Pro Presenter Tips

According to Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O’Connor, authors of “Present Like A Pro,” (St. Martin’s Griffin 2006), a professional level speaker always ends unexpectedly. When I first read that I thought “Huh?”

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how correct Maxey and O’Connor are. Too many speakers feel they can just end by saying “and in conclusion, my three key points are blah, blah, and blah.” Your ending is a great place to shine by showing flashes of creativity—don’t blow it.

Some speakers do end unexpectedly because they seem to run out of gas. They say “That’s it, any questions?” That’s not the sort of ending unexpectedly you want to emulate. The key is to surprise with unexpected value, insight and sometimes emotion.

Maxey also writes that “a pro is ready to edit on the spot.” This means that if you think you are going to have 30 minutes to give a presentation and then you are told at the last minute that you only have fifteen minutes, you aren’t going to whine and complain to the organizers or the audience. Because you have such a deep grasp of your subject matter and the needs of your audience, you can instantly figure out what to cut from your speech and still make the strongest impact on your audience. The highest level pros may even go so far as having a second PowerPoint ready with a drastically reduced number of slides just in case the time for the speech has been reduced.

“Present Like A Pro” also does a great job of chronicling all the different times, places, and ways in a speech where speakers apologize. Now I have often admonished speakers to avoid apologizing in speeches, but Maxey and O’Connor say it best when they advise “Don’t include apologies at any point unless the roof falls in.”

These authors do an excellent job of crystallizing the highest goals for the advanced speaker; it isn’t about avoiding um’s or having well structured content. Ultimately, a speech by a professional is about the experience created for the audience.

“The Experience is what an audience wants and needs.” Yes, Yes, Yes—and this doesn’t just apply to so-called motivational or feel-good speakers.

Thousands of books have been written on how to give a good speech. “Present Like A Pro” is one of the rare books in the genre that will deliver the inside secrets you need to be a GREAT speaker.