EFFECTIVE BRIEFING

TECHNIQUES

Janet Allen

Purpose and Goals Effective presentation skills are critical to leadership. The

employee who can deliver a convincing, well thought-out, cogent presentation is one who will earn the respect of his or her colleagues, superiors, and customers. This skill is key for those seeking to bring their careers to the next level. Those who speak well influence others, and that is the essence of leadership. Organizations need leaders who can make their point with clarity and brevity.

Goals include: overcoming nervousness and anxiety, being a great presenter, projecting your desired image, analyzing and focusing on your audience, planning strategy, building your message, honing your skills, the power of persuasion, captivating your audience, managing the audience, how to manage a meeting successfully, presenting as a team, and using multimedia visuals successfully.

Goals

Confidently prepare and give a presentation or briefing

Efficiently manage an effective meeting

Successfully deliver a formal presentation with a cohesive team

Norms for Behavior

Be present and focused.

Respect airtime (three before me).

Focus on what we can do.

Everyone contributes.

Introductions

Name

Position

Why are you here?

Hobby

OVERCOMING NERVOUSNESS

AND FEAR

1.2

A.W.A.R.E. Action

Work It!

Acknowledge and Accept

Relax

End

Action – Be prepared. Know your content, your strategy, and your

resources. Test your technology in advance. Practice in front of the mirror, a camera, or

a friend. Anticipate potential problems and

questions. Use visualization to imagine the entire

presentation from start to finish.

Work It! – Embrace the Speaker Role

You have done the hard work of preparation; you deserve to do well.

Work It! – Don’t hide.

Use confident body language, project your voice, and look at your audience. Smile and step out

from behind the desk or podium.

Acknowledge and Accept

It’s normal to be nervous!

Acknowledge and Accept It’s human nature to be fearful of the

unknown.

Your audience wants you to succeed.

Even famous performers get nervous! It’s normal and it’s okay.

Relax – Release adrenaline.

Adrenaline sends the blood rushing to the fight or flight centers of your brain at the base of the skull. 

Place your hand on your forehead and press gently on the bony points.

This will bring the blood to the parts of the brain that need it to present your speech best.

Relax – The art of letting go. Breathe deeply.

Breathing Exercise

Stretch.

Stretching Exercise

Relax – Yul Brynner’s Wall Push

Stand about 18" away and place your palms flat.

Push against the wall. As you push, your abdominal muscles will contract.

As you breathe out, hiss and contract the muscles below your rib cage as if you were rowing a boat against the current.

Repeat and banish stage fright.

End

Your nervousness WILL end!

Don’t forget to remind yourself that this feeling will go away eventually.

Make sure to let your audience know when your speech is over and have a call to action.

THE QUALITIES OF A GREAT

PRESENTER

1.3

Five Things Every Presenter Needs to Know

About People by Susan Weinschenk

Link

The Secret Structure of Great Talks

by Nancy DuarteLink

Reflect and Journal1. How can you relate this to the presentations or

briefings you are expected to give?

2. What techniques from Weinschenk resonate the most with you?

3. What techniques from Duarte resonate the most with you?

4. What are three to five specific techniques from the morning session that you can reasonably incorporate into your next briefing?

5. Which ones are you most excited about?

PROJECTING YOUR DESIRED IMAGE

1.4

Personal Branding

Personal Branding—the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization.

ANALYZING AND FOCUSING ON

YOUR AUDIENCE

1.5

Knowing your audience is as important as knowing your content and being a good

presenter.

Why is it important to know your audience?

Create the best content Pinpoint an effective approach and strategy Craft appropriate language Identify focus areas Find balance between logic and emotion Determine the degree of audience interaction Plan for situations that may prevent you from

reaching your presentation objectives

What should you find out about your audience?

Group size Prior knowledge

and experience Opinions, feelings,

and attitudes toward your topic

Needs, wants, and expectations

Priorities and Pain Points

Decision makers Position levels and

professions Audience makeup –

gender, education, age, class, ethnic background, political leanings

Potential problems from the audience

Mood and condition of the group

Four Dominant Personality Types

Director (Choleric) Focuses on goals, results, action, and achievement Highly competitive Forceful, authoritative, commanding Demanding and impatient Decisive, direct and blunt Exerts control – of self and others Seeks power, status, prestige Big (often fragile) ego Independent and self-sustaining – takes quick

initiative Does not show weakness A smart risk-taker and methodical innovator

How to present to Directors: Show self-

assurance and confidence.

Make your presentation direct and accurate.

Be professional and relaxed.

Don’t ramble or be vague in your answers.

Don’t be emotional, cute, or clever.

Don’t leave loose ends in your presentation.

Energizer (Sanguine) Imaginative, innovative, intuitive, and risk-taker Dreamer, visionary, idealist who loves big ideas Impulsive, intuitive, spontaneous, and emotional Great at synthesizing ideas and concepts Unconventional and unorthodox in solutions Mercurial—enjoys exciting, meaningful change Thrives on admiration and recognition Dislikes rules, regulations, or tradition Easily distracted and bored—changes direction

and focus frequently Excellent communicator who takes pride in

influencing people and events

How to present to Energizers: Show your interest

and/or passion for your subject

Use lots of relevant visuals that illustrate your points.

Ask for feedback and participation.

Don’t be too impersonal, formal, or detached.

Don’t act like a close-minded know-it-all.

Don’t be dismissive of their ideas and feedback.

Affable (Melancholic) Hates and avoids conflict, controversy, or debate Highly sensitive to their own feelings and those of

others Can’t say no Supportive team players Indecisive, tentative, and afraid to commit (especially

quickly) Needs approval, validation, and lots of genuine

affection Dependable, loyal, easygoing, and sincere Dislikes dealing with details and cold, hard, facts Can appear weak and wishy-washy, especially in

demanding situations

How to present to Affables: Show sincere,

personal interest in the audience.

Be solution-focused and positive.

Show step-by-step plans that will guide the audience toward the goals.

Don’t be assertive or intimidating.

Don’t become impatient or rush them to make decisions.

Don’t ignore the human side of the audience.

Thinker (Phlegmatic) Objective, rational, methodical, and orderly Cautious, skeptical, prove-it-to-me cynic Slow and methodical in decision making—

meticulous researcher and fact-checker Serious, stoical, reserved, conservative—hides

reactions and feelings (but can suddenly erupt with wacky or goofy humor or behavior when unguarded)

Craves solving complex, challenging problems Can be inflexible and sees issues as black or white Follows rules, procedures, and protocols with little to

no deviation Prefers incremental changes to radical innovations

How to present to Thinkers: Be prepared and

detailed.

Use examples, valid evidence, and facts.

Be prepared to answer questions with detailed and concrete answers.

Don’t exaggerate or estimate.

Don’t use personal or emotional appeals.

Don’t challenge their expertise.

Presenting to a mixed group:Use a combination of techniques to appeal

to everyone in your audience. Be prepared and knowledgeable. Research your audience. Have a strategy and outline. Be relaxed and professional. Use facts, figures, visuals, and

examples. Make sure there is a call to action.

Presenting to a mixed group:Use Nancy Duarte’s presentation structure

(if possible) to inspire your audience.

Above all…Find a balance of techniques, methods,

and strategies that makes you feel confident and comfortable while giving your presentation or briefing.

Call to Action Elevator Pitch: What do you do?

2 minutesNo notesUse what you learned today.

The purpose of this exercise is to put into practice everything you’ve learned today. Get over your nervousness.Use the qualities of a great presenter.Project your desired image.Use what you know about your audience to be effective.

Link

Peer Feedback What techniques,

methods, and strategies from today’s sessions did you notice the speaker using?

What did you learn from this speaker about presenting?

Respectfully, what should the speaker focus on doing or not doing as he or she goes forward?

Final thoughts.

Reflect and Quick Write

What went well today?

What methods, techniques, and strategies do you want to focus on as you move forward with briefings and presentations?

What questions do you still have?

Day Two: Meeting Management

1. Review Elevator Pitch

2. Honing Your Skills and Rehearsing Voice Body Language

3. Persuasion

4. Captivating Your Audience

5. Managing the Audience

6. Meeting Management Experience (Fishbowl)