Watch the recorded webinar “Five Rules for Team Presentations”
Just because three of you have to give a presentation together, doesn’t mean that you’ll come across as a strong team. Indeed, one of the biggest tests for a team presentation is just seeming like a group of people that works well together.
Here are five keys to seeming like a strong team.
1. Rehearse. The most import thing is simply to rehearse the presentation carefully so that everyone plays their roll well during the presentation. Good teams deliver presentations that don’t go over the time limit because one of the team members has spoken too long. That long-winded speaker reveals that the group didn’t practice much together.
2. Each presenter must play a distinct role. On a football team, every player has a role. There is no duplication of purpose. On a good presenting team, each player must address a different issue that is important to the listener. You only need one person to talk about the budget and one person to talk about the schedule for the project. And when you introduce them at the beginning, clarify everyone’s role. “This is Janet. She is our budget expert and will be talking about the costs of this project.”
3. Everyone should seem to like each other. You want to give off the sense that everyone knows and likes each other. During the presentation, everyone should be intently watching the other presenters. You don’t want to be looking at your shoes or, worse, thumbing your iPhone. When you hand off to a team member, you should find a nice thing to say about him. “Now I’d like to turn it over to Jack, our project manager. Jack and I have worked together for 15 years. I call him The Captain because of the way he keeps us on schedule. No one is better.” And smile at your colleague as you do that introduction.
4. Everyone should speak with passion. When all the team members speak with enthusiasm, they give off a sense of unity of purpose. If some of the members of the team seem excited and others seem bored, there is the sense that some of the team members are committed when others aren’t.
5. No second-guessing during Q&A. One of the easiest ways to show that you’re not a team is to second-guess your colleague as they answer questions. “I’d like to add one more thing to what Joe just said.” That’s bad. If someone answers a question, then everyone needs to act like that’s the team answer. Second-guessing undermines the team. It says that you didn’t prepare for the questions. And it says that you don’t trust each other.
Joey Asher
Joey Asher has worked with thousands of business people helping them learn how to communicate in a way that connects with clients. His new book 15 Minutes Including Q&A: a Plan to Save the World from Lousy Presentations” is available now. He is also the author three previous books including “How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the Competition”, “Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers” and “Even A Geek Can Speak.”