Recently, there’s been an uptick in the personality test craze. As people desperately try to get an edge in business, hobbies, relationships, and life in general, they turn to personality tests that will help them understand who they are and how they tick.
With this additional understanding comes a sense of self-awareness, and self-awareness is a vital part of every presenter’s life. Understanding our strengths and weaknesses gives us a leg up in any situation, which is, of course, invaluable when getting on a stage. Knowing how we will respond to certain circumstances allows us to see foresee challenges and tackle hurdles before they ever get to us.
With all of the personality tests on the market, there are 2 tests that every presenter should take right now. When these two test results are combined, you will not only elevate your presentation level, but you will elevate your self-awareness as a human.
StrengthsFinder 2.0
For roughly $20, this test helps you to identify your top 5 strengths. The premise for this test is to equip you to operate from your strengths rather than your weaknesses. In our fast-paced and highly digital culture, feedback is in no short supply. Whether from bosses, social media, or friends and family, my guess is that you have received plenty of feedback on what your areas of weakness are. Rather than focusing on your weaknesses, this test will help you improve on your strengths by teaching you how to operate fully from those strengths and use them to cover up your weaknesses.
As a presenter, this test is invaluable in helping you to understand not just your delivery as a presenter and how you will react that day, but also your preparation skills. For example, my top 5 strengths are Self Assurance, Belief, Focus, Individualization, and Relator. This particular mix gives me a level of confidence that relates to people easily, which is a great skill when it comes to speaking in front of large crowds. However, this mix also shows that I am not great at details; my lack of detail orientation means preparation can get delayed and deadlines can get missed which, in turn, hurts the overall presentation. With this understanding, I know that I have to place an extra level of effort on my preparation. I have to take the time to map out and set short-term goals for myself, because, though I’m not detail oriented, my focus drives me to accomplish the immediate task.
Taking this test will help you gain a better understanding of your strengths and how to leverage them to your advantage. It shows you how to focus on your strengths and operate out of those rather than constantly focusing on improving your weaknesses.
Ethos3 Badge Assessment
Once you understand how you are wired as a person, it is time to understand how you are wired as a presenter. Ethos3 has created a proprietary, free assessment called Badge to help you do just that. This assessment takes less than 15 minutes, but it will give you a clear insight into your presentation persona. Think of this test as the Meyers Briggs for presenters.
Upon completing Badge, you will be given a persona that embodies who you are when you are developing, designing, and delivering your presentation. For a deep dive into your persona, purchase a copy of What’s Your Presentation Persona? by Ethos3’s CEO, Scott Schwertly, and Sunday Mancini, then find out how to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses on stage. What I love about this assessment and book is that it helps you understand why you do the things you do during presentations and why some audiences are harder or easier than others. It gives you an inside look into things you should work on and tangible tips to making real-time improvements.
Once you have completed both tests, it’s time to sit down and compare all of your results. Use the StrengthsFinder 2.0 results to leverage the information you have learned in Badge to understand your personality strengths as well as your specific presentation strengths. Take a look at your weaknesses as a presenter and ask yourself “How can I use my strengths to cover these weaknesses?” I promise if you do, you will not just improve your presentation skills, but you will improve your life skills.
Interested in taking this free assessment today? Click here to unlock the next level of your presentation skills.
