Defining Your Genuine Presence While Presenting

This course is rooted in the idea that we all have a “presence,” a somewhat intangible essence that others can more—or less—observe and define. Do we see ourselves as others see us? Are we sharing a fully engaged presence at home, at work, in meetings, and in “presentations”?

Our focus in this workshop will be on defining presence and using strategies to allow us to feel more confident in our interactions with others—whether one-on-one, in meetings, or when “presenting” to large groups.

Additionally, we will take a fresh look at presentations and the usual guidance around giving a “presentation.” Rather, we will help participants recognize that the best communicators use balanced communication, speaking “with” not “at” their audience. Thus, we will focus on delivering “conpersations.”

Finally, we will consider the impact of our own and others’ verbal and nonverbal messaging, with an emphasis on delivering compelling virtual presentations.

What You Can Expect

• Foundation: What is presence? How do we define it?
• Self-Evaluation: How well are you using the various attributes that help us bring a fully engaged presence?
• Strategies: Techniques for building rapport, actively listening, and delivering information as a two-way conversation.

Learning Objectives

• Have a defined presence that inspires confidence.
• Distill your message to a few succinct points.
• Maintain a balance between listening and talking and use questions to create understanding and buy-in.
• Use influence to move your audience toward “yes.”