Tuesday, January 27, 2015
PRESENTATION SKILLS - YOUR GLOBAL AUDIENCE MUST FEEL VALUED
Hosting a meeting with a team located around the globe is challenging.
People come from different cultural and language backgrounds. Often, those located away from the parent company feel like stepchildren who are tolerated, but certainly not prized.
When meeting with your global team on a conference call or a virtual session, your responsibility is to make each player feel their expertise is appreciated and their input essential
1. Develop Rapport
Building rapport on a virtual call is far more than saying, "Can everyone hear me? Can you see my slides?" Get to know your team on a personal level. Who is into sports, theater or music? Who has a family? Acknowledge time differences and the fact that some are tuning in very early or very late in the day.
2. Speak Words Everyone Will Understand
When the language is simple, the team can quickly resolve issues. Long sentences and connecting one sentence to another with "and" make it difficult for those with English as a second language to know what is important. Additionally, eliminate any slang expressions. Consider the following. "The real underbelly of this problem has left me scratching my head. If we can decipher it, we can fix the whole enchilada." Not only is there a risk of confusion, but there is also the possibility of insult.
3. Send Your Slides The Day Before
Many people are better at written language. Make sure you add a visual component to the slide. A picture is worth a thousand words when speaking globally. Also, create an informative title to each slide.
4. Before You Show A Slide, Provide Context Or Preview It
"On the next slide are the results for third quarter. You will see the breakdown for each country." etc.
5. Speak Slowly & Clearly
Pay attention to the speed with which newscasters present. Notice that they pronounce every syllable in the word. They do not drop endings. Articulation is sharp. People with English as a second language typically learn the British pronunciation of the word. When you speak slowly, they can make the adjustment. If you speak quickly, you risk losing them.
6. Avoid References To sports, Movie Stars Or Politicians
Somebody in India follows Cricket, not the NFL. Additionally, they may have no idea who Jennifer Aniston or Bradley Cooper is, and they certainly don't watch the Voice or the Academy Awards.
7. Request That Participants Interact With Questions
Announce that their opinions are valuable. Don't wait until the end for questions. Engage your out-of- country audiences with specific questions like, "I know in India, things are governed by country rules. Can you tell us more about that?" OR "Olivier, you are the expert in this product. In France, what issues were of concern and how did you fix them?" Remember, in some countries, interrupting a senior person to ask a question is considered rude or disrespectful. Pause frequently to invite questions.
8. Make Sure To Summarize Key Points & Action Items
If the meeting is lengthy, people will forget. Recap the key points and action items as you close. After the meeting, send an email again summarizing the actions items and deadlines.
9. Amplify Your Energy
Passion is everything on a virtual call or teleconference. Most presenters forget how important amplifying their energy is. If need be, stand up, gesture, move around and speak up. People will hear the smile in your voice. If you sound boring, attendees will do email and only partially listen.
10. Use Your Text Tools
Underline, circle, or draw arrows to indicate what is important. Most virtual presenters forget these tools exist.
11. Give Your Audience Something To Do
Maybe they should move into breakout rooms. Maybe they should write their concerns in chat or on the whiteboard. A poll of how people are feeling is also a good idea. The more feedback you can get from your listeners, the more you can be convinced they are listening!
12. Record Your Session
Afterwards, listen and assess how well you did.
Virtual team members need to feel appreciated. As global members feel valued and recognised, they work even harder. They don't hesitate to bring up issues. Morale improves, and results soar.
All the best with your future presentations!!!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
