If you can’t present well you’re toast.

Well I would say that wouldn’t I?

I wrote a book called ‘Brilliant Presentation’ which has sold well enough to be now in its 2nd revised edition. And I’m a keen student of presenting and speaking in public myself and also watching others do it.

So you can imagine watching Nick Clegg last week was a real feast for me….like watching someone in a race lagging behind  and suddenly being infused with super-juice and catching up with and overtaking the leaders (or would be leaders).

I want to focus on just one aspect of the show - his presentational performance.

High on conversation and low on sound bite
Genuine audience focus – mentioning those who’d asked questions by name (watch that catch on with the others in the next round with the others)
Looking at the audience as though he knew and like them (David Cameron looked as though they were a nuisance)
Very relaxed – shades of Ronald Reagan
Probably trustworthy – unusual in politics (with Vince Cable this makes two)
A bit light on substance but very high on the sense of occasion – he alone behaved as though it mattered and that he actually wanted to be there
He had a point of view about where he stood as a person as opposed to being obsessed with content (I know that my least impressive performances have all been when I was too focused on my content rather than the mood and needs of the audience.)

It’s like preparation and over preparation.

Daryll Scott of My Noggin said with great insight “you can be ready for everything or ready for anything”. No question in the moving ballgame of current life that the second puts more emphasis on how you come across and less on what you say.

We’ll see what the other two do this week but I advise Nick to twinkle and tease them. They have everything to lose and he’s a very good presenter.

Call me – richard@hallogram.freeserve.co.uk  if you want advice on how to improve your communication and get extraordinary results. Overnight.