Two is better than one, for the most part – in life and in business. Partnership on presentation projects is also advantageous when you have the right combination of public speaking personalities. Look no farther television to find compatible duos like Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Audiences across the globe have fallen in love with the characters. Why? Because each individual’s strengths match the other’s weaknesses. Where one person struggles, the other person excels. Based on our proprietary Badge assessment and book, What’s Your Presentation Persona?, I assigned presentation profiles to popular television partners to illustrate how you can match your strengths with another presenter’s strengths for public speaking events.
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman
The teacher turned drug dealer, Walter White, enthralled audiences from 2008-2013 with his silent fortitude and stoic confidence. Walter White’s character is the type that commands the respect of his listeners, but rejects deeper connections and budding friendships. Throughout the Breaking Bad series, Walter White was always one step ahead of everyone else. His tactics have placed him among the most renowned villains of media. Walter scores high in all of the Badge quadrants except Response – his audiences don’t tend to like him. This makes him a Producer. His partner-in-crime, Jesse Pinkman, balances Walter out.
Since Jesse is more laid-back, unsure, and motivated by temporary pursuits, I have labelled him as a Befriender. Scoring low in every quadrant but Response, his presentation skills are the exact opposite of Walter’s. With this information, it’s obvious why their partnership lasted so long and survived despite multiple trials and tribulations. In their presentation personas, they find natural allies.
Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt
If you are a Parks and Recreation superfan like myself, you probably gush over Leslie and Ben’s chemistry. Really, if they aren’t relationship goals, then I don’t know who would be. The characters match perfectly – boosting each other in areas where they lack finesse. Leslie’s effervescence and devotion to her beliefs combined with her charm and meticulous nature make her a strong Liberator. With high scores in each quadrant, Leslie brings many positive elements to Ben’s table.
A man of few words, Ben scores in the mid-to-low range in Sharing. His messages also don’t leave as lasting of impressions as Leslie’s do for audience members and his blunt personality leaves him on the wrong side of his listeners’ favor most of the time. I would score Ben as a Scientist. Like Walter and Jesse, Leslie and Ben match each other step-for-step in regards to their presentation skills.
Now, consider your own department. What opportunities exist for you to enlist the aid of a co-presenter during your next presentation? To discover your presentation skills in relation to other team members, take the following 3 steps and find your perfect match.
Step 1: Take the online Badge assessment.
Carefully review your past presentation performances as you answer the 50 questions included in our online Badge assessment. Your responses will dictate which one of 16 presentation personas you are and will highlight your presentation skills and weaknesses.
Step 2: Map out your individual strengths and weaknesses.
Once you receive your results, get What’s Your Presentation Persona? and learn more about the intricacies of your distinct profile. On a separate sheet of paper, create 2 columns – one for your strengths and the other for your weaknesses. As you read through your profile’s chapter, write a list of words and phrases in each column. Every member of your team should do the same.
Step 3: Develop a presentation leveraging your unique skills.
Finally, pair up with the person who has a complementary presentation persona to your own and start the presentation creation process. Lean on each other to form an effective narrative and engaging design. For example, a Befriender may defer to the Producer in the content production stage since the Producer will enjoy researching, planning, and preparing. During the presentation, however, the Producer might look to the Befriender to present an unpopular idea with their knack for winning over the audience. A Befriender might empathize with audience needs more than their Producer counterpart.
Are you on the search for a presentation partner? The Badge assessment is a great place to start. Discover your presentation persona. Then, evaluate the presentation skills other personas could offer you. Not only will you benefit yourself, but you will also benefit your audience. It’s a win-win situation.
Find out more about Badge and What’s Your Presentation Persona?
Why Every HR Professional Should Have These Presentation Skills
Presentation Personas Who Are Motivational Speakers
Presentation Persona Spotlight: Emma Watson
How to Apply Badge to Your Everyday Professional Life
