Working with a lawyer recently, I sat in silence as he labored through a a painful presentation on “Recent Developments in Corporate Law.”
“Tell me the truth,” I said, when he was done with his rehearsal. “Would you want to listen to this presentation?”
He paused a moment and seemed a little taken aback. But then his shoulders sagged a little and confessed, “I guess not.”
That incident and many others have led me to posit what I call “The Golden Rule of Presenting:”
“Present unto others as you would have them present unto you.”
If you want to be a good presenter, put yourself in the shoes of your listeners.
How many points would you like to listen to?
How many slides would you like to sit through?
Would you rather hear stories or lots of data?
Would you rather have someone read you their presentation or deliver it extemporaneously with lots of energy?
Would you like to see someone who comes across as well-rehearsed or not?
What would you want to take away from this presentation?
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