilities they possibly can. Leaders must continually earn their leadership roles by demonstrating to those around them that they are capable of the roles they hold and are worthy of the loyalty and respect of their team members, and must perpetually exercise and hone their presentational skills.
So as an entrepreneur and business leader how do you become the strongest presenter you can possibly be? With insight from our agency’s speaker development lead, Trina Brinkman, here are the three Core Presentational Skills every executive needs:
Belief in Your Audience
Effective executives realize the importance of their teams. They understand that not only is every client an opportunity, but also that every act by every employee is an advertisement of the business as well. Effective leaders freely share their knowledge that the company can’t prosper without everyone in the field doing what is necessary for the success of the team. Employees mirror the enthusiasm, determination, and direction of a leader who shares innate confidence in their competence. With this understanding, employees learn to “act their parts” and exemplify the underlying expectations you hold.
A Passion for Your Part
When you are passionate about anything, it is easier to express the “why” to convince someone else to buy in. Articulation results from being so passionate about your part that you want others to share in your understanding. For example, executives who are passionate about their companies shape company culture, beliefs and employee motivation. Effective presentation includes body language, eye contact, gestures, vocal tone and dramatic emphasis and each of these parts is influenced by the passion you hold for the topic you’re presenting.
(As an aside—a passion for your part includes being mindful of your entrance and exits as well. Does the presentation begin at 10:00? Don’t be late. Are you allotted a 10-minute space for presentation? Don’t exceed it. Your passion for your topic doesn’t excuse a lack of business etiquette. Learn to treat your audience, in every case, with the utmost respect.)
Consistent Focus
Your presentation skills as an entrepreneur lead customer and employee perception. As author and presentation expert Dr. Jeffrey Magee recommends, “Don’t give others the chance to not be excited. Through your presentation, prepare to lead listeners in a careful and focused way in the direction you want them to go.” As the director of your presentation, you must get everyone in the audience aligned in the roles they will play. To maintain this focus as you present you must practice, practice and practice. This level of focus allows presentational players to succeed during opening night and beyond.
With the three presentational skills in place 1) Belief in Your Audience; 2) Passion for Your Part; and 3) Consistent Focus; the stage for your own presentation is set. Are you prepared? What is the part you will play?
Additional reporting for this article was provided by Trina Brinkman, Director of Speaker Development for Snapp Conner PR.
