From novice to expert: How to unlock your presentation potential

Spending more than a decade-and-a-half training professionals to master the art of public speaking, Pillay has released her how-to guide for anyone who wants to get over their fear of public speaking. This practical book will provide readers with tips, speaker hacks and engaging visuals to help you “achieve the highest levels of presentation proficiency”, says Mark Brown, Emmy Award nominee and World Champion of Public Speaking.

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Growing your brand as a speaker full throttle!

When I reflect on my journey of becoming a professional speaker, it involved speaking at both formal and informal events. Most of these early speeches were delivered at family occasions and social settings. Later, I started finding ways to present more formally within my role at work. It was when I started my own business that I began to develop my skills more intently as a public speaker.

I realise now that every occasion, whether big or small, that I spoke at, whether it was a short speech or a longer talk, slowly developed my skill and increased my confidence as a speaker. Each of the various types of speeches requires a different presentation style, a different approach to preparation, and a different method of delivery. Yes, I made lots of mistakes in my first attempts at these speeches. What is important is that I learnt from the mistakes and I used those lessons to enhance my skills even further.

Executing the function of a master of ceremonies (MC)

Objective

Your objective is to ensure that the event runs smoothly. You will do this by studying the agenda of activities or the presentations for the day, and taking a role on stage to be the connecting link between the audience, the speakers, the event proceedings, the event organisers and the technicians.

Time limit: This will depend on the event itself, which could be anything from a one-hour event to a full day proceeding or a longer two to three-day conference.

Delivery style

Your delivery style should suit both your personality and the event proceedings. If the event itself is casual and light, you can adopt a more relaxed and friendlier attitude. If the event is more serious and structured, you should align your delivery to be more formal and conventional.

What to be aware of

1. You are the conduit of a message between the presenters, the event organisers, and the audience. Sit close to the aisle, or somewhere towards the side of the room where you can move around without disturbing the audience.
2. There are times when you will need to walk to the stage to assist the presenter, and other times when you may need to walk to the back of the room to: Speak to the technician; adjust the room temperature or the lighting in the room, and speak to other people to ensure the smooth running of the event.
3. It is your role as the MC to keep the agenda running on time. Techniques for managing time include: Having a countdown clock on the stage for the presenter to see; flashing timecards from the back of the room to notify speakers of the amount of time left. Simply have separate cards with the following words written on them: “Ten Minutes Left”; “Five Minutes Left”; “TIME OUT”.
4. Professional speakers should be allowed to manage their own timers on the stage, or with a countdown timer in the venue that they can view.
5. It is critical to the role of the MC to know the protocols for the event to ensure an orderly flow, so that the speakers and the audience gain the maximum benefit. Some of the common protocols are listed below. Speak to the host of the event for any other protocols that are specific to the event at which you are going to be the MC.

How to execute

Before the event:

1. Speak to the event organisers to understand the logistics of the event and the order of the speakers.
2. Obtain a list of the speakers on the day, so that you can research their background. This way, you will know something about the speakers before you actually meet with them.
3. Confirm if there will be any “walk-on” music being played for the speakers as they enter the stage. Speak with the technician to ensure that the presenters’ slides, videos, and music are in working order.
4. Obtain a list of cellphone numbers for the speakers and the event organisers, so that you can keep in touch via your mobile devices. This helps to keep the event on track: If a speaker is late or seated in the room where you cannot see them, you can quickly communicate with each other; if a speaker is unable to locate the venue or is delayed, they can get in touch with you; if you need to ask the event organiser something or confirm a change in the agenda, you can quickly text them without disturbing the audience.
5. Connect with the technicians to ensure that they have sufficient roving microphones to use during the question-and-answer session. Ask them to assist you in handing out the roving microphones during the question-and-answer session.
6. Complete a sound check with your microphone and ideally use a headset.
7. Prepare a running script that you will use as an MC on the day of the event. This essentially is the agenda, with a detailed checklist of what should occur before, during and after a speaker. The running script could include: A short introduction of the speaker; a reminder to yourself of all the protocols to announce; the snippets of information to announce at certain times of the day; the names of the breakaway rooms; videos that you would like to show if there is a gap in the agenda.

At the event

1. Names and introductions

Meet with the speakers and confirm the pronunciation of their names. Ask the speakers if they have a preferred way of being introduced through a specifically worded biography. Focus on correctly pronouncing names and getting the titles of their presentation right. It is unprofessional for an MC not to do so, and it impacts your own credibility as an MC.

2. Engagement

Your role as an MC is to lift the energy of the audience. Prepare snippets of information to share with the audience that is aligned to the theme of the event. In the instance that speakers finish early, you can use these snippets of information to fill up the space. If appropriate, you can also have a selection of relevant learning videos to share with the audience.

If you have a big gap to fill between speakers, you could ask the audience to engage in a discussion among the groups to reflect on their learning, their actions, and their insights. Have a roving microphone on hand, so that you can ask the group to share their insights.

If your role as an MC is to facilitate the discussion among a panel of presenters, maintain eye contact with your panellists and focus on having a conversation with them alone. Keep the dialogue between yourself and your panellists fluid, natural, and conversational. For panel moderation, it is important to use the panellists' names as you pose a question to them or acknowledge their response to your question.

3. Acknowledgement and gifts

When acknowledging and thanking a presenter after their talk, there may be a gift that needs to be handed over to them. Confirm who will be officially thanking the speakers and handing over the gift.

4. Social media interaction

Ask the audience to participate in real time during the event, using social media platforms and including event hashtags. If there are going to be any prizes handed out to delegates for such social media interactions, then your role as an MC is to announce these at the start of the event.

5. Smooth transitions

Your role as an MC is to ensure that there is a smooth connection from the topic and theme, from one agenda item or speaker to the next. Your snippets of information, group discussion and moments of reflection are the techniques you use to bridge the gap between speakers.

After the event

1. Use the opportunity to request testimonials on your role as an MC via social media, like LinkedIn or formal feedback forms. You can use these testimonials for future speaking work.
2. Reflect on your role as an MC and conduct a post-analysis of what you did well and what could be done differently next time.
3. Ask for feedback from the host on your role as an MC.
4. Speak with the delegates who attended the event. Ask them for their feedback on their experience on the day.

Benefits of being a master of ceremonies

1. You have the opportunity to learn how to coordinate an event from behind the scenes, as well as on the day of the event.
2. You have direct access to the presenters and the guests on the agenda. You can learn from them and watch how they prepare and execute their presentations.
3. You expand your network within the speaking industry to include the presenters, the audience, the event organisers, and the technicians.
4. You can gain practical learning on the role of an MC. You will learn how to be adaptable on the day, as you must think on your feet and make quick decisions when you need to.
5. You grow your confidence to speak, so that one day you may become a presenter yourself. DM

Ignition by Dineshrie Pillay is now available at all leading bookshops. R495.