While I try to strike a good balance in this column, I most often provide advice for speaking to large groups—what some people mistakenly call “public speaking” (we don’t stand out in the public square and speak; professional speakers are hired by private clients). Given that most of you reading this make a living as professional speakers, or aspire to, this approach seems valid enough. However, many speakers rarely present in large, open enrollment motivational or public seminars. Small group presentations actually are much more common than the larger type. These may include training seminars and workshops, pitches to new clients, sales presentations, business proposals, reports to management, and project updates to your colleagues or clients.
As a result, you’re usually standing just a few feet away from your audience members in an on-site conference room, training room, or hotel meeting room. This situation is quite different from a large-format presentation, since what works in the ballroom may not work in the boardroom. So here are four tips to keep in mind when presenting to smaller groups:
- Know who’s in the audience. Small groups often possess a tighter focus than large ones, and your content may need to do more than just motivate. Be relevant and passionate about your topic, but understand specifically how it applies to the group and its concerns. Find out how much members know in advance and prepare for it; understand what they want and need from you. You needn’t worry as much about being an entertainer, but you still want to be entertaining to an extent, so they stay focused on you and your message.
- Understand small group dynamics. Unlike large audiences, small groups often interact closely, depending on each other to solve a particular problem, make a decision, or achieve a common goal (as in executive meetings, workshop environments, and sales audiences). You can’t simply talk non-stop. You must pause, ask for questions, and give the audience a chance to comment, or conduct an activity to get them talking to one another.
- Prepare for and encourage more direct interaction. Expect a smaller group to be more willing to engage, since you’re more accessible. If you have enough time and it’s appropriate, have the group members introduce themselves and share their expertise. You can call upon them later to share their experiences with your topic. This works especially well in a workshop environment.
- Watch the non-verbals for pacing cues. Because you can better tell how well people are keeping up with you (for example, by watching their facial expressions for puzzled looks as you go through your handouts or a demonstration), you can better match your presentation speed to their comprehension speed. Slow down if you see people flipping around, not paying attention to you, or looking confused. Ask for understanding at those points and review.
Bottom line: Know your audience, engage your listeners, interact with the group, and match your timing to their needs.
Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, is an expert in productivity. For more than 20 years, Stack has worked with business leaders to execute more efficiently, boost performance, and accelerate results in the workplace. Her company, The Productivity Pro, Inc., provides productivity workshops around the globe to help attendees achieve Maximum Results in Minimum Time. Stack is the bestselling author of six books, with more than 20 foreign editions, published by Random House, Wiley, and Berrett-Koehler, including her newest work, “Execution IS the Strategy” (March 2014). An expert in the field of performance and workplace issues, Stack has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Connect via her website, Facebook, or Twitter.
