More survey results from Distinction Communication’s 2009
Annual Presentation Impact Survey…
Q7. How much time do you actually spend practicing for a “high stakes” presentation?
12.1% I seldom practice at all
16.2% 5 to 30-minutes
17.3% 30-minutes to an hour
29.2% One to two hours
25.2% More than two hours
We had to look at this result a few times. Really? Over 50% of those surveyed practiced an hour or more? Either we have a lot of people blowing in our ear or they truly are practicing that much. We suspect it’s the second theory but with a few caveats. To some, practicing may be glancing at their slide deck on the plane trip to their big meeting. And for others, they may be actually practicing with their peers through each slide transition, handoff, and conclusion. So, what are people actually doing?
Remember, 56.1% of our survey respondents indicated they felt they were average or below average presenters. Yet in this question, 71.4% of people indicated they practiced 30 minutes to several hours for important presentations. It certainly begs the question – if we are so average… and we’re practicing so much… then why aren’t we getting better? I suspect the answer is that we don’t know how to practice or we’re just practicing the wrong stuff and reinforcing our bad behaviors year after year after year.
What this means to you…
Maybe the great football coach Vince Lombardi had it right when he said, “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” In other words, we are very capable of practicing some crazy stuff and still call it practice. If practice to you means looking at the visuals and loading the content into RAM, then you may be missing a very critical part of practice. We can say all the right things, but if some marginal skills, nervous hands and eye contact that sprays the room like a fire hose is the conduit for the message, then research would strongly suggest your practice may not be producing the results you really want.
The key? Maybe it’s about time you seek out someone who can bring some fresh perspective on your effectiveness! You can certainly do a Google search under presentation trainers (you’ll get 4.1 million responses!) but you still need to know what to look for so your investment will take you and your team to the next level.
Look for these things in a professional presentation skills coaching organization:
- Self-awareness is critical to personal change. Videotaping must play a central role in any coaching experience.
- Find a company with a long track history and check their references. Anyone can fill a screen with client logos.
- Customization for your team’s needs should be a strong consideration. Find someone who understands your industry.
- Training is never a check in a box – it’s an outcome. Be realistic about the time it will take to create real behavioral change.
- Know how they will provide post-training support. Skills will atrophe when there is no reinforcement and no accountability.
To receive a copy of the entire survey, visit our website and sign up for our Mark of Distinction eNewsletter. All the results from the December 2009 Presentation Impact Survey will be in the March 2010 issue. Don’t miss it!
