I Need My Appendix Out!

No you don’t.

As a corporate television producer, it always amazes me how many first time prospective clients tell me they need a 20 minute video. My response is usually, “No you don’t.” But perhaps it should be, “Sure. What color box? I have three 20 minute videos on the shelf right now.”

Laymen tend to focus on the solution because of the immediate pain they feel. They should be focusing on the problem, analyzing it and coming up with a solution to solve that particular problem. But, they shouldn’t be doing that themselves. In most other professions, they’d leave the determination of the solution to the professional.

Would you go to the doctor and tell him you need your appendix out? Most probably not. You’d take your symptoms to him and ask him to analyze the situation and suggest a solution. You might even go and get a second opinion.

And so it is with presentations. So often executives think they need help with their delivery skills. And they may be right. But, by and large, my experience has been that if the structure and message are wrong, there is virtually no way you’re going to deliver a spectacular presentation.

It’s amazing how your confidence improves (along with your delivery style) when you know you have a well-defined presentation – one targeted to your audience. I haven’t met a person yet who didn’t improve their performance THE MOST through focusing on the content.

More than just the content, though, is making sure you’ve aligned the information to your audience’s needs. Ensuring that happens begins with setting an objective . . . and writing it down. There is no “magic” in developing a presentation. Any successful professional speaker will tell you that. There’s a formula. Stick to it and you’ll be a winner.

Oh . . . and that video? You might indeed need one. But I haven't done anything over 7 minutes in length in years. If you can't say it in 7 minutes, cut it into modules. Too much information all at once will simply bounce off your audience - they won't absorb it. But, that's another discussion!

So, next time you think you need help in your delivery skills, think again. Think whether you’re 100% positive that your message is absolutely the right one, structured in a logical and compelling manner and targeted specifically to your audience. If all these elements are in place, have fun and enjoy the applause!