The Presentation Thespian

The Credible and Trustworthy Presenter

The Theatrics of Presentations

A Tutorial for Presenters and Slide DesignersBy

Glenna Shaw

Using this Tutorial

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This tutorial is organized into sections.Each section contains an introductory page and multiple instructional pages.Instructional pages are organized into text and images.Use the navigation buttons shown below to move through the pages.

Main Menu Introduction Using this Tutorial Life is a Play Source Credibility| | | |

The Theatrics of Presentations The Roles The Wardrobe The Props The Script References| | | | |

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Introduction

The Roles

The Wardrobe

The Props

The Script

References



Introduction



Life is a Play"All the world's a stage" is one of William Shakespeare’s most frequently quoted passages perhaps because of the simple truth of those words.In every interaction we play a role for that specific interaction and presenting is no exception.By recognizing this truth and planning for it we can gain a great deal of “bang for our buck” in ensuring the success of our presentations.By simply wearing the right clothes, using attractive props and rehearsing effectively we can significantly increase our audience’s ability to accept and retain our message.



Source CredibilityA Yale University multi-year, multi-project research into persuasive communication showed the speaker should be credible, trustworthy and attractive to the audience. Two subsequent studies have verified these findings.This is valuable information for a presenter since it offers an easy and effective method for increasing the impact of your presentations.

Speaker Credibility & TrustworthinessSp

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Audience Persuasio

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The Roles

The Roles The Star The Audience Casting Casting Guide| | | |


The StarObviously the presenter is the star of the presentation. As the lead character, presenters have a responsibility to ensure they appear knowledgeable on the topic of the presentation. A presenter dressed as a rapper speaking on the topic of banking would lose credibility fast, regardless of their level of expertise on the subject.



The AudienceUnlike movie stars, who are dressed solely for the role they play, presenters must directly connect with their audience.An astute presenter takes into account what the audience will be wearing as well as the topic of the presentation when planning their wardrobe.A presenter who’s dressed casually while the audience is in suits won’t garner as much respect or trust.



Casting

ProfessionalShirtsleeves

AcademicMedical

Business Casual

TechnicalCasual

Uniform

Styles

BusinessSales

ScientificResearchMedical

TechnicalSocial

Political

TopicsFor this tutorial I’ve identified the most common topics and styles of attire for presenters and their audience. While not comprehensive, it provides an effective starting point for planning your wardrobe.The casting guide on the next slide provides recommendations to get you started.You should experiment since you may find a combination of styles are more effective. Steve Jobs is a great example of this, utilizing elements of academic, technical and casual to create his own personal brand.



Casting GuidePresentation Topics

Audience Attire

Business Sales Scientific/Research

Medical Technical Social/Political

Professional Professional Professional Academic Professional Professional Professional

Shirtsleeves Professional Shirtsleeves Academic Shirtsleeves Shirtsleeves Shirtsleeves

Academic Professional Professional Academic Professional Technical Business Casual

Medical Professional Professional Medical Medical Technical Business Casual

Business Casual

Business Casual

Shirtsleeves Academic Business Casual

Technical Business Casual


Shirtsleeves Academic Medical Technical Business Casual

Casual Business Casual

Shirtsleeves Academic Business Casual


Uniform Professional Professional Academic Medical Technical ProfessionalUniform Uniform Uniform Uniform

Presenter’s Recommended Attire



The Wardrobe

The Wardrobe Archetypes Professional Shirtsleeves Academic Medical Business Casual Technical Casual Uniform Branding| | | | | | | | | |


Archetypical AttireWhile stereotyping is usually considered to be negative and narrow minded, by matching your appearance to your audience’s expectations you gain instant credibility. A speaker is more trustworthy if they meet our archetype for the topic on which they are speaking.Commercials for health products use this with great success by simply putting a lab coat on the person endorsing the product.



ProfessionalThe professional is well-groomed and wears a business suit. Hair is neatly cut and styled. The suit jacket is always worn. Shoes are high quality and polished. Men wear ties.Think banker, lawyer and politician.



ShirtsleevesShirtsleeves is a slightly more relaxed professional. Shirtsleeves is a dress shirt and dress pants or skirt. Basically it’s a suit without the jacket. Ties can be loosened or removed. Sleeves can be rolled up.Think “Let’s get more comfortable even though we’re wearing a suit.”



AcademicThe academic looks scholarly. Button down shirts with sweaters, textured jackets with semi-casual slacks and glasses all work well. Hair can be more casually styled and beards on men enhance the effect.Think college professor, scholar or scientist.



MedicalMedical attire is comprised of a lab coat, and/or scrubs and optionally a stethoscope.However, if a medical presentation is outside the medical environment such as a conference, a professional suit is the better choice.Think Doctor.



Business CasualBusiness casual attire is typically a shirt and less formal pants. A tie is optional for men. In many organizations, the business casual “suit” is comprised of a polo shirt and khaki pants most likely because of its association with golf, the stereotypical professional’s sport.



TechnicalGone are the days of the geek with horn rimmed glasses and pocket protectors. Today’s technical experts are well served with a dress shirt (usually light colored) and dark pants. Preferred is any attire that advertises expertise such as a branded shirt or a jacket. Certification pins/badges increase credibility.Think techie or modern geek.



CasualJeans, loose shirts and T-shirts are the hallmarks of casual attire. Although your audience may be wearing jeans, it is almost never desirable for a presenter to be casually dressed when speaking.There are exceptions such as a dress shirt paired with “dress” jeans but typically casual clothes detract from credibility.



UniformNo other attire gives instant credibility and trustworthiness as much as a uniform when it matches the topic. Firefighters and police use this to their advantage when speaking before classrooms. If you have the right to wear a uniform and it matches your topic you should always wear the uniform regardless of your audience’s attire.Think police, firefighters and military.



Creating a BrandI have a jacket that showcases badges and pins recognizing my expertise in PowerPoint. I always wear my “PowerPoint Nascar” jacket when attending events even if I don’t wear it when presenting. This jacket, combined with my techie clothes and trademark long ponytail, creates a brand that immediately identifies me as a PowerPoint technical expert. If you are a frequent presenter a brand is a great thing to develop.Examples of effective branding include:Steve Jobs, with his long sleeved black crew neck shirt tucked into jeans, neatly trimmed beard and wire-rim glasses, appeared the geeky scholar. Nigel Holmes, with his trademark bright blue framed glasses and shoes as well as his engaging use of props, leaves the impression of a brilliant, approachable, semi-mad scientist. And Dave Paradi, with his trademark business suits, brands himself as the presentation expert for professionals.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs

http://www.nigelholmes.com/home.htm

http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/

http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/

The Props

The Props The Bio The Slide Show Business Cards| | |


The BioA short, one or two paragraph bio is usually your first introduction to your audience.If you have expertise in several disciplines (as I do), showcase the accomplishments that are directly relevant to the presentation topic and leave the others off.Your bio is your first step in credibility for your audience.



The Slide ShowNo matter how credible, attractive and trustworthy you appear, if your slide show isn’t attractive all your efforts will have been in vain. Nothing tunes out an audience quicker than a boring, text-heavy presentation.There’s a wealth of information on the internet about how to design effective presentations and you should take advantage of them.If you’re truly design challenged, consider hiring a pro.At a minimum, give Visual Bee a try. While not as good as a professional, it’s a world better than bullet points.

Presentation design by http://www.chicagoproducers.com



http://www.visualbee.com/

Business CardsBusiness cards are a tangible representation of your expertise and you want them to accurately reflect your credibility.Effective business cards are attractive and, if possible, stand out in some unique way.



The Script

The Script Rehearsal|


RehearsalYou must rehearse your presentation. No matter how gifted a speaker you are, just “winging it” will inevitably expose your lack of preparedness and severely damage your credibility.Rehearse your script in front of a mirror and be sure to include a dress rehearsal in the clothes you plan to wear.

The Script Rehearsal|


References

References Sources|


Sources• Hovland, Carl I. “Reconciling Conflicting Results Derived from

Experimental and Survey Studies of Attitude Change.” American Psychologist, Vol 14(1), (Jan 1959): 8-17

• Shailendra Pratap Jain and Steven S. Posavac. “Prepurchase Attribute Verifiability, Source Credibility, and Persuasion.” Journal of Consumer Psychology .Vol. 11, No. 3 (2001): 169-180

• Eagly, Alice H., and Shelly Chaiken. "An Attribution Analysis of Communicator Characteristics On Opinion Change: the Case of Communicator Attractiveness." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32.1 (1975): 136-44.

• Joffe, H. "The Power of Visual Material: Persuasion, Emotion and Identification." Diogenes 55.1 (2008): 84-93

References Sources|
