New software disadvantages
| Must know: | Staff will need to be trained on the new system. |
| Key words: | Staff training necessary |
| Must know: | The new software licences are expensive. |
| Key words: | Cost of new licences |
Recommendation
| Must know: | For the complex company-wide rollout, we’ll need external consultants. |
| Key words: | External consultants for rollout |
This processing of your material is just as necessary for diagrams and charts. Always look at them with a critical eye and ask yourself how you can cut, reduce and simplify them so that the point you’re trying to make is as clear as possible.
Later on we’re going to look in detail at how to give your presentation real impact, but it’s worth considering what can make you a stylish presenter from the very start.
Being clear
If you talk to your audience in language that they can relate to, then you’re treating them with a respect that they will return. But giving a presentation can sometimes bring about alarming changes in a speaker. Firstly, there are speakers who litter their presentation with obscure acronyms such as SOD (separation of duties) or SOX (Sarbanes Oxley Act) that are common in their field but not known outside it. Secondly, there are speakers who have the mistaken belief that they need to use a particular style of business jargon in order to be taken seriously by their audience. Presenters no longer look for ways to work together, they look for ‘synergies’. They don’t encourage staff, they ‘incentivise’ them. They don’t have detailed plans, they have plans with a ‘high degree of granularity’.
The effect of this business gobbledygook is to set up a barrier between the speaker and the audience. When that happens, the audience switches off mentally and starts waiting for the talk to finish.
Appearance
It’s unfair but we make judgments about people when we first meet them so you should try to wear clothes that meet your audience’s expectations. This doesn’t always mean you have to wear a business suit; if you’re talking to a group of software programmers, they may not take you seriously looking like that. Before your presentation, check what audience you can expect and dress slightly more formally than them, while remaining comfortable. Uncomfortable clothes can be distracting; avoid wearing a collar that’s too tight or shoes that have too high a heel even if you look great in them. That way you can devote all your attention to the job at hand. And always remember: what might look stunning in the mirror at home can seem very skimpy when you’re standing in front of a room full of people and all eyes are on you.
Irritators
Doesn’t it drive you mad when somebody you are talking to seems to feel the need to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do? When we’re presenting, we need to be careful that we don’t turn people off our message by using what linguists call irritators. But what are typical irritators and how can you avoid them?
1 we/our vs. you/your
Very often in a presentation you’re making recommendations for some kind of change. Using we instead of you increases the feeling that everybody is involved. If you use you, it can sound as if you’re blaming your audience for something they’ve done wrong. Compare these examples.
You need to introduce the new software quickly. (Subtext: Why didn’t you do it before? I would have.)
We need to introduce the new software. (Neutral statement of fact.)
Your systems have security weaknesses. (Subtext: Obviously a careless team.)
Our systems have security weaknesses. (We all have a problem.)
2 must vs. have to
The difference between must and have to is slight but it can be important. Use must when you’re talking about something that you want to do because it’s important to you: We must finish the report by Friday (because we need it for something).
Avoid using have to unless you’re talking about an external power that is compelling you to do something: We have to finish the report by Friday (because otherwise we’re in trouble).
3 Yes, and … / Yes. However, … / No, because … vs. Yes, but …
Why is it that when we disagree with something, we often say Yes, but …, which we all know means No? Is it because we don’t want to offend the person we’re talking to? Whatever the reason, it’s dishonest and it can be annoying for your audience. But what do you do when somebody asks a question and it’s plain they’ve missed your message? For example: Why do the staff need extra training with the new software? It’s just an upgrade of the previous version. Surely they can just learn it on their own, can’t they?
Here are some ways of answering a question like that without alienating the listener.
Listen to the question and add a reason to back up your argument: Yes, and if we also provide some training, we can make sure they use all the new features of the upgrade now rather than later.
Listen to the question and politely contradict with a reason: Yes. However, if we provide some training, we can make sure they use all the new features of the upgrade now rather than later.
Contradict with an honest answer: No, because unless we provide some training, they won’t use all the new features of the upgrade straight away.
You should be careful with the last version and only use it when you are confident of your audience. However, it’s a real answer and so is preferable to Yes, but
