9 Habits of Highly Effective Business Presenters

A friend and fellow ATD Chicagoland board member sent this article to me, 9 Habits of Highly Effective Speakers, and asked what I thought.

If you don’t feel like reading the whole thing, here is a snapshot of the nine “habits.”

1. They are authentic.
2. They choose phrases carefully.
3. They keep it short.
4. They rewrite. And they rewrite some more.
5. They build rapport.
6. They tell stories.
7. They organize.
8. They practice.
9. They learn from the masters.

These 9 ideas are terrific if (and this is a BIG IF) you are delivering a speech. The author of this piece is definitely talking about speeches. He says so right at the beginning of the piece. He mentions graduation addresses, TED talks, and the State of the Union.

Those are perfectly reasonable types of speeches to study. But when was the last time you actually delivered a speech?

It’s important not to confuse speechmaking with business presenting.

They are two very different forms of communication. Unfortunately, too many times, they are lumped together, which is one of the reasons professionals struggle so mightily with their business presentations. They require a different set of skills and techniques. Speeches are written and read (or perhaps memorized), whereas presentations are initiated and facilitated.

They are also judged on different scales. Speeches are successful when they are well crafted. Business presentations are successful when they get business done in an efficient manner.

If you go back and look at the nine habits, they could be substituted as advice for writers. Again, good advice for speechmakers. Not so good for presenters.

You need something better.

So, here is our list.

9 Habits of Highly Effective Business Presenters:

1. Engage your listeners in a conversation, don’t deliver a performance.
2. Keep it about them, not about you.
3. Speak spontaneously within the framework of your preparation.
4. Design visuals to keep you on track and to spark the right thoughts during delivery.
5. Bring visuals into the conversation to enhance, clarify, and support.
6. Create the environment for a fruitful orderly conversation.
7. Pause to think and control knee-jerk reactions, even when emotion creeps in.
8. Respect what others have to say.
9. Look for clues that your audience understands, not just hears what you’re saying.

At Turpin Communication, we don’t work with speeches. We work with everyday getting-business-done presentations. Or as we call them: Orderly Conversations. This redefinition will make all the difference for you. Hope this article sheds new light on the work that you do.