Leo Bottary, one of my favorite bloggers, offers 10 tips for agencies pitching new business. His tips, as always, are terrific. And even though I don’t do a lot of new client pitching on a scale that would require a formal “presentation” – I am responsible for an inordinate number of presentations on a weekly basis. Comes with the territory of being a university instructor, right?
So, taking Leo’s tips and applying them, not only to business pitches, but to my lectures, I find myself coming up a little short. I fear I may be responsible for a large number of presentation sins.
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| From PRos in Train… |
My favorite tip:
- Engage in an actual conversation. Toss the PowerPoint. Get to know one another. Everyone thinks capabilities are about qualifications. Maybe it’s actually about capabilities. Are you capable of being fun, likeable, smart, funny, human, etc.? Would I want to spend two hours with you in a car? Or would I likely jump out of the moving vehicle
Now, in my defense, in a class of 100+ students, engaging in actual conversation is very difficult. However, in my senior seminars – with 16 – 20 students – can easily be directed with conversation, not PowerPoint.
Rather than my capabilities, as an instructor, I would tend to focus on specific skills or the golden nuggets of knowledge that I need to impart to these sponge-like minds that sit before me. Sure, my students have a need to know. But there are ways to accomplish the course objectives by collaborating and joining in a conversation – can I practice the “two-way symmetrical” model that I teach?
I am jazzed about next term (starting January 8), not just to improve my lecturing skills but I get to teach a brand new class. That, to me, is usually a good motivator. I’m always up for a challenge.
