How many times have you heard that we fear speaking in public more than death?  Too many.  A presentation is not an execution but you may feel a little looney when your presentation is out of tune.  Effectively executing your next presentation is a combination of focus, finesse and finish.

Always leave them wanting more but never wondering.  When Porky Pig waves goodbye while saying that’s all folks you look forward to seeing him again, and again, especially if you are indulging in a Bugs Bunny binge.  Begin each presentation with the end in mind.  By starting from your destination you can find the best way to invite your audience to join you there. As you plan, beware that often fast becomes slow.  The quickest route for you through your material maybe the most confusing to your audience, this is because you already know the way.  Guide people through your presentation with common analogies and shared experiences.  We all know Elmer Fudd is never going to get Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig stammers before his punch line pops out.  You know how it is going to end and yet, you still enjoy watching because you know how it is going to end.  Creating a finish which covers and recaps your material and message not only is an effective touch, it often ends up being a touching finish.

Treating a troublesome situation tactfully requires elegant dexterity, not cursory caresses.  The opportunities of your life are really difficulties in disguise.  Effective communication requires you get familiar with trouble.  How familiar you want to get is up to you.  Hoping for a stay of execution from the governor is probably pushing a bit far; however, it would be killer content for a speech.  How you relate your challenges is influenced by how you relate to your challenges. Do you see yourself as a victim, spectator or hero?  The same experience gets told very differently depending on your perspective.  Vague references to something that happen to someone sometime do not give listeners anything to grasp on to.  Sharing subtle details which contain and frame the problem requires finesse.  Consider the difference in asking “what’s wrong with you” versus “what is troubling you”.  Each expresses concern but the former focuses on the person while the latter focuses on the person’s challenge.

Concentrate on your area of concern to help your audience learn, not to emphasize your eloquence.  When your method is more memorable than your message, your execution is flawed.  Cartoon characters are drawn with just enough detail to be recognizable. Extraneous details draw your attention to the artist’s execution and away from the characters’ situation.  Work at making what you say attractive and how you say it less distracting.   Put yourself in your listener’s shoes, you know what’s coming next while they are wondering.  Concentrate on one key message divided into no more than 3 parts, ideally interrelating and reinforcing each other.  Repetition is key to effective execution.  Proffering polished phrases, crafting concurrent concepts, and developing dramatic delivery is truly an achievement but rarely does it achieve, or convey, simple truth.  When you look through your audience’s eyes, make sure their concerns are your focus  and stay with them until the end.

Creating a finish as clear and clean as Bugs’ smile protects your presentation from misinterpretation.  Touching upon troubles with tact impresses your audience with the refinement of your thinking.  Focusing on one primary concern, from a few angles, aids the audience in learning.  When you combine these skills someone may compliment you by saying, “you’re killin’ it,” but you will know it is a continuing attuning of refined engagement, polished endings and keen execution.