Mistake #9 out of 12 Presenters Should Avoid

The Groups Reality vs The Trainers Reality.

For whatever reasons, I find that many presenters get so excited with their subject material that they forget that there is even a live audience out there! The other explanation is that they are so concerned about the plowing right through the material that the ignore the obvious things that your group has completely check out.

A great example of this is a sales executive is meeting with a group of decision makers about launching a new promotional product campaign. The sales executive is very excited about all the ideas he is presenting but he notices the energy in the room is low and they seem tired or even skeptical. Yet the sales executive drones on anyway about all possibilities and ideas. However, the gap between the sales executive and the group grows wider and wider.  The result: boredom, skepticism, restlessness and lack of buy in.

There is a technique that I have been taught and now passing along the wisdom to you, it’s called “AS IS-ING” or telling it as it is. What it basically is saying that you are constantly monitoring the group and when you sense any drop in energy, note a lack of attention-lapse, simply call it!  For example if your meeting is right after lunch and they seem sleepy, say, did everyone have lunch? How many of you would love to take a nap right about now?  How many of you are still thinking about it?  This technique is clearly designed to bring the group back to the present. It will immediately raise the energy level and participation level because “they know that you know what is really happening.

Hint: Check in with your group often, by asking if there is confusion, major objections to what you have said, need for a break, lack of understanding, something else going on etc. Simply acknowledge it, solve it if you can and move on.