Presenting with Confidence, Course Material
Welcome to “Presenting with Confidence”, this page is both the outline for the course and the central repository for all the learning material accompanying it. Please watch the introductory video directly below to get an overview of the course contents, structure and what you can expect – and what is expected of you.
Self-study Before Module 1
Self-study Before Module 1
Technique Videos
Watch the following videos on the body language/rhetorical techniques we will be using in module 1.
CORRIDORS is a technique that allows you to direct your focus while speaking. If you visualise a “corridor” extending from yourself to one particular person in the audience, you will not speak “to everyone”, but “to someone”. And the effect is unmistakable for those watching — the focus and direction lends you a calm and interested expression. Switch to a different corridor after each full meaning.
FULL STOP PAUSES. How, when and for how long to pause. The Full Stop Pause is a way to attach more importance to what you’ve just said. It’s in the pause after a sentence that your words and your message sinks in. Former president of the United States, Barack Obama was a master of the Full Stop Pause.
PLACING HANDS. The question I get asked all the time in my work with presentation technique is “what do I do with my hands?”. And the answer is: You use them. In this video we’ll look at “Placing Hands” – which is a collection of techniques to use your hands to visually place concepts in the space around you, giving your audience or colleagues a visual aid to accompany your words.
Preparatory Tasks for Module 1: Prepare Your Own Message
Preparatory Tasks for Module 1: Prepare Your Own Message
1. Formulate your core message as a single, short sentence. This is your “Core Sentence”
Think of a message that you would like to share with a certain target group: Your team, your bosses, stakeholders, or others. What is the essence of your message? Try to formulate it in a single sentence.
Example:
Instead of: “I want us to reach an agreement for working together to investigate if our planning strategy for this product should be revised”
You should aim for: “Let’s revise our planning strategy”
2. Formulate the “Call-to-Action” for your Core Sentence
Formulate the three behaviour changes that will ensure success when implementing the idea behind your Core Sentence.
Example Call-to-Action for the Core Sentence “Let's revise our control strategy”
“Let’s observe and note wasteful control actions”
“Let’s observe and note areas that have quality issues”
“And let’s replace wasteful actions with quality control actions”
3. Prepare your personal elevator pitch
Present yourself in 30 seconds. Use this recipe: Your name, your title, your professional WHY, and your personal motto or a metaphor (come up with one).
Example:
“Hi. I am Peter. I am a Data Scientist. I strive to make data actionable. My personal motto is: »If you can’t make use of it, don’t waste time on it«, and that’s also my approach to data”.
You will be using your Core Sentence, Call-to-Action and Personal Elevator Pitch in the work on module 1, so make some cue cards to help you remember them, and rehearse saying your message out loud. Knowing your message by heart will allow you to focus on using the techniques to deliver the message in a confident manner.
Please submit your Core Sentence, Call-to-Action and Personal Elevator Pitch before we meet during module 1.
Module 1
Module 1
In this module, we will work with “hard communication”, meaning your points, arguments, data, analysis, strategy, goals, actions – we will train how to confidently deliver your prepared message from above.
Bring the Following to the Session
Cue cards with a few words, to help you remember your prepared messages (task 1-3 from above)
Post-it notes
A scissor
A permanent marker – preferably a “fat” one
A sock filled with chickpeas/corn/pasta. Tie a knot in the sock. (Yes, I am serious)
A piece of music that just makes you smile. Be ready to listen to it via headphones
Video Examples
FULL STOP PAUSES. Watch this short clip of former president of the United States, Barack Obama as he jokes that “we’re building Iron Man” at a White House manufacturing innovation event. Pay attention to how he uses Full Stop Pauses to add emphasis, importance and connect with the audience in the pauses.
Slides
Get the slides for Module 1 here. They have been converted to PDF format for maximum compatibility across platforms.
Training Between Module 1 and Module 2
Training Between Module 1 and Module 2
Start by using the guided training videos below to train the techniques from module 1. As I mentioned before, in body language it is vitally important that you repeat the motions and techniques many times to get comfortable with them and make them second nature. So run through these as many times as you can.
TRAINING CORRIDORS. Training time! We’ll be working with establishing corridors – saying one full sentence per corridor – starting with a silent corridor as well as changing stations. A corridor establishes a connection between you and one other person – the focus and direction lends you a calm and interested expression, which is apparent to everyone in the room.
TRAINING FULL STOP PAUSES. Adding pauses infuses what you’ve just said with more importance.
TRAINING PLACING HANDS. Using your hands while presenting or asking/answering questions in a meeting is a great way to give your audience or colleagues a visual aid to accompany your words. In this guided training video, you will train “Placing Hands” and a couple of “Fallback” positions for your hands. Placing hands are used to place concepts in the space around you so you can refer back to them. We’ll be looking at placing concepts on timelines, as contrasts and as scenarios. The “Fallback” is where your hands return to, when you’re not using them.
Preparatory Tasks for Module 2: Three-Minute Presentation
Preparatory Tasks for Module 2: Three-Minute Presentation
THE FISH MODEL. Based on the “Fish Model” (which most Ted-talks are based on), you have to make a three-minute presentation. The PDF explains the model and your task in more detail.
Module 2
Module 2
In this module, we will work with “soft communication”. This covers techniques for making people visualise your words using metaphors, examples, scenarios, objects/props and drawings.
Video examples
USING PROPS. Watch Hans Rosling’s use of boxes and props in his TED Talk on population growth — and reflect on the following: Which objects could you use to communicate your message with this analogue teaching principle?
Slides
Get the slides for Module 2 here. They have been converted to PDF format for maximum compatibility across platforms
Applying this Course to Your Work
Applying This Course to Your Work
100-90-1 SUCCESS STRATEGY. Applying what you’ve learned is the only way to benefit from this course. Train each technique 100 times using the training videos, set aside 90 seconds before a presentation or meeting for warm-up and what I call “priming” – decide one technique you will apply in this meeting.
