Getting Up Close and Personal


The most likely scenario you'll encounter is a presentation to a small group. I find that more than 80% of presentations are given to groups of fewer than ten people, usually in conference room settings. Typically, the fear factor is reduced when fewer people are in the room, so these up close and personal situations are easier for most presenters. Perhaps that is what makes small group presentations more common. Another reason is probably scheduling: It's easier to convene a smaller group of people in a local setting than it is to gather a crowd for a larger event.

Regardless of how these situations develop, the common fallacy among presenters is that less formality exists when the group is smaller and people know one another. Be careful! Just because everyone knows one another doesn't mean your presentation has automatic impact. Remember that it gets more and more difficult to impress a person after the first date! When presenting in those informal settings, your skills must be better, especially if you think the formality is unnecessary.

Who can really define just what "formality" means in the context of a presentation? Moreover, who can say which presentations merit formality and which do not? Use the logic that every presentation is formal in the sense that your skills must be as sharp as ever to make an impact with your message.

Your goal is to maintain consistency of style in all presentation settings. For the up-close and personal moments, you should consider the following:

  • Understanding the conference room and U

  • Handling one-to-one situations

  • Socializing your skills

Understanding the Conference Room and U

In Chapter 28, "Techniques and Technicalities," we discussed theatre-style and classroom-style seating in relation to the room setup. Yet, the traditional conference room offers some important seating opportunities that are a bit different from the others. This is also true of another common room setup, the U-shape. Both conference room and U-shape settings share the same seating dynamics. Because many conference room tables are longer than they are wide, most of the people at the table face one another. The same is true with the U-shape.

TIP

Increase the size of your triangle. You can give yourself more room to maneuver in the small group setting by moving or removing some seats. In the conference room, the first, and possibly second, seat immediately to your right can be eliminated. This makes your triangle longer (from the screen to the first available seat). When you have more space, your movements within the triangle are more distinct, and you can create more impact as you change positions during your presentation.

In a U-shape, consider removing the first table on your right (the one closest to you) to create a larger space in which to move. The U-shape starts to resemble a J-shape when the first table is taken away.


If some care is taken to properly arrange the seating of your "guests," the results of your meeting may be more successful. As the presenter, you have three different audiences: There are people to your far side and your near side, as well as people seated straight ahead of you toward the middle. These three seating areas or positions are referred to as the Power, Input, and Observer seats. Depending on where people sit, an interesting dynamic may be added to the discussion.

NOTE

I'm assuming that you are standing to the left of the screen, from an audience perspective. Even without a screen for visual support, you should still anchor to one side, preferably to the left, to maintain the same seating dynamics throughout the talk. Moving around to different sides is not recommended, because it disrupts the original perspectives of those in the audience.


Power Seats

Those who sit diagonally opposite you as you speak are in the power seats . Because these seats mirror the presenter, an implied power is given to those occupying these seats. Figure 29.1 shows the location of the power seats. In a typical conference room or U-shape, these seats are grouped in the corner. Depending on the size of the table, or the U-shape, two or more people may occupy the power seats. Keep in mind that these people assume power whenever they make comments or interact in some way. Even though they are not standing when they speak, the dynamics of the room create the effect of the seating importance to the rest of the group simply because those in the power seats mirror you.

Figure 29.1. From the presenter's view, the power seats are diagonally opposite. People in these corner or near-corner seats actually "mirror" the presenter.

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You can take most advantage of your rest and power positions with those occupying the power seats, because people in those seats tend to face you more than they face the other people in the room. In addition, you can stimulate more group interaction by directing your attention and targeting your gestures toward those in the power seats. Your efforts to include those opposite you will automatically spread the interest to either side, thereby including the entire group.

Input Seats

As you present, the input seats are the ones along the far side of the conference table or U-shape. Because you normally stand to the audience's left when you have visual support, the input seats are to your left. Figure 29.2 show the location of these seats. Those sitting in the input seats have an unobstructed view of you, and they typically interact only when prompted. When they do interact, it is usually to provide input in the form of support information or to offer some type of agreement to a suggestion.

Figure 29.2. From the presenter's view, the input seats are to the far side. People in these seats have a good view and tend to interact more than those seated across from them.

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Those occupying the input seats will normally interact more often with the people sitting across from them. The constant challenge of conference-room and U-shaped seating is that many people in the room are distracted because they can see and interact with one another, which diminishes their attention to your words. But the input seats still offer a direct view of you and your support visuals (if any). These factors raise the importance of the input seats.

Observer Seats

The people sitting on the near side to you as you present are in the observer seats . Because you normally stand to the audience's left when you have visual support, the observer seats are to your right. Figure 29.3 shows the location of the observer seats. These are the worst seats in the house. People usually have to shift their chairs on angles or lean over just to make eye contact with the presenter. More than likely the people in these seats will have to give up the convenience of the table to position their chairs to see you as you speak. This means they lose a writing surface to take notes effectively, and they just can't reach for the all-important coffee cup without making the effort obvious to the rest of the group.

Figure 29.3. The observer seats are along the near side of the table, from the presenter's viewpoint. People in these seats have the poorest view of the presenter, and they tend to be the most distracted.

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One of the main reasons these seats are referred to as "observer" seats is that the people in these seats tend to spend more time observing the group than they do the presenter. When you think about it, these people have to work harder just to see you in action, and this decreases their attentiveness to your message. If you're going to lose any of your conference room crowd, it will most likely be the observers.

Putting People in Place

It would be great if you could assign seats for people based on the Power, Input, and Observer seating positions. But as a meeting comes to order, people usually take seats on a first-come, first- served basis. There are exceptions to this, of course, but for the most part the seating in any presentation is left unplanned . You can balance the scales in your favor, however, by subtly forcing people to take certain seats.

For example, let's say you want to hold one of the power seats for a key person you expect at the presentation. Of course, you have no idea when they will arrive in relation to the others in the meeting. So how can you increase the chances that the key person will occupy a power seat? You pray for luck or hope for the best. Nah! You just have to bend the rules a little.

The strategy is simple, assuming you arrive in the room before anyone else. As soon as you can, place a folder or small stack of your papers on the table, right in front of the power seat that you want to "hold" from being taken. You could also use a briefcase or jacket on the chair itself, but a chair can be moved out of place more easily.

Then, as people come into the room, be ready to greet them at the door. This helps you spot when the key person approaches. As the room fills, there is less chance anyone will take the power seat you've "held," because most people will assume the seat is already taken. People don't like to touch other people's stuff, unless of course no other place is left.

Now, as soon as you greet the key person you start a conversation as you both move into the room. If you are saying something of real value, the person will naturally follow you to keep listening. You casually meander to the open seat where your folder or papers are resting on the table. Just as you get there, you break the conversation and offer the seat while apologizing for having left your "stuff" on the table. Or, you can actually have planned a moment in the discussion where you need to refer to something in the folder. Either way, the excuse to remove your things makes the seat available. As you gather your papers, you pick up the conversation right where you left off, and the person will naturally take the seat as they continue listening.

NOTE

This is not to suggest that you will be more attentive to only one key person during your presentation. Instead, you must treat everyone the same. The difference is that the key person occupies a seat that offers the best opportunity for attention to your message. This seating strategy only plays to your advantage if you present with the same energy to everyone in the room without singling out any individual.


You'll have to practice this strategy a few times to make the transition look smooth and unnoticeable. Otherwise your intended "guest" may become wary of your intentions. Even with practice, this effort may not work every time. For that reason, your presentation skills must be at their peak under all conditions.

Seating Your Team and Their Team

Sometimes you may attend a presentation along with one or more people from your department or organization. These people are part of your "presentation team," even though some or all of them may not present information. Teams are common among many of the sales forces I coach, especially those in financial services and real estate. The "seller-buyer" relationship is very clear when representatives of two companies meet.

That same relationship exists within organizations where, in many meetings, several coworkers from one department present information to a team of workers from another department. One group is usually "selling" an idea, while the other group is asked to "buy-in." The seller-buyer relationship typically involves a persuasive argument.

I don't want to condense every possible presentation situation into a seller-buyer theme, but usually, whenever a clear separation of duties exists among the groups, some type of persuasive argument is being presented. Otherwise, what is the point of gathering members from diverse departments if not for consensus? Hey ”even the holiday party meets this test. Everyone is supposed to agree that they are having fun!

Regardless of the reason members of your team are involved, you can strategize a seating plan before everyone has taken their chairs in the room. Let's separate the teams by using the simple terms their team and your team . Figure 29.4 shows how you might seat some of the attendees of the meeting.

Figure 29.4. Try to have some of your team in the observer seats and some of their team in the power/input seats. Avoid stacking everyone on your team on just one side of the room.

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Obviously you want the power seats to be taken by members of their team, especially for a persuasive presentation. If you can identify key players from their team, try to get a few of them into the power seats. Following that, any of their team's subordinate decision- makers or support staff should occupy some of the input seats. Naturally, you want your team to blend in, so use the remaining input seats for members of your team, specifically those who are not presenting at the meeting.

Finally, save some of the observer seats for your team, especially for those who will be presenting during the meeting. Then, when they are ready to speak, they've had the opportunity to glance at others during your presentation to notice key reactions, interest level, and so forth. Awareness of any details about the group's reactions to information is invaluable to each presenter.

In addition, members of your team occupying the observer seats are probably familiar with your presentation. They don't need to be as attentive to your words at every moment. Come on ”they've seen your act before! The target of attention for the observer seats is the rest of the group in an effort to gain insight.

Following the presentation, you should regroup with your team and discuss the behavior observed during the meeting. Someone may have noticed a perplexed look when a certain subject was covered. Another member of your team may have observed someone taking notes as soon as a specific chart was presented. Believe it or not, the observers can also notice people nodding off. Maybe the presentation is longer than it should be! In any event, the feedback from those in the observer seats can be very helpful in preparing for your next presentation.

Sit-Down Scenarios

Okay, let's scale down the setting to the times when you are just sitting down. In these meetings, typically in conference rooms, you might spend a few minutes standing and giving a presentation and then take the remaining time to sit and continue the discussion. The seating positions can still be used effectively.

Keep in mind that when seated, the position of your shoulders still controls the rest and power positions discussed in Chapter 26 (refer to Figure 26.3 for a visual example). When your shoulders match the shoulders of another person, you are in a power position in relation to that person (as they are with you). When your shoulders are at an angle to another person, you are in a rest position. Your goal is to be in a seat where the angles of your body can be used effectively with the greatest number of people in the room.

For example, avoid putting yourself in a center-seating situation at a conference-room table. Take a look at Figure 29.5. Let's say that the man in the center of the group, at the head of the table, is leading the meeting. You might think he is in a power position in relation to the others on his right and left. However, he can only take a power position with the person directly opposite, at the other end of the table (not shown in the photo).

Figure 29.5. The man at the head of the table is limited by his center-seating position. He can only create a power position with one other person at the table, namely, the one opposite him (not shown in the photo).

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The seat at the head of the table is not as effective, unless you are facilitating a meeting rather than leading it. When facilitating, you represent a neutral position. This is similar to an arbitrator or mediator. If you are playing such a role, then consider a center-seating position in relation to the group.

If you want to lead and control a meeting, you have a better chance from one of the corner seats. Look at Figure 29.6. It's the same group of people shown from a different camera view. The woman wearing the eyeglasses has a power seat in relation to the others at the table. She is able to square her shoulders or angle them to many different people by swiveling her chair or shifting the upper part of her body.

Figure 29.6. The woman wearing the eyeglasses occupies a power seat. She can create rest and power positions with a number of people at the table. All the corner seats are the most effective in these conference room settings.

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This "off-center seating" strategy allows you to gain a wider perspective of the entire group. In addition, any props such as documents or other items will be easier to angle for view when you take one of the corner seats.

Handling One-to-One Situations

Okay, what happens when you are faced with one or two people in the room with you? You can still have a seating strategy to help your message along. For one-to-one meetings, use your rest and power positions in the same way as you do in conference room settings. The smaller the group, the easier it becomes to use body angles to your advantage.

Create Angles

The most common situation to avoid is the "head-on collision" where you are directly opposite the other person and your shoulders match each other. The goal is to avoid having your shoulders parallel to the other person in what is called a "squared-off" position. Angling your body or your chair is the easiest way to avoid squaring-off to the other person. Look at Figure 29.7. In the background of the photo you see two people standing and having a conversation. Because their shoulders match, they are both in a power position in relation to each other. This is a less effective way to communicate. When two people square off like that, it's as if their bodies are yelling at one another. In the foreground of the same image, the two women are seated, but they are at angles to one another. Communication works better when your shoulders are angled to the other person.

Figure 29.7. The people standing in the background are squared-off to one another, and the two people seated are at angles. Communication is more effective when people are at angles to one another.

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You can put yourself into an angled position in relation to another person in a number of ways. When seated, you could choose a corner of a table, or, if you are standing and someone else is sitting, you could lean on the edge of a desk (half-standing) and keep your shoulders angled to the person seated.

Share Perspective

When two people look at something from completely different angles, they are not sharing a common perspective. This is not really a problem when the object in view is large enough to be seen from a distance, such as a projected image on a screen. But if the object is meant for an audience of one, then perspective becomes an issue.

The most common object for one person to look at is a document. If you are opposite a person when you hand over a document, you immediately lose a common perspective. The person is looking down at the piece of paper and you are looking upside-down at the same object. The perspective is different for each of you. It will be more difficult for you to point our specifics in the document from your perspective. You'll probably end up stretching your neck and rotating your head at some weird angle. Trust me, this looks ridiculous. Try to get the same perspective on the object as the other person.

Figure 29.8 shows a man standing next to a woman seated at a table. Both of them share a common perspective on the document in view. When people have the same point of view (literally) on something, the message is easier to convey and interpret.

Figure 29.8. By standing to the side, the man shares the same perspective on the document as the woman. A shared perspective makes communication more effective.

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The photo is merely a captured moment in time. Once equal perspective is achieved regarding the document, the man can return to his original position at the other side of the table and continue the discussion, meeting, or presentation.

The same perspective can also be achieved when two people are sitting. In Figure 29.9, the two men have the same perspective looking at the papers in front of them. It will be easy for one of them to point to information on the sheets, if necessary, to facilitate the discussion. Imagine how difficult it would be if one of them was standing opposite and looking over the top of the papers to point out something specific.

Figure 29.9. Two people, sitting side by side, share the same perspective when looking at documents.

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Naturally, you can't always put yourself in a position to share the same perspective with another person. Yet, when an opportunity arises, you should take advantage of it, if possible.

TIP

Don't make your effort to get a common perspective so obvious that the other person wonders what you are doing. For example, if you are in a conference room with one other person and the table is long enough to hold 20 people, don't sit right next to the person. Instead, take a corner seat, if you can. Then, when you need to share a document, you can always get up and stand to the side of the person to point out information in the document.


Scan the Eyes

A lot of information stored in your brain is in the form of pictures. It's true. These visual references are tucked away neatly in your brain waiting for retrieval. For example, if you think about your high school biology teacher, a visual image pops into your head, and you see that person in your mind's eye, so to speak. You even visualize situations that haven't happened . If I ask you to think about your own road to success, you create a little picture in your brain as you "see yourself" in some type of successful moment. The point is that everyone uses visual references. Whenever one of those references is retrieved, the eyes move in some direction to see the image in the brain.

Therefore, in many one-to-one situations, the eyes of the other person can offer you some interesting clues as to what they might be thinking. As an observer, you can scan the eye movement of a person whenever you say something thought provoking. To interpret the other person's reaction, however, you need to learn how they personally look for the images they create.

The easiest approach is to probe for a timeline. Figure 29.10 shows how you place an imaginary timeline in front of the person's face. The timeline is always from your point of view. Start with the assumption that the person's past is to your left, and their future is to your right.

Figure 29.10. When scanning the eyes of another person, place an imaginary timeline in front of them. The timeline is viewed from your perspective, with the past to your left and the future to your right.

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By asking a question involving reflection or something in the past, the person normally shifts their eyes in one direction to physically "look up" the visual image of the experience. You can observe which direction the eyes travel as the person recalls the experience. Not everyone glances in the same direction to look up an image, but for most people, that direction is up and to their right. Whatever the direction, it represents their past. Figure 29.11 shows how a person's eyes might move when they reflect on a past experience. You look at them through an imaginary timeline, with the past to your left and the future to your right. In this example, the direction of their eyes matches your timeline.

Figure 29.11. When a person reflects on the past, their eyes move in some direction. In this example, the eyes shifted up and to the person's right. In this case, the shift matches your timeline.

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If their eyes shift the opposite way of your imaginary timeline, then reverse your timeline and realize they look up their past differently (to your right). The point is that you first have to notice how the person recalls past experiences to establish the end points of your timeline. Whatever the direction of their eyes, it represents "the past" on your timeline.

After you know the person's past, whenever you prompt a thought-provoking glance in the opposite direction, the person is likely indicating anticipation of something in the future. Figure 29.12 shows an already established timeline with a glance to the person's left indicating a vision of the future.

Figure 29.12. After a timeline is established and you know the person's past, a shift of their eyes in the opposite direction indicates anticipation.

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I have always taken the position that, whenever a person paints a picture of their future, it is always positive, unless they have some specific reasons to expect something negative to happen. Using the assumption that a person's view of the future is ultimately optimistic, a shift of a person's eyes to the "future" on the timeline you established may be the most opportune moment for you to close the deal, so to speak. After all, if the person appears to be "looking forward" to using your product or service, take that eye movement as a hint and go for it ”close the deal, ask for the order, complete the call to action!

The eyes give other hints, as well. For example, if the person is staring directly at you and not shifting their eyes at all, there's a good chance that they are not listening. They are likely giving you the courtesy of direct eye contact, but they are probably drifting away in their thoughts. Break the eye contact with them and they will be attentive again. Take a look at the Troubleshooting section at the end of Chapter 26, for more comments about eye contact.

Socializing Your Skills

Never underestimate the power of a coffee break! When you think about it, lots of business is conducted in a social setting such as lunch , dinner, the cocktail hour, or even a golf outing. For example, I speak at many conferences, and in many cases there is usually some type of opening reception for the attendees to walk around with little nametags and get to know one another. This is commonly called networking. The objective of the typical "cocktail hour " is to use a relaxed atmosphere to establish lasting relationships. We used to do this in college. Of course, we called it "bar- hopping ." The objective was the same ”to use a relaxed atmosphere to establish lasting relationships ”only the effort did not require little nametags.

Anyway, these casual get-togethers are a great way to create business opportunities. During those moments, the physical positions you take can make a difference. Body angles and gestures will be your most effective communication tools. When standing and conversing , for example, you can establish a 45-degree angle to the other person and, when necessary, make important points by squaring your shoulders to face the person directly. You can use virtual space to visually explain concepts and ideas.

To learn more about virtual space, see "Using Virtual Space," in Chapter 27, p. 626 .


TIP

Some say to always keep a beverage in your left hand so the right hand is free to shake hands, and it won't be cold or damp from having held the glass. The truth is that in most social situations where people are mingling, there isn't a lot of hand shaking going on as introductions are made. Most people just nod their heads to greet others. So, if you are holding a glass while speaking to another person, always hold it in the hand closest to them. This may be the left or the right, depending on where the other person is standing. By keeping the glass closer to the person, your other hand is free to use a wider area for virtual space.


In all situations, hand gestures work well. Reaching out when referencing someone or hanging a gesture (keeping it still) when making a point is always effective, even during meals. These settings are also a great place to practice your gestures and get comfortable with how your hands move when you speak. For example, if you are eating dinner with a group of people and you say, "Pass the bread, please ," you should take note as to how your arm extends and how your hand opens ( reaches out) for the bread. The same natural flow of that gesture used at dinner should be the same as the one used on stage. Social gatherings help you with your natural delivery skills. The more you practice your one-to-one skills, the easier it will be for you to maintain those skills in more formal presentation settings.

In addition to body positions and hand gestures, one of the best communication skills for social events is storytelling. Whether the reference be fact or fiction , comedy or tragedy, the ability to use stories to augment a discussion is very useful. You can even use social settings to work on specific areas of your delivery style, such as humor. I always test new jokes or humorous comments with small groups of people, most of whom I don't really know. I work on timing, rhythm, phrase selection and I'll even try different "punchlines" with different groups to see which is most effective.

If you keep the notion that every moment with others is a presentation skill learning experience, you will increase your effectiveness each time you interact with others. You are your own best teacher (assuming you're willing to learn).



Special Edition Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
ISBN: 0789729571
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 261

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