amateur presenter
The word “amateur” is not used to refer to a professional who is unprepared.
Amateur is the term used to describe a passionate person who has not been trained but still has something to say.
You should avoid the most common trap when you are asked to present a presentation or talk: deciding that you have to be as good as a professional, but not quite so good. It’s a mistake to be a 7/10 at professional presentation. It’s better to send a memo and stay at home.
Here’s your chance to share your light, your vision.
The opportunity to avoid becoming a wannabe presenter who is only slightly prepared is no. It doesn’t make sense to practice violin or to sort of prepare to play in NHL.
You might have some clever slide designs or a few perfectly timed jokes. Your violin might be in tune, or your slapshot might work… but it’s unlikely.
You can also become a presenter by becoming a passionate amateur. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
Have you got something to say? Stay home and write a memo if you don’t. If you have a story to tell, or a change to make, or an impact to make, then be very clear. It’s probably not a good goal to just get through your presentation.
Do not apologize. Do not apologize for your nervousness, your care, or for the fact that you haven’t done 200 practice runs. You are getting a small amount of attention and time from the audience. Here we are. You showed up because you cared.
Search for just one person. It’s been done so many times that it has become a hackneyed phrase, yet people still ignore it. I really mean it. You have a mic. You’re in a room. You can tell your story only to one of the people in that room. Tell them your story. Ignore everyone else. Do not shout loudly, do not choreograph your slides or jokes, and don’t pace like Zig Ziglar. In real life, you wouldn’t do this. This is the real world. Tell your story to one person. It’s okay if others want to listen.
Don’t memorize or read. Some actors who have just returned from their recent strike can read and sound as if they are not reading. Several podcasters that I know are also able to do this. Almost no one else can. Amateurs, on the other hand, know that they have been telling stories all their lives and, given the opportunity, can tell one again. Without reading it.
It’s not a performance. Only professionals perform. It’s part of their job. You are sharing with a person sitting just a few feet from you the change you would like to make.
Consider the most significant interactions you have had. Think about the most important interactions you’ve had with friends, family, partners, and strangers. All of them were amateur speeches. None. A human interacted and changed your life. They cared, not because they had a director and script.
The challenge doesn’t lie in becoming an ok professional presenter. The challenge is to become you.
It’s terrifying, of course. The answer to fear is not to calm ourselves down with memorization or insulation. You just need to show up.
