Clear, precise communication: From everyday work to an university lecture

At the start of October, Sebastian, our Team Lead of Product Operations & Growth, gave a digital talk on the topic of “Communicating effectively and precisely” at the University of Cologne. Keep reading to learn the tips he gave the students and how they are reflected in his everyday work.

What do you find especially difficult about giving presentations? What’s easy? Sebastian used these questions as a jump-off for his lecture at the University of Cologne. The students reacted immediately: Stage fright was a major factor, as was being able to be concise and speak clearly.

Here are a few tips from Sebastian’s lecture to the students.

Keep your target group in mind

Before taking a closer look into these pain points, let’s start with the basics: How can I be sure I’m understanding my audience correctly, and how do I keep them invested? This goal can be reached by conducting a precise target group analysis. Consider these questions:

• What are the interests and motivations of the target group?
• What level of knowledge do they have?
• What expectations might your audience have for your presentation?
• Will a relaxed approach work, or is it better to keep it formal: Which communication style does your audience prefer?

You can use the persona method to develop specific types of people who might likely be sitting in your audience. These detailed sketches of fictitious characters represent the target groups of a product or service – but can be applied just as well to the audience of a presentation. These personas help you better understand the needs, goals and challenges of your target groups, which in turn help you tailor your communication and product design to them. For example, you can think about the specific age, level of education or interests of an average audience member of your talk.

In his talk, Sebastian also talked about the advantages of using this kind of approach: A well-thought-out target group analysis can lead to greater audience engagement, improved clarity and a stronger connection with your audience.

Keep your cool: How to keep your nerves at bay during a presentation

Along with tips on how to structure a presentation, the use of storytelling and the right design, Sebastian also gave the students valuable information on the topic of presenting.

Because the way a presentation is delivered can make or break the success of its message. The following aspects are critical:

• Body language: Stand up straight, with confidence. The right body language delivers a message of authority and self-confidence to your audience. Using well-placed hand gestures can add more impact to important points. But be careful not to use this tactic too often, which distracts from your presentation. And another thing: Put a smile on your face. Smiling automatically makes your audience feel welcome.
• Eye contact: Even if it’s hard for you, eye contact builds a rapport between you and your audience. But don’t keep your eyes on just one person; change your focus every so often.
• Tone: Try to match your tone of voice to the topic you’re talking about. You can emphasise important points by raising your tone or your volume, and slow down to explain things that may be harder to understand. Unfortunately, monotone presentations become just that – monotonous. Your audience loses interest in what you’re saying, no matter how interesting or important the content is.
• Dealing with stage fright: Repeat to yourself: Almost everyone is nervous before they give a presentation. It’s totally normal. But there are also concrete methods to help you settle your nerves.
  • Proper preparation is of the essence. If you feel, and are, well-prepared, this automatically increases your confidence and calm.
  • Practise makes perfect. Run through your presentation in front of a mirror or even your friends or family. The more often you practise, the more confident you’ll be.
  • Breathing exercises can help. Before your presentation, take a conscious breath in, hold it for a few moments, then slowly exhale. You’ll notice your heart rate slow down immediately.
• Get the audience involved: Engagement isn’t only a social-media keyword. It matters for presentations, too. Interaction is important for keeping your audience’s interest. You might ask (rhetorical) questions, give your audience some time for discussion and questions or use an interactive quiz to gather feedback.
• Practise and feedback: It’s important to practise giving presentations over and over again. On that count, if you want to become a pro at presenting, take advantage of every opportunity you can get. It doesn’t matter if it’s your next team meeting or in school. It’s also always helpful to gather constructive criticism after a presentation. You can ask your audience directly or use tools like online surveys to collect anonymous feedback.

An interview with Sebastian

We were curious and wondered whether, and how, Sebastian makes use of his own tips in his everyday work.

Here’s what we found out:

Sebastian, you’re our Team Lead of Product Operations & Growth. Can you tell us a bit more about your career path?

Before I joined KEC, I was involved in consulting on topics such as agile product development and digital transformation. These experiences helped me develop a deep understanding of different sectors and businesses. The large number of projects and challenges gave me a diverse range of valuable perspectives which are now really helpful as I continuously advance and further develop our topics at KEC. Thinking outside the box has helped me tremendously to find innovative solutions and set the course for continuous growth.

The workshop you gave to interested students at the University of Cologne in October was about how to communicate effectively and precisely. Which key takeaways did you share with the attendees?

One of the most important points that I wanted the students to come away with was to understand your audience as deeply as you can in order to make sure you truly get your message across. Communication is always most effective when it’s tailored to the needs and understanding of the recipient. Another central point I emphasised was that less is more. That doesn’t just apply to the content of the presentation, but also to the way you communicate, whether that’s through your facial expressions, gestures or the way the presentation is structured.

My weapon against stage fright? Be thoroughly prepared.

Which of these takeaways did you need to learn for yourself in your professional life? How do these lessons help you in your career, and which of them do you use in your everyday work?

One of the most important lessons I learned was understanding how crucial it is to watch myself while I present. Especially in the early years of my career, I realised just how helpful it was to practise presentations in front of a mirror. This helped me become more familiar not only with my content, but also reflect on my own behaviour – my facial expressions, gestures and body language. This self-observation helped me appear more confident and authentic. I still use this trick nowadays, especially when I’m preparing for an important presentation or meeting. It helps me make sure I’m communicating my message clearly and convincingly, while also having a positive impact on my audience.