Training Express for public communication and presentations
25/03/2010 | Barcelona
Date: 25/03/2010
Time: 17:30
Place: ESADE Barcelona - Building 3 - Av. Esplugues, 92-96 Barcelona
Ferran Ramon-Cortés (Lic&MBA 86) recently led a group of ESADE alumni in an express training session on speaking in public and giving presentations.
This highly practical session began with a presentation by Mr. Ramon-Cortés, a consultant with Paradigma FCM, about the main issues that people face when giving presentations, including improvisation, the ability to convince, tone, how to correctly structure a message, and how to deal with difficult questions.
In the context of the talking/communicating dichotomy, Mr. Ramon-Cortés established the framework of the training session: the need to communicate in a way that "moves feelings, makes us memorable, and also convinces". He explained that this can be achieved by means of various key approaches, such as using a single main message in presentations, which "involves an effort to make a selection, ensuring that everything we say serves this main idea, and understanding that if we transmit more than one idea, we are competing against ourselves". He then proposed an outline for thinking about the content of a presentation: a main idea, the development of the lines of argument, and a return to the main idea in order to ensure that we are sticking to the central message.
According to Mr. Ramon-Cortés, another trick is to express the message in a memorable way, "so that the idea has an impact and people remember it". The consultant encouraged the participants to use symbolic narratives that incorporate metaphors, examples or experiences, in order to help their audiences to visualise what they are being told. "Our society is used to explaining things conceptually", he noted, "but our brains are metaphorical".
Mr. Ramon-Cortés also stressed the importance of using language that connects with the audience – the language of the audience itself, not that of the presenter. "Technical language is a sign of insecurity, whereas simple language is a sign of self-confidence", he said. He continued by explaining the various types of personal language that can be used, depending on whom the message is targeting. If the audience is meticulous, you need to provide lots of detailed information and overcome drawbacks in the persuasion process. If the audience is dominant, the persuasion process should consist of three or four relevant pieces of information.
If the audience is cooperative, he suggested the following: "Unlike the dominant audience, a cooperative audience needs a good story. You need a strategy to earn their trust". For an influential audience, which requires big ideas and seduction, Mr. Ramon-Cortés suggested preparing information beforehand and presenting it in a visually attractive way.
Finally, Mr. Ramon-Cortés offered some tips on how to persuade a mixed audience: "If your audience is heterogeneous, you should play up the styles that do not come naturally to you. For example, if you naturally prefer the influential style, seek out elements that are attractive to a meticulous audience. Otherwise, you will lose half of your audience".
Practical tips
After this framework had been set out, the various participants gave their presentations, which were then analysed by the other participants and by Mr. Ramon-Cortés. The discussion covered aspects such as the expressiveness of each speaker, the need to make eye contact in order to connect with the audience, and how to use one’s hands as a great communication tool.
"In order to improve these presentations, you have to make sure that the PowerPoint doesn’t speak for itself", he said. "You have to make the audience depend on your explanations". He recommended making two versions of any PowerPoint file: one to use at the presentation itself, and another to provide to anyone who is interested in the information but unable to attend.
As he wrapped up the training session, Mr. Ramon-Cortés stressed the importance of a good ending -one which sums up and highlights the main idea. "You have to be brave at the end", he said, "because it is then that the speaker makes the impression that the audience goes home with".
Ferran Ramon-Cortés (Lic&MBA 86), guest member of the ESADE Alumni Executive Board, held this "Training Express for public communication and presentations".
Workshop objectives:
-To study the communication of each participant. Rate their level of impact and persuasion, and recommend areas for improvement;
-To identify and enhance the communication skills of each participant;
-To provide a method for communicating more persuasively and efficiently.
Concepts to be worked on:
1) Analysis of communicative contents:
Message: Importance of a single and relevant idea. Creative message: Impact mechanisms to make the idea interesting. Language: The correct choice of language to suit the audience. Analysis of style and language.
2) Analysis of communication skills:
Insights generated: The importance of what captures people. Verbal expression: Tone, rhythm, modulation. Non-verbal communication: Observation and interpretation. Contact with the audience: How to judge people’s reaction. Persuasion: Trying to convince vs. appearing convinced. Acceptance of discrepancy.
3) Managing presentations:
Beginnings and endings. Curves of impact. Managing space. Managing visual aids. Controlling ‘stage fright’.
Session dynamics:
-Each participant will make a 6-8-minute presentation (prepared previously).
-Presentations will be used to introduce all the theory and concepts covered in the session.
-An evaluation will be made of each presentation, which will enable a personal diagnosis to be given along with the appropriate recommendations.
-Workshop based on the ‘Lighthouse Theory, the 5 Keys to Personal Communication’ (published in the book La Isla de los 5 Faros, RBA, 2005).
Ferran Ramon-Cortés
Guest member of the ESADE Alumni Executive Board
PARADIGM-FCM Consultant, Communications Advisor and author.
He advises several politicians on communications matters and is also involved in delivering personal communication skills training to companies, public institutions and universities.
He has written several books on public communication (La Isla de los 5 Faros, RBA, 2005), interpersonal communication (Conversaciones con Max, RBA, 2007) and internal communication (Virus, RBA, 2008).
You can consult his CV and professional background at www.ferranramoncortes.com
