Stop Being Predictable Tactic 4

Express a singular point of view —a strong opinion.

Typical Situation

A presenter often starts off, gains some momentum, and about five-to-ten minutes into the presentation, a listener may interrupt, saying, “Helen, just exactly what is your point here? We have been listening for some time now and I really don’t have a good grip on what it is you are trying to tell us.”

When asked this question, the presenter too often responds, “Well, what I think I am trying to tell you is . . .”  The biggest frustration for a listener is to decipher what the presenter is trying to say.

What is your point? Even more importantly, what is your point of view?

In the words of Ron Hoff, another author on presentation skills, “If we can’t be  remembered, we can’t be evaluated!”

Tactic:4

Express a singular point of view—a strong opinion.

You will be remembered if you bring a point of view (POV) into your presentation.

I define a POV as “your opinion.” It is the single most important idea you want the listener(s) to remember.

Everything flows from your POV. And since most presenters really don’t have a laser-clear POV, you will stand out.

Many presenters are nervous. We all feel nervous at some point. The reason: We have not identified the single most important idea we want our listeners to remember.

In this case, we have every right to be nervous.

Do not make the mistake many presenters do, announcing about fifteen minutes into their presentation, “What I think I am trying to say today is. . . .” That does not honor my time as a listener.

We are all being paid to have an opinion about our particular discipline. Not just information from our experience and education, but an opinion. Your POV is your opinion. Your strong opinion.

This will be the most important line in your entire presentation. Now, make sure you have one.

A good POV is truly an “I believe” statement. In fact, you must be able to say, “I believe” as you express it or it is probably not an opinion. It is probably the title of your presentation or an agenda of what you are going to cover. It may be anything but an honest-to-God strong opinion.

A powerful POV has three parameters:

• It is short.
• It is benefit oriented.
• It is provocative.

Why short?

• So, you can remember it.
• So, the listener can remember it.
• So, it is easily visualized.
• So, it is easily repeated.

Why benefit oriented?

• So, listeners wake up because there is a hint that they about to hear something valuable.
• So you hook listeners right off the bat and keep their interest throughout your time together.

Why provocative?

• Anything out of the ordinary evokes interest.
• It generates energy and belief in your own “buy-in.”
• If you appear as if you have not bought your own idea, why should the listener?
• You will automatically start presenting with more zip, passion, and clarity. In fact, the more provocative your POV, the more natural energy will automatically come forth.
• More energy correlates with better closure.

How’s that for differentiation?

A Real-Life Story

Chuck was a senior civil engineer for a giant contractor that built roads, utility plants, dams, and manufacturing plants all over the world. With twenty-two years of experience, Chuck is one of those people who can hold an audience with mesmerizing war stories. In fact, some of Chuck’s third-world adventures make you wonder what drives this man, because his life is very dangerous at times.

Chuck called and told me this story about four weeks after our first workshop:

“I finally saw the light about what I had been trying to explain for months to my management. During your training, I created a point of view about my strong opinion. Real strong in fact!  Then, during the workshop, my classmates further improved it. I gave my boss this presentation as soon as I could corral him after the workshop. You will hardly believe what he told me.

“He said, ‘Why haven’t you told me this before? I want to move on that idea pronto!’

“I said, ‘That is what I’ve been trying to tell you the last few months, and you never said you understood my idea. So I kept adding more facts to explain. However, I never expressed a clear opinion — a ‘what I believe statement.’

“That was the difference!”

Chuck went on to say that he had given three more presentations over the next two weeks. All had very clear POV statements. And he got the go-ahead on all of his ideas after only one presentation.

A Powerful POV

So what can you do right now to use this idea?

1. Distill a strong opinion from what you are saying. Identify the single most important idea you want your listeners to remember if they are asked to restate what you said.
2. Make sure it is easy to repeat.
3. Give your presentation to someone in your company. Just a three- or four- minute outline will usually be more than sufficient. Then ask them to help you clarify the POV. Let him or her help you wordsmith it.
4. Make sure a “defining visual” flows from your strong POV (Tactic 5).
5. Write your POV on a flip-chart sheet or card that you tape to the wall, so it remains in sight after you announced it. Listeners can then refer to it and easily hold you to your opinion.
6. Repeat your POV throughout the presentation, using it as a transition. You will maintain control, and you’ll stop rambling. This will also dramatically reduce your non-words and fillers, such as “ah,” “you know,” and “anyway,” and you will re-energize yourself each time you repeat it. This will differentiate you because most presenters wear down as they drone on.

As they say on Broadway, you only open once.

Most presenters

do not have

a laser-clear POV.

Now you will.

Case closed.