Presentation Skills Question and Answer
Outcome Focus™Coaching Seminars
Outcome FocusTM Presentation Skills Coaching Seminars are designed to give you practical applicable information that is customized for you and can be immediately put to use. We realize that the more effective you are as a communicator the more people will respect you, the more focused you will be and the more productive you will be.Presentation Skills Seminar Q&A
I don't give PowerPoint Presentations. How can I benefit from a presentation program?
The biggest mistake people make is believing that a presentation is something you give to a large group utilizing PowerPoint.
A presentation is ANY TIME you try to get your thoughts, opinions, or ideas across to other people. This can be a meeting, a five-minute chat, a quick question, or a phone conversation.
If you ever have people misinterpret what you say, not take action when you thought you were explicit on what they should do, or have other people take credit for your ideas, then you are not getting your message across and you do need to work on how to manage your communication.
There are a lot of presentation courses out there. What are some things I should look for in a good class?
A good presentation class goes beyond merely telling you to "not jingle your change" or how to stand.
A great presentation actually MOVES the audience to a different spot than they were emotionally and logically before you started speaking. This means you have to learn how to manage all four aspects of a presentation- how people see you, how they hear you, how you say your message and how you deliver your message.
You want a presentation class that will show you:
- A new way of thinking so you can build better presentations
- How to read your audience's body language so you know what they are thinking but not saying
- How your physical image impacts how people listen to what you say
- How to manage all the communication styles in the room so each person hears the same thing
We are the only company with the Outcome Focus System that shows you a new way to think, listen and speak!
Your instructor is an expert not a facilitator. So many companies come to us because they know that Anne has been utilized by the media, presents around the world, coaches executives and has authored many communication books. They know that Anne is an expert and not a facilitator who will help them on the spot and not give them a canned approach.
What types of positions will benefit from developing good presentation skills?
Let me give you a few industries and how they each have benefited from learning how to utilize the Outcome Focus Presentation System:
Executive Management You cannot expect to lead if you cannot clearly state your message and compel people to follow that vision. As a leader you need people to have trust, accountability, and respect. You need to know that what you communicate to the media, the board, the managers and the front line, all aligns with your vision and mission. Consistency is key here when communicating as well as the ability to think and speak on your feet. We will show you how to make your message strong, clear, and consistent from your voice and words to your body language.
Sales - In this day and age you don't have time to slowly build up to the sale yet you also have the conflict that customers have a lot of knowledge and hate to be sold. So you have to get them to quickly open up to, handle their objections, and talk about what is important to them. Good presentation skills will help you listen to the customer better and address their direct needs. Learn how to make that connection in a compelling fashion so people see you as authentic and sincere not "salesy."
Project Manager - As a project manager you are in charge with the scope of a project. This often means that you have to present to senior management on how a project is going or if you even think the project can be done the way they want it done. You may be tasked with working with people that don't directly report to you so you have to motivate them to want to work with you. You may also be a contractor so people can see you as the outsider and you need to be able to raise their trust, respect, and accountability when you don't have the "manager" title behind you. We will show you how to present your technical information so people open up to you.
Marketing - In marketing it is all about the message you create. Many people in marketing have a lot of creativity that can sometimes make their presentation too complicated to follow. So how do you simply get your message across and make it easy to follow? How do you make sure that your marketing materials are compelling so that the sales people use them all the time? How do you create a presentation that your sales team will love to use rather than one they roll their eyes at? Learn how to create a compelling message that is easy to embrace with the Outcome Focus Presentation System.
Manager - As a manager you have to listen to what your employees needs are, motivate them to work better, coach them on what they need to change, and communicate the company message in a way your team can grasp and run with it. You can often feel like you are in a dance between upper management and your employees' needs. You can run in to turf wars between departments and individuals. This can often be one of the most grueling and yet rewarding jobs. You have to be able to get your stuff done in about 30% of the time so that 70% of the time is open for your team. It is all about presenting things so you achieve the balance and control necessary to drive your area forward. It is about creating a team atmosphere.
Financial Field - So often in finance you are called upon to go over facts and figures or to share why something is off financially. This tends to lead to presentations that can feel boring and too technical. We will show you how to present your facts and figures so people can quickly grasp them and move to action. You will learn how to challenge people without being seen as the person who always says "no."
IT -The IT world is filled with numbers, tests, project analysis and other data that many people do not understand. Often people cannot understand why the network fails or why projects take so long. This leaves you on the defense to explain what you are doing and why most of the time they won't follow your technical information, so they leave frustrated with you. You need to be able to speak clearly, distinctly, and relate what you are saying to something they can grasp. You need them to respect your judgment and realize that you are trying to get the project done in a timely manner and done correctly.
I don't have a problem with formal presentations but I do have a problem answering questions in meetings, getting senior management to listen to me, and motivating my staff. But those aren't presentation problems, are they?
Communication is all about getting the response you want. If you are not getting the response you want, then your communication is not working. This means that at ALL TIMES people must see your communication as clear, concise, and easy to follow.
The problems you mention above are all presentation problems at the informal level.
Our class will show you how to communicate in a way that is easy to follow whether you are talking to a senior executive, a teammate, or an employee. People can't be motivated when they don't understand what you just told them to do. Senior management is not going to take action on what you say if they don't view you as a leader from the start.
I really don't have two days to take off work for a program. Do you have a one-day program I can attend?
Years ago we had a choice to make: go to programs in small time blocks or go with programs that make lasting behavior changes.
We opted to do lasting behavior changes and being the Gourmet of Presentation Skills rather than the quick fix. Let's face it; you didn't just fall off the turnip wagon with communication. You have been building your style of communicating for years so why would you believe a program would change all that in a few hours or one day?
We found with the sorter time frames people pick up "tips" they apply but the don't learn a new way to think so they can adapt it to multiple situations on the spot.
Even two days is tight. I tell people that the two-days gives you the insight on what you need to change, the tools to make the change, and you further develop the skill as you PRACTICE.
Remember this is about more than just presenting, it's about learning a new way to think, listen and speak so your message gets heard!
The people that come to our programs are looking to learn not just how to quickly do a presentation, but rather how to communicate with people at a much more proactive fashion that shows strength and leadership.
We prefer to not do a "quick fix" on presenting but instead give you a Gourmet approach to presenting so you can quickly adapt to any situation that comes up. Gourmet chefs learn how to make two basic soup stocks and two basic sauce recipes. They then learn how to mix spices and ingredients in those two simple sets of recipes to create culinary feats. We teach you the same thing with presenting.
Why be a mediocre presenter when you can become a Gourmet Communicator?
The new skills you develop will save you time in the long run. On average our clients tell us they save anywhere from 2 hours to 10 hours a WEEK!
I have a team that gives presentations. I feel like they all do PowerPoint and then just read it! The audience falls asleep. Can you help them?
One of the things that is most fun for groups is to see how Anne customizes for their industry, their company, and their message. You will find that Anne will show you how to take technical information and present it so people connect with what you are saying.
You will leave knowing how to weave your style in with your message and rely more on you and your audience rather than on your PowerPoint.
Where do you do the programs?
We do customized programs at a location of your choice or at our IMP Institute where we treat you to a beautiful room that doesn't fit mormal sterile training rooms. We believe that you desrve to be treated with top style.
You'll find in Minnesota that the creative space and warm hospitality will help you make the most of this learning experience.
From start to finish, we focus on you!
PS. You can explode this within your organization with our in-house Licensing Program!
How do you know if it was successful?
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are that confident in our program.
We are the only program that works with YOU ahead of time to find out if coaching, a two-day seminar, or a customized on site program is what will best fit your goals.
If we don't feel we are the right fit, we will say so right up front. Part of the reason of our success is our ability to accurately show what we can and can't do. Your time and money is too important to spend if you won't get the results you want.
So there it is… YOU are the sole determiner of whether it has value for you or not. That speaks volumes for our expertise.
I work with a lot of senior executives. I don't want a program that I can find at Toastmasters or entry level. How do I know you can work at the executive level?
Anne coaches executives all over the world. Executives use Outcome Thinking TM to run their companies today because it raises Accountability, Respect and Trust - The ART of CommunicationTM.
As one Senior Executive said, "we have a hard time finding people that can come in and take our experienced group of men and have them energized to learn. You showed that you knew our industry, our message, and then helped us become stronger leaders."
In today's age, it is refreshing to have a woman that is as comfortable in front of the Board of Directors as she is in front of all your employees.
I don't want a program for just me. I want a program that is easy for people to follow and one my whole company can use. Can you do program like that?
Whether you have a small team or an entire force to put through, we can help you. Anne has worked with corporations to put hundreds of people through our two-day program as well as small teams.
What is unique is how we customize for YOU, for YOUR COMPANY, and YOUR GOALS. When people ask what is it like working with us we say, "our clients become our friends."
If you are looking for a company to quickly come in and you never hear from them again, that's not us. We want to make sure you get the results you want and that we are here to answer questions, offer guidance, and take you to the next level.
We have worked with companies where we put programs on at different sites around the world. You end up with a team that speaks the same language, gives the same message, and proactively moves your customers forward.
Clients are surprised how Anne will go out to dinner with the group at night because they say they have never had a consultant want to visit with the group after a full day of education. It is part of who we are. We want you to learn how to be authentic when you are presenting and when you are not. People shouldn't have a different opinion of you when you are "on" versus when you are done presenting. It is about consistency.
The best part is Anne's simple four-step process makes communicating and presenting quick and easy without being a "quick fix."
Do you do anything besides presentation programs?
We are one of the few companies that offers you a three-day presentation and negotiation program, a two-day negotiation program, a two-day leadership program, and a second level presentation program.
Once you lock in to Outcome Thinking you won't want to go back to traditional communication. Imagine always getting your point across without making others defensive.
Stop imagining and let's make it happen!
To request more information about Anne's Coaching Seminars, please contact us!
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