KCD PR President, Kevin Dinino, spoke on two educational panels at the Fall 2017 ACA Conference at the Rancho Bernardo Inn outside San Diego. Executives in the audience learned how to improve their presentation skills and personal brand – key topics for any industry, but especially complicated in compliance roles.
Presentation Skills: What to Say and How to Say It
Kevin Dinino and Lynne Carreiro, Managing Director at ACA Compliance Group, chatted on how to improve presentation skills.
Key Tips and Takeaways to Improve Your Presentation:
- Start your presentation by answering the question: “What is the business impact of this decision and recommendation?” Then use supporting materials to support your case and cause.
- Knowing how to make an impact is built into the DNA of a communicator – this means leading with the message and then providing guidance on it. You should look to communications professionals to partner with for advice, to bounce ideas off and for presentation training.
- The hardest thing to do when speaking is taking a controlled pause [controlled pause here]. When you get nervous, you want to hear something. Sometimes silence is golden. In a presentation, a pause can really emphasize an important point and engage the audience.
- The type of training recommended before speaking to the media is exactly the same for a presentation. It’s about being confident, clear and concise. Use pauses to take advantage of dramatic silence as needed. Avoid verbal tics, make eye contact and, most importantly, thoroughly practice beforehand.
- Distill complicated terminology by putting a real face on it – explaining real-world use is important.
- If you’re in a boardroom giving a PowerPoint presentation, don’t print the slides for the audience. A printed summary in front of the audience baits everyone to flip through it instead of watching you. You can command attention right off the bat by eliminating printouts.
