Team Presentations - Are you on the same team?

Group Presentations

Having more than one person presenting together can be effective. Note the success of the old comedy teams, sports commentators, TV news teams and radio show co-hosts. The second person provides colour, a different voice and a particular perspective.

You might employ a co-presenter for these reasons, but always be clear on the purpose of the second or third presenter in your team. They must serve a specific role that is clear to the audience. Otherwise it looks like the two of you are doing the same thing and therefore one of you is redundant.

Here are some possibilities:

Interview

You interview the chief engineer. In this case the chief engineer has both credibility and valuable information but might be a weak presenter. You keep the presentation focused with your questions and commentary.

Panel

You chair a panel of three or four experts. Again they offer credibility and perspective. You add colour and keep it focused. Whenever dealing with technical experts be prepared to challenge or interpret them for jargon and relevance.

In both of the above cases you are also the timekeeper. Tell your experts how long they have and be prepared to cut them off when their time is up. Don’t surprise them – tell them the rules up front then follow your own rules. Be sure to smile a friendly smile when you cut someone off.

Team Presentation

You are delivering a presentation to a new client and you want to bring along your Operations Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Work Together

Be clear on why each presenter is included on the team. The purpose of each team member must be evident to the audience. Don’t overload your team. It should appear to be an effective team – not a flock of bleating sheep. This only confuses the audience and dilutes the power of your presentation.

One person should clearly be the lead presenter – to open and close and be the glue. Be sure to rehearse the full presentation together before the big day. Plan how each member will be introduced. Will the team leader introduce everyone or will each team member introduce himself? Rehearse a smooth transition from one team presenter to the next.

To help focus attention on the individual who is speaking the others should be seated or standing two feet behind the speaker. The team members who are not speaking should remain still and look at the one who is speaking. They should not distract the audience with movement, chatter or reading their own notes.

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Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives