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Packaging Horizons
Speaking Up
Establishing a reputation as a qualified, experienced public speaker requires having more skills than just the 'gift of gab.'
By Anne Baye Ericksen
Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. These are the three tenets of public speaking. Simple, yes. But there's really much more to delivering effective presentations and making them work for you and your career development.
No matter if your responsibilities lie in design, marketing, purchasing, sales or operations, at some point you'll probably be asked to give a presentation. It may be before your co-workers, top management or your company's best clients. It might be to sell an idea, to update a project's development or to close a deal. Regardless, making an effective and professional presentation can play an integral role in your career.
The position that first comes to mind when thinking of presentations is obviously sales. Indeed, a key element of a salesperson's responsibilities is to present a product, program or idea and convince someone to purchase it. From initial contact to sealing the deal to making delivery, successful salespeople are practiced and seasoned orators.
That's not to say, however, that excellent presentation skills are restricted only to sales professionals. "Drumming up basic support for an idea or a project often requires selling, which is best done orally," according to Robert Sanders, senior engineer, Corporate Packaging Programs for IBM in Research Triangle Park, NC. In fact, presentations can be a very effective tool to explain a project's progress or goals.
"I spend most of my day formally and informally presenting products that I design to internal audiences," says Michelle Nahum-Albright, senior design director for Elizabeth Arden in New York. "Pretty" really doesn't tell much about the functional aspects of a package, contends Nahum-Albright, who says she likes being able to describe the relationship between the product, packaging and overall marketing theme. This, she says, is most often achieved best through an oral presentation.
In the beginning
First attempts at formal presentations will often be before an audience of your peers or those whom you supervise. Such was the case for Julie Larson, a senior logistics engineer for Boeing Corp., ELS, in Huntington Beach, CA. Early in her career, presentation opportunities weren't among her job responsibilities as a packaging engineer. When she moved into logistics and began interacting with other departments internally, Larson began interfacing with engineering groups and began sharing information--in the form of presentations.
These types of audiences are usually classified as "friendly" in that they are equally involved in the project. Accordingly, friendly audiences are usually more interested in substance than style. Speaking before friendly audiences, however, affords the opportunity to develop a personal style so that when you face either upper management or a "live" audience, a comfort level will already be established.
The majority of your presentations will most likely be to internal audiences. However, many professionals find themselves in front of "external" audiences at some point, such as high school or college students interested in the world of packaging, church organizations, community groups or organizations associated with the packaging industry.
Speaking before a non-industry group often comes from volunteering, and the topics can vary as much as the audience. But each speaking engagement presents you with the opportunity to refine your style and skills.
"These groups take off the pressure of having to impress from a career standpoint. They are open to the information you have to share," adds Davina Mosher, supervisor of diversity learning in 3M's Leadership Development Center in St. Paul, MN. "You can build up your comfort level in front of these groups."
Of his initial presentation experiences, Sanders says they were before small audiences within his peer group or immediate supervisors. This quickly expanded to talks before both line workers and executive-level management.
And like Sanders, as your audiences change, so too will the likelihood of career opportunities.
Well prepared and deftly executed presentations do more than clinch a sale or explain a package's evolution and marketing role. They also afford an opportunity to build your credibility among peers, management and clients. "I knew I wouldn't have received the promotions I have without doing presentations," comments Larson.
"It reinforces my professional image," agrees Pamela Gaik, production manager for Brach & Brock Confections (Process Color Plate) in Chattanooga, TN. Gaik says she sees presentations as essential for her personal career advancement and to help grow the company.
Be prepared
The basic elements of a presentation clearly are content and delivery. A well drafted and executed presentation is your chance to leave a lasting impression on those who hear you. After all, a five-minute presentation may be your only opportunity to interface with upper management. That means it may also be the only opportunity for them to interface with you. Leaving your audience with a positive impression of you, your knowledge, your abilities and your professional demeanor demands you prepare long before you take center stage.
The success of a presentation--and your credibility as a speaker--hinges on your preparation. Lack of preparation can cost you your audience's attention, and worse, their respect.
While the actual presentation may not take hours, the preparation should. Regardless of how intimately you know the topic, there is work required to pull it all together. You may be asked to play detective and search out the information. Other times, you'll have all the details, but you must pull them into a cognizant form. The amount of time needed to prepare depends on the length of the presentation and your existing knowledge of the material.
"I probably spend one hour in preparation for every 10 minutes of a presentation," says Larson.
Of the many steps involved in preparation, sizing up the audience could be the most crucial. If you underestimate--or overestimate--your audience's knowledge of the topic, then you very well could be wasting everyone's time. It's extremely important to tailor your speech to what the audience wants to hear. "You need to understand who is listening to what you have to say," comments Gaik.
Knowing your audience entails quite a bit of fact-finding. Not only should you find out who is attending, but also what they expect. Do they know the background involved or will you have to spend time bringing everyone up to speed? Are they familiar with the terminology or are you going to have "tone down" the industry lingo? Will they want resolution or just information?
Practice makes perfect
You know the audience and their level of knowledge. But how is your command of the subject? Of all the steps involved in preparing your presentation, this one may have the easiest starting point. After all, you were chosen for the presentation because of your involvement with the topic. But that doesn't mean you can rest on your laurels.
After your audience, "The most important thing is to know your material," advises Gaik.
"The first presentation I made in front of 200 people, I wrote the speech 200 times and practiced it every day for a week," says Nahum-Albright. "I knew I had to be comfortable and totally at ease with the material. It all boils down to being prepared." Although it may seem basic, Nahum-Albright says it's surprising how often these fundamentals are forgotten or ignored. "Look for as many opportunities to practice as possible because the more you practice public speaking, the more comfortable you are at it," says Gaik.
"Volunteer for speaking opportunities as often as you can and in an environment in which you feel comfortable."
"When given a chance to speak on a topic of your choice, always choose what you know. Better yet, choose something you love. The confident knowledge or passion will lead you through the formal presentation planning process with ease," says Nahum-Albright.
By choosing a topic near and dear to you, you allow yourself the opportunity to concentrate more on developing your style of speaking. Some experts recommend introducing humor into your presentation, which doesn't always mean starting off with the line, "Something funny happened to me on the way here." Rather, humor is meant to keep the presentation light and your audience awake and listening. "Humor is a trait audiences appreciate and, therefore, are kept interested and will remember you as a speaker," says Gaik.
And one more thing. Know the format, or forum, of your presentation. For example, Nahum-Albright recently participated in a panel discussion, which calls for a different type of delivery than if she were the only speaker. "You have to understand the forum. You have to find out what your position is on the panel and the sequencing of the presentation so that your speech can have a sensible segue to the next speaker."
Anne Baye Ericksen is a freelance writer and a contributing editor to Packaging Horizons Magazine. She resides in Simi Valley, CA.
Professional Development
Toastmasters Help Glossophobics Get Past the Fear
Public speaking can be a daunting challenge for anyone, but for some people it ranks right up there with root canals. Nevertheless, public speaking is a requirement for most industry professionals. Thankfully, there are ways to circumvent the fear.
Several organizations are specifically geared to helping people develop presentation skills--if not putting the fear behind them.
One reason these organizations are successful is that everyone belongs for the same reason. It's a friendly environment in which to learn. There aren't any career promotions on the line at meetings.
Among the most notable of these organizations is Toastmasters International, Inc. There's hardly a city or community in the country that doesn't have a local chapter. Indeed, many companies have endorsed the organization and openly encourage their employees to join.
According to the Toastmaster Web site (www.toastmasters.org), members have access to an extensive library and seminar schedule. Toastmaster programs are designed to help potential speech-givers with specific needs--from impromptu presentations to leadership skills to tutorials on how to smoothly use visual aids.
Most importantly, Toastmasters gives members a comforting environment to receive feedback. From there, members can take these newly learned skills and apply them to presentations they must give on the job.
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