I enjoy watching the TV cooking competition, The
Next Food Network Star, and one of the hosts is celebrity chef Bobby Flay. The
winning chef gets his or her own cooking show on the Food Network.
The
show offers lesson not just about cooking, but also about presentation skills
because the winning chef has to be a good cook and effective and engaging on
camera.
For example, in
one episode, the contestants had a limited amount of time to cook an entrée and
then two minutes on camera to demonstrate it in front of a panel of famous TV
chefs.
Here are 4 lessons learned from
the contestants during their two minutes presenting on camera that can also
apply to your presentations:
1.
Don't Forget the
Introduction
One
chef forgot to give the one-sentence introduction of his name, his food show
theme and what he was going to demonstrate.
When you start your presentation, don't forget to clearly and concisely
introduce your overall message – also known as the point of your
presentation.
2.
Time Matters
Another
chef underestimated how much time it would take to describe each ingredient, so
he ran out of time to finish his demonstration.
Sometimes, less is more; it would be better to say less about each
ingredient, or each point in your presentation, than run out of time at the
end. (And how do you know how long it
will take to present? Practice and time yourself!)
3.
Remember Your Main
Purpose
One
of the contestants was very nervous about the presentation and spent so much
time talking about himself and describing his dish that he forgot to cook
something, prompting Bobby Flay to comment, "You didn't cook anything,
dude!" When you present, remember
your purpose and what your audience expects – and don't disappoint them.
4.
Non-Verbals Matter
The
judges criticized a few of the chefs for their lack of energy, demonstrated by
limited eye contact, no smiling and no vocal variety. In any presentation, it is not enough to have
the technical information correct, you also have to engage the hearts of your
audience and connect with them.
Even
though your in-person audience doesn't have a remote control to change the
channel the way a television audience does, your audience can and will tune you
out if you fail to engage them.
The
next time you have to give a presentation, remember the lessons from Chef Bobby
Flay and give your audience something to savor and remember.