To help you make better presentations using iA Presenter we interviewed Mark Robinson, a self described “introverted software engineer”, Presentation expert, TEDx talker and author.

iA: Mark, how does an introvert end up teaching people presentation skills?

I went on a course by a famous trainer in The Netherlands (Remco Claassen) many years ago which is where I learnt, for the first time, why so many business presentations are so mind-numbingly boring. After this, I spent years practicing my presentations, getting better all the time.

At the same time, I was dismayed at how many of my colleagues were not advancing in their Presentation Skills. Even people who reached senior management still gave dreadful presentations.

So I gave a speech at one of my customers on how to keep your audience’s attention. One of my friends saw it on YouTube and said, “Mark, that looks like a TED talk”. So I Googled, “TEDxEindhoven” and saw that they were just starting, with their first event planned in a few months and the pitch event only a couple of weeks away.

I applied to pitch and was accepted, won the pitch evening and almost before I knew it, I was on the famous red dot speaking on, “How to present to keep your audience’s attention”.

My colleagues loved it and asked me to train them, and so Mark Robinson Training was born. After giving many presentation skills workshops, and getting an average of 9/10 from my participants, the most common feedback comment was, “Can we have a handout?” I couldn’t think of just one book to recommend so… I wrote my own. “Speak Inspire Empower: How To Give Persuasive Presentations To Boost Your Confidence And Career” It became an Amazon NL bestseller. Now the average participant score is 9.5/10.

Not bad for an introverted software engineer who used to fear presenting!

iA: How do you make a presentation that doesn’t waste people’s time?

Presentations first need to have a clear goal. As someone once said, “If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation, your audience never will“. But what does a presentation goal look like?

I detail how to do this more in my book, but here’s a quick summary. You need to consider the 3Hs:

The head – what people should remember.

The heart – how you want them to feel (typically: inspired).

The hands – what you want them to do.

If you get that clear, your presentation will become much more effective.

But don’t fall for the trap of thinking that presentations must be short. Remco, who I mentioned before, gave a workshop for 3 days, from 9am to 10pm, and kept our attention every minute. When you use a few simple presentation techniques, your audience will hang on your every word and hardly notice the time.

iA: How do you get the audience on your side?

The most important technique is to practice. Practice at least 10 times, out loud, preferably in the room where you will give the presentation.

You may need to practice more if it is an important presentation. Take a guess: how many times do you think I practiced my TEDx talk?

The answer is: over 100 times. I practiced in the shower, when walking, when on my bike going to work… people coming in the other direction must have thought, “Who’s that crazy guy who mutters to himself every day?” And I happened to be working at Eindhoven’s High Tech Campus which is where the TEDx event was to be held. So I practiced there most days as well, on the TEDx stage.

As you practice more, you will become more confident. And if you are more confident, you will be more persuasive and so the audience will be more likely to be on your side.

iA: How do you turn dry information into a compelling story that’s going to hold an audience’s attention?

I tell participants on my workshops that all stories in presentations need the three Ps:

A person – who the story is about, typically yourself.

A problem – some hurdle the person needs to overcome.

A point – the reason you are telling the story.

That’s how you tell a story, but how do you put your whole presentation into a narrative that keeps people listening? You do that with a great structure which I explain (and use) in the TEDx talk.

iA: How do you deal with presentation nerves?

If you’re nervous in the minutes before you go on stage, do a Power Pose. Imagine you just ran, and won, a marathon. What do you do? You put your hands above your head in triumph! Try it yourself. Hold that position for two minutes and imagine that scene. Then, when you go on stage, you will stride out with more confidence.

And when you’re on stage, have a glass of water on standby. If you get flustered, just reach out and take a sip. Those few seconds will form a natural break for your audience, and give your frantic brain a few precious seconds to regroup.

iA: What are the benefits of becoming a presentation pro?

Being great at public speaking and presenting will give you three major benefits, the 3 Cs:

First it’s great for your confidence: if you can speak confidently in front of a group, then in a one-on-one (for example a job interview or a date), you will have much more confidence.

Secondly, it’s great for your career: if you can present well, you will be seen as the expert on the topics on which you speak.

Finally, it’s great for your charisma or influence: if you want to lead or persuade people, you will need to influence them through your public speaking. A few well chosen words can change the world: “I have a dream…”

I’ve seen it repeatedly in my workshops. One woman came in with a severe lack of self-confidence. It was so bad that, in the middle of her presentation, she ran out of the room crying “Sorry, I can’t do this!”

Now, people in my workshops give feedback to each other on their presentations, but only ever positive feedback. In other words, they only tell the presenter what they did well during their presentation.

So at the end of the day, and after seeing everyone else receive only positive feedback, the same woman delivered a confident and powerful presentation. We all gave her a huge round of applause. But more than that: I heard later that the workshop was a turning point for her. She had been unemployed for many years. But afterwards, she gained much more self-confidence and, I’m delighted to say, started a job a few months later.

iA: Do you think anyone can learn presentation skills?

I do. I’m not a natural presenter. Far from it. The working title for my book was: “From Terrified to TEDx” But because I’ve had to make that journey, I can explain to others how to do it as well. And I want to. I really want everyone to develop great presentation skills but especially those trapped in a mental prison, those that think they can’t present well. The truth is: anyone can speak well in front of a group: there are just a few simple techniques which you need to learn and then practice.

And you should. The rewards, for your confidence, career and charisma, are massive. When you become more confident, you also become closer to your authentic self. And so everyone wins.