On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Andrea Pacini, a presentation coach and founder of Ideas on Stage UK who specialises with working with business owners, leaders and teams – especially those who want to become more confident presenters.
He’s on a mission to help people get their ideas out and make sure they present them well.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- I’ve noticed a couple of things have changed since Covid. One is the importance of technology. When you are presenting, pitching, and communicating in person there are a few things to consider like if you are using slides you need to make sure that everything works, but apart from that technology shouldn’t make a huge difference. Online it does. We need to pay more attention to things like having a good microphone, webcam, lighting, etc. Another thing is audience interaction, which is always important, but online it’s even more important because it’s even harder to keep their attention.
- Ideally you should make good eye contact in-person with each person in the audience for a complete sentence or thought and then change the person you’re looking at for the next one. Online, rather than looking at your screen at the other people or your slides, you should look at the lens of your camera as much as possible because that’s where your audience is.
- There are two types of speakers: memorisers and improvisors. Memorisers like to have a script word-for-word or rely on their notes whereas improvisors prefer to have more freedom on stage. There’s no right or wrong approach, it’s whatever works for you, and it’s also a spectrum. I always encourage improvisors to rehearse (not practice) a number of times beforehand and have some notes to fall back on in case everything goes wrong.
- You can have the greatest idea in the world but if you can’t communicate it it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry to say that, but our ideas are worthless unless we can communicate them. This is so important if you want to build your brand and grow your business.
BEST MOMENTS
‘An audience’s attention is a bit like the sand in an hourglass: It runs out after a few minutes. But, it’s very easy to flip it over and start again. As presenters we can flip you over and start again, which means that every now and again we need to find ways to interact with the audience. When you’re presenting in person you need to do that every 10 minutes at least, online you need to do that more often, every 3-5 minutes.’
‘80% of your confidence comes from your ability to develop a compelling message. If you don’t have a story that resonates with the audience or a message which is simple for them to understand, easy for them to follow, relevant to them and their needs it doesn’t matter how strong you are from a delivery perspective.’
‘Great presenters rehearse in the real world. In an environment either physically or mentally that is as close as possible to the real environment that they will have in the presentation.’
‘ABC of preparation: Audience, Burning needs, Context.’
ABOUT THE GUESTAndrea Pacini Andrea is Presentation Director for the UK for Ideas On Stage where he has worked with many business leaders, including clients like General Assembly, Fiverr, ISTAO Business School, as well as TEDx speakers. Andrea is also the main voice of the Ideas on Stage Podcast.
He specialises in working with established business owners who want to grow their business and increase their influence through great presenting.
Andrea is on a mission to change the way people think about presenting. He is a big advocate of business as a force for good and his 10-year vision is to help 1,000 purpose-driven entrepreneurs share their message, make an impact and be memorable.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apacini/?locale=en_US
Website: https://www.ideasonstage.com/
Confident Presenter Scorecard: https://presentationscorecard.scoreapp.com/
ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Build Better Brands podcast is to inspire small business owners and help them realise that they don’t have to be Nike to have a great brand, and the sooner they start to focus on making it better, the sooner they can improve their lives and the lives of others.
On the show I’ll be talking to business owners that have built brands from the ground up. Branding is how you present your best self to your audience consistently. And if they can do it, so can you!
ABOUT THE HOST – DANIELLE CLARKE
Danielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.
WORK WITH DANIELLE TO HELP BUILD THE BRANDING AND MARKETING STRATEGIES YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO GROW: https://calendly.com/hello-danielle-clarke-creative/free-15-min-discovery-call
CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative-brand-designer-marketing-consultant
SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/danielleclarke