144. Tim Pollard: What Really Matters in Presentation Delivery

Tim Pollard is the founder and CEO of Oratium, a leading messaging consulting firm. He is a sought-after speaker and author of the acclaimed book The Compelling Communicator: Mastering the Art and Science of Exceptional Presentation Design. Pollard draws insights from a long career in sales, marketing, and communications for companies such as Unilever, Barclays Bank and the Corporate Executive Board. He just has released a new book “Mastering the Moment: Perfecting the Skills and Processes of Exceptional Presentation Delivery.”

What Really Matters in Presentation Delivery

Tim emphasizes that a lot of what is taught about delivery is either wrong or not focused on the points that matter. There are three main things you have to get right:

* How you prepare for the day

* What you do on the day

* Who you are on the day

Why venue is crucial for your delivery

Many things at the venue can negatively affect your presentation: temperature can be too hot, noise from inside (servers clearing dinner) or from outside (a leaf blower), lights can be disturbing, etc. A speaker can and should control this. Come the night before to inspect the venue, and if not possible arrive at least one hour before your talk.

Muscular language

Instead of common words, use less common but still generally understood words. Instead of “the changes of achieving this goal is small,” replace small with “minuscule.” That’s muscular language.

Be yourself

Everybody has a natural (default) presentation style. However we have different personas that we can use at different situations. Yes you have to be yourself, but the idea of “yourself” is more flexible than we think.

Related: Charisma and Persuasion

Favorite quotation

“There is no more important element in the technique of rhetoric than the continual employment of the best possible word.” — Winston Churchill

Recommended book

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

Routine to Shine

Get rid of clichés.