Get Better at Presenting in 2014 with Portico
Arlington, VI (PRWEB) December 12, 2013 -- Presenting well is a critical skill; not only is it a vehicle for communicating our thoughts, it shapes how colleagues and clients perceive our intelligence and leadership abilities.
Frequent presenting adds to the pressure. According to the “Executive Time Use Project,” a joint study by the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School, the top activity of CEOs is attending meetings, taking up about a third of their working hours. This means that as we climb the corporate ladder, we’ll be spending more times in meetings, as either the presenter or as an audience member.
The good news is that there’s a science to effective presenting. The less encouraging news is that it’s one that few business executives have been trained on, much less the engineers, salespeople, attorneys and accountants who are often tasked with putting a deck together.
Portico has set out to make presentations better through consulting and training services.
“Once you understand the basics of how we learn, and what makes certain information stick, you approach presentations in a new and far more effective way. Presenting becomes more about answering the basic question of what’s most important, and then using visuals and stories to convey those answers,” said Meghan Dotter, Portico founder and principal.
According to Portico, three of the biggest presentation challenges include:
1. Trying to convey a lot of information in a relatively short time frame. Prioritize what is most important for the audience; what’s the best use of their time? Then create a plan to direct people to a more detailed leave-behind document.
2. Connecting to an audience when there is a significant disparity in subject knowledge; also referred to as asymmetric information. In order to capture someone’s interest, the first step is to meet them at a shared level or perspective. Then bridge the knowledge gap.
3. Adapting to a diversity of formats, whether to a large group, in a smaller setting, or remotely. To keep someone’s interest requires regular engagement, or better yet, interaction, at specific intervals. If the format doesn’t allow that through conversation, use other tactics to reach the audience.
Portico provides two-hour, half-day, and full-day workshops, which are customized to meet the presentation needs of each client. Consulting packages and training cover message development, slide design and delivery techniques. For presentation techniques and tips, visit the Portico Blog, http://www.porticopresentations.com.
About Portico
Portico develops presentations, and coaches you on delivering them. By translating complex ideas and creating compelling storyboards, Portico makes it easier for audiences to understand, empathize and act. Training workshops help organizations transform the way they create presentations, streamlining the process for better results. Learn more at http://www.porticopr.us.
For Media, Katie Castillo, Portico Presentations, http://www.porticopr.us, 703.534.8631, [email protected]
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