AUTHOR: Lolly
What makes a great presenter?
Your microphone doesn’t make your story resonate; your authenticity and passion do. Your facts don’t compel your audience to take action; your emotion does. Your hero complex doesn’t create connections; your relatable humanity does.
stepping on a stage does not make you a great presenter
here's what does:
Being a great presenter starts with a story you believe in - that’s about your audience’s challenges, not yours. It continues when you step on that stage - inviting connection through vulnerability and engaging with the audience immediately. Make eye contact. Ask a question. Pose a conundrum. Let them choose what they want to talk about. Show them this is about them; you’re just facilitating.
know your subject matter so well you can adapt in any direction
Know your subject matter so well that you can adapt and flow in whichever direction the conversation goes. Without flapping, without losing your train of thought, or having to look at your prompts. Offer personal anecdotes that don’t take the spotlight off their experiences, but let them know they’ve found a tribe in that room. Then ask them another question. Be curious. Be interested. Be genuinely you. Listen. Move naturally around the room. Engage more people. Make one person feel like the only person in the room—and then another and another.
offer empathetic solutions and demonstrate value through storytelling
Only when it feels like you’ve given them the space they needed to really get their challenges off their chest - offer an empathetic solution. Ask how they’d feel if they didn’t have to carry that weight anymore. Tell a story of how you’ve solved a similar challenge for someone just like them = and how that person’s life has changed dramatically now.
being a good presenter is about listening more than you talk
You see, being a great presenter isn’t about presenting at all. It’s about being a good listener. A good communicator. And knowing the story so well you can use it with agility, adapting to the moment without missing a beat.
need a little helping elevating your presentations?
video
Reading is tough. Rest your weary eyes on this moving picture instead.