by Nancy Stern, M.A.

Presenters are often called trainers, facilitators, speakers, or educators. They are never called boring, insensitive, careless, or unimaginative.

Or, are they?

When forced to confess, most presenters admit stories about stupid things they have done while developing and delivering programs to teach workplace skills and information.

Is it necessary to learn the hard way, one stupid thing at a time? Must we make a lot of stupid mistakes, live with the memories, and plod on?

Not necessarily.

We can identify stupid things to avoid in the first place, and learn how to avoid them. To become good at what we do, we must also practice.

And practice, and practice. We must continuously improve on all the small details and learn from the mistakes of each other.

My colleague Maggi Payment and I asked experienced presenters, trainers and speakers about their mistakes. The result was the book 101 Stupid Things Trainers Do To Sabotage Success, which was published by RCA Inc. and released in June l995.

We discovered regardless of the situation, training, speaking or presenting, several stupid things can happen. The following are a some of the "stupid things" we uncovered:

Entering the tangent zone

Presenters often digress, change the subject and get lost in the tangent zone, unable to find their way back home.

This is stupid because:

• Participants get lost, too!
• Presenters appear unorganized.
• Confusion reigns and lessons are skewed.
• The audience wonders if the speaker has enough material to fill the time.
• Participants lose interest.

Although it’s okay to digress a bit, be sure to return quickly. One tangent can lead to another tangent can lead to another tangent.

If you are consciously aware of each moment, you’ll be able to know that it’s time to leave the tangent zone and return to the program. Do so by summarizing the digression and pick-up where you left off.

The usual rooms

Always planning your programs for the typical classroom or meeting environment may not work.

This is stupid because:

• A typical room may not complement your objectives.
• Retention is compromised when the site is wrong.
• Necessary equipment specific to the objectives may be missing.
• Your lack of planning demonstrates a lack of caring.

Think creatively when you plan programs. Choose places that are appropriate for the topic. For example, when people learn how to use software, they need to be in a room with computers rather than in a lecture hall looking at slides of computers.

And, meeting places don’t always have to be rooms. For example, successful team building programs sometimes happen outdoors in the woods and on the rapids. Also in warehouses, bathrooms, busses and boardrooms.

Spitting at them

Speakers may get too excited and spit at audience members. People sitting in the front of the room or closest to the presenter get a shower instead of a lesson.

This is stupid because:

• It’s disgusting.
• It’s rude.
• It’s unhealthy.
• It’s unprofessional.
• It’s a sure way to lose people.
• It’s embarrassing for everyone.

Swallow often. If you have a problem with your teeth, see a dentist. Don’t get so excited during your program you lose control.

Pace yourself. Pay attention to the audience; if people are wiping their face, step back a few feet. Remember to apologize to them. DON’T SPIT!!!

Neglecting follow-up

Once the curtain has fallen, presenters tend to think their job is done and neglect to do follow-up.

This is stupid because:

• Results are difficult to determine without follow-up.
• Attendees can forget what they heard.
• You may move on to the next project without closure.
• Consultants who are presenters or trainers can lose additional business/income.
• Action plans can be forgotten.

Build follow-up into the program.

Make "just checking in" phone calls to participants from time to time. Distribute surveys later asking how concepts are being applied. Meet with key players to discuss action plans.

Conduct a follow-up program six months later. Mail a concept reminder card to participants four weeks later. Send E-mail reminders.

Slideswiping

The presenter places a BIG stack of transparencies next to the projector and moves through them...reading transparency after transparency after transparency. The audience feels "slideswiped!"

This is stupid because:

• The overhead projector, as a presentation tool, is abused.
• Participants are likely to go to sleep.
• Swiping slides is a lazy way to present information.
• Retention and application are reduced.

Remember, the overhead projector is just one of many tools available to enhance the presentation process. Use transparencies only when they visually help you make your points, rather than for every point you want to make.

This ensures your audience doesn’t walk away saying, "That was one hell of a sideswiping!"

Gender benders

It’s a mistake for presenters to consistently refer to secretaries and nurses as females and to plumbers and managers as males. Women are never salesmen, policemen or mailmen.

This is stupid because:

• You’re guilty of stereotyping and perpetuating old prejudices.
• You appear insensitive and can offend participants.
• You fail to recognize that both men and women may do all jobs.
• You’re behind the times.
• You’re sloppy about details.

Vary your use of he and she for all workers and refer to the work being done rather than who is doing it. Say "salesperson," "police officer," or "mail carrier." Omit gender references.

Instead of saying, "He’s a male nurse and she’s a female plumber," say, "He’s a nurse and she’s a plumber." When in doubt, ask people what they prefer to be called.

The next time you prepare a presentation, training session, or speech, remember stupid things you have seen or done and carefully plan to avoid them.

Remember: "stupid" is about what we do, not who we are. Stupid comes from a Latin word meaning senseless and dull (definitely not you or your work!).

(c) Copyright 2002 Nancy Stern Communication Plus

Through her workshops, seminars and consulting projects, Nancy Stern MA, helps people keep connected through conscious communication because how you say what you say matters™. Visit her on the web at http://www.nancystern.com or at http://www.onthespotmediatraining.com.

Some Related Articles:

Delivering Presentations: The Best Style is Versatile
Using Stories to Inform and Influence
Murphy's Law: How Speakers Can Prepare for the Unexpected
Effective Presentations Make Your Message Stick, Not Your Audience Sick!
A Fate Worse Than Death: Tips To Take the Terror Out of Giving Presentations
Romancing the Audience
What Men and Women Can Learn From Each Other About Giving Presentations
10 Worst Tips To Give Someone Who Has To Speak In Public
Don't Let Introduction Angst Ruin Your Presentation!
Holding Forth: The Trouble with George's Presentations