by Gilda Bonanno LLC www.gildabonanno.com
One
of my clients comes out of the equity research in finance and is now an
author on a book tour. He posted a video on a private YouTube channel of him
giving a talk and asked for my feedback.
Gilda Bonanno's blog www.gildabonanno.blogspot.com
One
of the things that I immediately noticed was that the lights were dim and he
stood hunched behind the podium making eye contact with the big screen rather
than the audience
I
suggested that instead of focusing on the screen, the focus should be on him as
the speaker. So he needs to set up the room, lighting and
slides so that everyone can see him clearly.
And if possible, he should step out from behind the podium or at the
very least, make eye contact with people in the audience. Once
he made those changes, his presentation improved dramatically. (This is why video is so powerful because it
gives you that opportunity to see how you might come across to your audience.)
These
are mistake that I see frequently. Speakers
tend to hide behind a desk or podium with the focus is on the screen. This is really the opposite of what should
occur. The focus should be on you as the speaker. You are the presentation; the
slides are just the visual aids. The lighting should be set up so he focus is
on you rather than everybody sitting in a dark room looking at slides.
While
it is possible to speak effectively using a podium, for example, to put your
notes on, you have to be aware of how the setup looks to the audience. Think about it from their point of view. If you use the podium, don’t let it become an
obstacle to your connecting with audience.
Gilda
Bonanno offers presentation skills coaching in person or virtually over the
phone or using Skype. She will help you
prepare an upcoming presentation or review a past presentation that you have on
video. http://www.gildabonanno.com/Pages/Coaching.aspx