Some of my classes are preparing for a presentation this week and I wondered if anyone had some ideas for what they could do to prepare for it. Kind of activity based activities. There's a Dilts book out I've found but I won't get it quick enough as the lessons start on Tuesday. I've got some stuff for nerves I was just wondering if anyone had any good tips for making a good presentation and also preparing for it. For example I know the Disney strategy is in the Dilts book but i'm not quite sure how to use it for the preperation part. Any ideas?

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

Some of my classes are preparing for a presentation this week and I wondered if anyone had some ideas for what they could do to prepare for it. Kind of activity based activities. There's a Dilts book out I've found but I won't get it quick enough as the lessons start on Tuesday. I've got some stuff for nerves I was just wondering if anyone had any good tips for making a good presentation and also preparing for it. For example I know the Disney strategy is in the Dilts book but i'm not quite sure how to use it for the preperation part. Any ideas?

Alistair there's a presentation format based on Bernice McCarthy 4MAT system which was devised for appealing to mixed learning styles (you've probably already come across it).

The website is not great but mayve worth a look: About Learning | Official Site of Bernice McCarthy's 4MAT System

It can be adapted for creating presentations and is particularly useful for presentations on the fly.

The 4MAT can be used to divide the presentation up into 4 sections =

Why (should i be interested in what you're saying)
What (is the concept / solution / detail)
How (can I use it / is it applied etc)
What If / So What (what are the generalised possibilities)

You can work on each section to make it more structured to suit the content. For example in a sales presentation in the 'Why' section I'd advise Pacing client situation (ideally pacing specifics or if not known universals) then focusing on towards and away benefits.

The sections don't have to be balanced in terms of content, the amount of detail in each section depends on the content and purpose of the presentation. It's an exceptionally easy system to use because you can start by brainstorming everything you know then assigning it to one of the 4 categories. It makes sequencing a presentation (one of the drivers for successful presentations) pretty easy.

As for nerves obviously the most important thing is breathing and posture or you could go for the old circle of excellence technque.

You could always look at Satir categories which fit in with posture and breathing quite nicely. I would say for short serious presentations a mix of Leveller and Blamer (read emphatic) and for longer presentations a bit of distractor (read humour) thrown in.

Thanks Renee. I've checked the site out - looks a bit of a minefield and expensive. I'll offer the format you've offered. As for the nerves thing all I can do is offer help to them. Some of em think i'm nuts teaching it, some of em like it and some of em insist on holding onto the nerves for some reason. Some of them love to moan and at the same time have no commitment to do anything about it. Exactly the kind of person I wouldn't take on as a client. Thanks for the input

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

Thanks Renee. I've checked the site out - looks a bit of a minefield and expensive. I'll offer the format you've offered. As for the nerves thing all I can do is offer help to them. Some of em think i'm nuts teaching it, some of em like it and some of em insist on holding onto the nerves for some reason. Some of them love to moan and at the same time have no commitment to do anything about it. Exactly the kind of person I wouldn't take on as a client. Thanks for the input

I try to think of my nervousness as a signal that something is not quite right and with presentations it is often that the preparation is not adequate. Problem is people don't know consciously what they don't know so it can became a vicious circle.

I found that by KNOWING I had prepared adequately not only did much of the nervousness disappear but I also started to enjoy doing presentations rather than seeing them as a punishment from God.

So give them some good preparation techniques.

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

Some of my classes are preparing for a presentation this week and I wondered if anyone had some ideas for what they could do to prepare for it. Kind of activity based activities. There's a Dilts book out I've found but I won't get it quick enough as the lessons start on Tuesday. I've got some stuff for nerves I was just wondering if anyone had any good tips for making a good presentation and also preparing for it. For example I know the Disney strategy is in the Dilts book but i'm not quite sure how to use it for the preperation part. Any ideas?

it really a matter of how far they want to go in preparing for it. Rene's suggestion to use the 4MAT method is a good one. Tad James book "Presenting Magically" is very good, and of course they probably don't have the time to take Jonathan Altfields training Speaking Ingeniously which is excellent

Thanks for the responses. Didn't have the time or budget for the 4mat. I let the classes lead in terms of what makes an excellent presentation. Then got them to draw a metaphor for the worst presentation they could give in the form of a drawing.

Taught them the importance of being fine with getting things wrong and accepting anxiety as a signal, posture and breathing.

And then got them to draw a metaphor for when they are presenting at their best. The drawings for when they are presenting at their best were interesting - lots of stars, suns, graceful movement, gliding and being on top of the world. The negative metaphoric drawings where based upon themselves as people but when presenting at their best the drawings involved metaphors reflecting movement, space and up

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Didn't have the time or budget for the 4mat. I let the classes lead in terms of what makes an excellent presentation. Then got them to draw a metaphor for the worst presentation they could give in the form of a drawing.

Taught them the importance of being fine with getting things wrong and accepting anxiety as a signal, posture and breathing.

And then got them to draw a metaphor for when they are presenting at their best. The drawings for when they are presenting at their best were interesting - lots of stars, suns, graceful movement, gliding and being on top of the world. The negative metaphoric drawings where based upon themselves as people but when presenting at their best the drawings involved metaphors reflecting movement, space and up

Being in a good state with poor preparation, a good presentation will not make.

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Didn't have the time or budget for the 4mat. I let the classes lead in terms of what makes an excellent presentation. Then got them to draw a metaphor for the worst presentation they could give in the form of a drawing.

Taught them the importance of being fine with getting things wrong and accepting anxiety as a signal, posture and breathing.

And then got them to draw a metaphor for when they are presenting at their best. The drawings for when they are presenting at their best were interesting - lots of stars, suns, graceful movement, gliding and being on top of the world. The negative metaphoric drawings where based upon themselves as people but when presenting at their best the drawings involved metaphors reflecting movement, space and up

alistair

I'm hoping you are teaching them more than state management because while its important, being prepared is more important, as John said. also paying attention to your audience.

Valid points and if I had limited face to face time to do the teaching then I'd still choose to focus on state. You can learn to plan and structure a presentation by reading a paper handout but you can't learn about state management by reading about it - not nearly as effectively anyway.

Alistair_Donnell wrote:

I let the classes lead in terms of what makes an excellent presentation.

John, Jim Did you miss that sentence? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They came up with far more than what I found on the first TEN pages of google. Interesting that you deleted that sentence from your interpretations before offering your evaluations . Renee I agree, state is something I have focused on quite a lote. I'll let you know how they get on. I have one more week that will allow more one to one for them