You can play baseball into your thirties or forties and still never be Mr. October. Yet there are a lot of professionals out there who consider themselves “pros” at presenting solely because they’ve done so many, many times. This is similar to the batting cage hobbyist claiming to be Jeter’s equal.
We call them “primetime” athletes, in large part, because they’re worthy of national television’s prime viewing hours. What that really means is that weather, mood and other circumstances have minimal effect on these highly skilled performers. If they physically can show up, they’ll show up in a way that is sure to entertain millions of Americans across the country.
That kind of professionalism is of a separate class. It takes more than just doing it a lot—it takes being a student of the craft. It takes steely nerves, an ability to quiet any doubt, go out and channel the inner hero. Repetition and practice are often part of that equation, but they’re not the whole deal.
Here are a few characteristics of the primetime presenter:
1. Been There, Done That: It’s not all about practice, but you do need a level of experience to calm the nerves, as well as avoid the pitfalls and strike the high notes. It’s more than just presenting a bunch—it’s presenting in situations where the stress and expectation are there, where the audience characteristics are the same or similar.
2. In the Zone: A huge component of any high level performance is mental fitness. High performance athletes routinely practice visualization, meditation and/or mindfulness in order to get the most out of their own bodies. The idea is that you can’t really do the extraordinary unless you’ve done it before. But what if certain situations are completely unexpected? What if you can’t reproduce the scenario outside of a live environment? Visualization allows you to prepare your mind and anticipate any circumstance. It gets you in the zone.
3. Cast and Crew: It’s not just about a team; it’s about deploying the team in the right way at the right time. Great presenters know who they can count on for what at every stage of presentation preparation, from initial outlining to coordinating the A/V team. Many presenters develop very specific demands over the years as the influence of highly competent team members influences their expectations and raises their own ability to deliver exceptional results.
4. Making the Play: At the end of the day, primetime performance is all about delivery. Did you close the sale? Did you change their minds? Did they go out and do what you recommended they do? Whatever the purpose of the presentation is, great presenters keep the purpose first. They don’t get so caught up in the guiles of modern technology that they lose sight of the prize. It’s a laser-like focus on results that makes them great. Great presenters are always focused on the outcome; everything else is just a way to get a result.
So whether or not you’re currently primetime, the question should always be, “How can I improve?”
Question: How can you improve?
