Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Bottom Line Me podcast. I'm your host, Ann Allard. Today, we're going to dive into something that nearly all of us have to do, but not all of us feel really confident or comfortable doing it, and that's presenting. Whether you're presenting to one person, a small group, or even a large audience, there are some fundamentals that all great presenters use, and they can apply to every one of these situations.
I recently had an opportunity to listen to Leslie Wyatt, Director of regulatory compliance at SoftPro, share some thoughts on how to present like a superstar.
And I was hooked right from the start with her first rule, which was know your stuff.
I love Leslie's approach. It isn't about being perfect. It's about being prepared, being authentic, and connecting with her audience.
So today, she's agreed to share some of her thoughts and what it actually takes to be a superstar when you're presenting. So welcome, Leslie. I'm so happy to have this opportunity to talk with you and to have you share with our audience some of the things that you've learned along the way as you've been out there presenting. And I know you've been doing it for a long time.
So before we get started, I just want to welcome you and give you a couple minutes to tell our audience a little bit about yourself, what you do at Soft Pro, and anything else you might want to share.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Great. Well, first, thank you for having me. I always love an opportunity to chat with you and thank you for the kind words. I have been doing it for a very long time. Too long to give details.
I do work at Soft Pro. I.
I'm the Director of Compliance at Soft Pro, but I spend a majority of my time doing presentations, traveling the country, big and small. You know, national federal conferences, down to local underwriter conferences or meetings. And I. I don't know when I started doing it, I just kind of got hooked. I love it. I love the people I love, you know, sharing information, and I've, you know, learned a few things along the way. Like you said, you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be prepared on a personal level. I live in Chicago. I am married. I have teenage daughters when I actually just home from first year of college. And, yeah, that's pretty much me in a nutshell.
Great.
[00:02:40] Speaker A: Awesome. Well, super. I always enjoy opportunities when we can get together at events, and I, you know, I. I think I said to you when we reconnected years ago that I can go back to the days when. When I remember you at Soft Pro and when I was learning how to use some of the. The tools, sources that were really foreign to us at that time. So, boy, been a great journey and it's wonderful to see you out there on the circuit. I know you're. You're very well sought after and people love to spend time with you and to hear you talk. So let's get into it, you know, let's jump into that.
Rule number one. Know your stuff.
So what does that really look like beyond just, you know, knowing what the content is or having a topic? So talk a little bit about that.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm a firm believer in, you know, knowing your stuff isn't just being able to stand in front of people and regurgitate information, you know, as facts about what you're talking, but really knowing everything about the environment you're in and knowing how to adapt and how to present and not just the information. For example, I always like to know the setup. It changes how I'm going to present. Are we at a roundtable? Am I on a stage? Do I have to be stuck behind a podium, which I don't enjoy, but I can figure it out. So I think, yeah, I think knowing your stuff is more just kind of. It really goes back to that, like being prepared and not just in the knowledge. I mean, if you've agreed to speak on a topic, you should already know what you're talking about. Right. So the rest of it is kind of beyond the content, like you said. And, you know, where am I going?
You know, what is the setup? What does the tech look like? And also, and I think we'll probably talk more about this, but really reading the room and knowing your audience, that's. That's a big thing for me. And I think it's clear when presenters don't.
So for me, it's more just the whole package. Like I said, I wouldn't have agreed to speak on something I don't feel well versed on. And so being prepared behind that content or beyond the content, it's really just when you walk in, you should be ready to go. You've prepared, you know your stuff, you know where you are, you know what to expect. And you also have to be ready to expect the unexpected. Right?
[00:05:06] Speaker A: For sure. Kind of like what happened to us when we started to record. Exactly, exactly, exactly. So.
Well, that. So knowing your stuff isn't just about understanding or really feeling like you're a subject matter expert, you on a specific topic. Wow. That. Knowing your stuff is. Is a lot of things. So that's great. But let's talk about one of the things I think that we both agree is the most important part, and that's the preparation.
I know you've talked about rehearsing, knowing what you're talking about, having talking points, things like that. So how do you go about getting yourself prepared?
[00:05:45] Speaker B: You know, and that's one of the number one questions I get from people who want to start doing more public speaking or presentations, you know, within their organizations. And I think preparation is key to just about anything. And this is no different.
And again, preparation to me isn't making sure that I am the subject matter expert, right. I would not be there or have been asked if it's not something that I am, you know, well versed on or being able to speak to. So for me, it's definitely more about thinking through things and where I want to go with it. And the preparation is different for everybody. And I'm going to go back to understanding your setup and where you're going, because your preparation might be different depending on what you're going to do. And what I mean by that is, if I'm going into a small roundtable, kind of interactive, one on one, my preparation is going to be very different than if I'm going on stage in front of 5,000 people. I have to have different talking points, different. I have to have different time cues. So I am not someone who records myself and practices out loud or to an audience. But I know for a lot of people that works really well. I am someone who, like, will maybe just kind of have my phone out with me for timing, and I will kind of go through my talking points in my head or out loud, but just to myself. And then I might say, wow, that's a little longer than I expected, or I need to leave more time for conversation, or. So I maybe pull back a few talking points, but keep them in the back of my head, ready for it. Right? And I just think you have to find what works for you.
Again, I get this question all the time, and I always feel like I don't answer it the way people want me to answer it because it really, truly is something that varies from, you know, person to person. And I'll give you a great example. I.
I was asked many years ago to testify at a congressional briefing for alta, and I was very excited. It was a whole trid thing.
And they asked me to come in beforehand. We were going to walk over and we were in a boardroom and they were grilling me with questions and I was just stumbling over my words because I don't practice like that. I have it all up here. And I could see their faces.
Like, oh, God, we asked the wrong person.
And I just stopped it. And I said, listen, I promise you, when I'm in there and in the moment, I'll be fine. And I know I can see your faces.
And they were like, okay, yeah, I get it. Not everyone prepares like that. But at the time, Michelle Korsmo was the CEO and she practiced verbatim, word for word, and she's an incredible speaker. And it was more or less just, you know, personal preference, if you will. And so for me, it kind of trips me up if I know it's not real. Like, I just can't do it. And so we. I went, did the congressional briefing. It went great. And afterwards, they were laughing. They were like, you know, we're not going to lie. You had us worried for a minute. And I said, I saw your faces. I absolutely know I had you worried. So, you know, as far as preparation and practice, you just kind of have to find what works for you. And the only thing I will say, if you are new to presenting, absolutely. If you do nothing else, do it internally. Sitting down with a timer.
Make sure you have enough or not too much content for the time that you're allotted.
[00:09:11] Speaker A: Excellent.
That makes perfect sense. Yeah. And that's really good advice.
You know, speaking of timing and things, when somebody is getting ready or they're practicing or rehearsing or they're actually there, one of the things that, you know, you hear pros and cons about is using PowerPoint slides. And some people love them and some people really rely on them in order to kind of keep their focus.
What's your thoughts on using PowerPoints?
[00:09:45] Speaker B: I personally like PowerPoints. I mean, again, it depends on the setting. If we're having a conversation or like a panel moderation type thing, then no, you don't need. People are going to focus on that instead of the people. But if you're doing a presentation, whether it's large or small, I don't think there's anything wrong with a PowerPoint. I personally actually like them.
I think it helps with timing, guiding the conversation, But I don't rely on them, meaning they should be used as a reference for you, especially if you have a lot of time to fill. And what I mean by that is you need to put highlights or key points on there. Right. If you put everything you're going to say up there, there's no reason for you to Be up there, right? I can read it. I don't need you to tell me it if I can read it. Plus, it's boring. I don't care what anyone says. It's boring. Right?
[00:10:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:31] Speaker B: You want to keep people engaged. I like to use more like visuals. People are more engaged with visuals. And just a few bullet or two, sometimes you can't avoid it. It might be a legal term or a quote, that's fine. But in general, those slides should be used mostly just for, you know, key points, highlights, or references. But also because if you find yourself in a situation where you either have to cut your presentation short for whatever reason or stretch it longer for whatever reason that they asked you, if you're going slide by slide by slide and you're just reading off there, you. You can't. You're locked in with what you have. Whereas if you just have talking points, you can. You can glaze over them if you need to get through it, or you can expand greatly on them. So having them as a resource versus a crutch, I think is good. And you should just never, never, never read from them. Right. They don't. They're not. They don't have you there to read something that you could have just handed out.
[00:11:27] Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah. Well, and I, you know, I think the other thing, and I'm sure somebody shared this with me when I was learning how to do some presentations, is that you got to think about it from the audience perspective as well. And most people can't read and listen at the same time. So I agree with you. I think visuals that sort of just highlight what it is you're trying to convey to that audience makes a big difference, and it keeps them listening to you, I would imagine.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, you want to put keywords or key points that someone's like, oh, yeah, I'm interested in that. And then they're going to, like you said, focus and listen to you rather than try and read what's up there.
[00:12:05] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Well, let's talk about, you know, that we're talking about the audience. Let's talk about reading the room. You know, how do you do that?
[00:12:12] Speaker B: You know, it's my favorite thing in presenting, honestly.
Couple tricks I've used. I mean. Well, let's take a step back. Reading the room doesn't mean you have to go in there and just identify everybody who's in there and whatnot. It really is just kind of, you know, are people here because they want to or people here for CE and cle, that makes a very Big difference in how you present. Yeah. And then also I think it's, you know, it's nice when you have a few familiar faces that you can lean into and you kind of know, you know, the vibe just from them. But one thing that I like to do is I like to stand by the door as people are coming in and greet them and kind of ask them a few questions or I know, where are you from? Not. You can really get a good read on the room. And the way people. If someone is very just like, oh, hi. Moves on and it's person after person after person, they're probably not there for your humor and wit. They're there for information and to get out. Right.
People are like, hi, I can't wait, blah, blah, blah. You kind of get a different feel. So reading the room is more just the type of personalities do you have in there. Right. And. And understanding that you may have a presentation and a way you want to deliver it in mind, but you might need to adapt that immediately because they might not. Like I said, they might not be there for conversation and jokes. They're there for information and credits. So it's. It's really making sure the audience gets the best experience.
That's your job as a presenter and a speaker. They're there to hear what you have to say and leave with the information that they need. So understanding who you're presenting to really, really helps with that. And also, I will tell you, even the driest Curtis groups that I've had, when you lean into that, they end up being some of the best and more most interactive because you're talking to them like they're used to being talked to in the way they talk to people. So, you know, just kind of leaning into the audience and making sure they are getting the best experience for their type of personality.
That's great.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: I also think from the audience perspective that having that. I think that's a great suggestion to stand by the door and welcome people as they're coming in, because in addition to getting you comfortable with. With who's coming through the room, you're making a connection with them already. So by the time they sit down to listen to what you have to say, they kind of feel like they already know you, maybe.
[00:14:34] Speaker B: So that's 100%.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:14:37] Speaker B: It also, it also keeps them more engaged, to be honest with you. It's like if. If I just walk up there and somebody reads a long bio about me and I start speaking, they're just kind of like glazed over. But if I'M kind of greeting them at the door or talking to them when they're sitting. Sometimes I walk around if we have time, like, oh, like, where are you from? Blah, blah, blah.
And I also don't like people's like, big introductions. I make you want to humanize yourself. You don't need 50,000 things on your bio.
It's just, you know, people lose interest. So to your point, yes. And they also, like I said, they. The fact that they had that brief interaction with you, they're like probably 10 times more likely to engage and listen, pay attention.
[00:15:16] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, awesome. So I know one of the other things that you mentioned in the presentation that you did last month that I was at is you, you storytelling. It's always good to come in with a good story, to share it with the audience, to people connect with that. How do you figure that out? How do you know what kind of story to tell? And you know, and then my follow up to that is, what do you do if that story doesn't land?
[00:15:46] Speaker B: Let me tell you, I can tell from personal experience every story doesn't land.
I mean, that's kind of presenting 101, right? You have envisions in your mind how you're. If it's a joke, a comment, if it's a story, how it's going to land.
You know, it's 50, 50 at best. Right. So you kind of have to learn to roll with those punches if it doesn't. But I mean, I like to lighten some of the material that I talk about. So if it's kind of heavy, boring, regulatory type stuff, then I'll try and, you know, interject something there.
I feel personally, when you can humanize yourself, people are more engaged or more apt to listen to you. And so I generally will mention my like, husband or kids or, you know, I kind of maybe reference our industry. We always joke that, you know, I've never, I have three daughters. I've never been asked to come in and speak for Queer Day, even though I've lobbied. I've done a congressional briefing, I traveled all over. I've presented, you know, on whatever. I've been featured on things. My husband, however, is an engineer.
He's a bridge engineer. They ask him every year and even to go to the physics class when they were doing the bridge things, which I think is wonderful. And everyone always laughs at that. And I always say that's because no one knows what we do, our industry and let alone young kids don't understand what software is because it's not an app. And so I, I try and personalize it to like, it can, it can apply to everyone, you know, so I kind of keep it like, industry related or, you know, that type of thing. And because everyone will be like, oh, yeah, no one. My family doesn't know what I do either. You know, Title insurance. What's that?
[00:17:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:17:25] Speaker B: Again, it goes back to reading the room and not being afraid to personalize you as a speaker, to put everybody on the same level, a level playing field.
The second part of your question of when it doesn't land. Yeah, it's. It's real clear when things don't land.
I mean, I'm a pretty casual. I like to crack jokes type person. And I've had. I've literally had to be quite literally responded, all right, not, we're not a joking crowd, let's move on. And they weren't. And it was fine. But they also. That's what they laughed at, not my joke.
So acknowledging it and not being like, offended by anything. I mean, their job is not there to make you feel better. Your job is to make them feel better. And so just kind of going with the flow and moving on is honestly the best advice that I can give with that.
[00:18:10] Speaker A: I love that that it didn't land. You just acknowledge it and. Yeah. Wow, that's great.
Great. Another thing, let's talk about, you know, body language and your presence. I know you had some really good tips on that. So can you share a few of your thoughts around body language, how to present yourself, you know, move, don't move.
[00:18:32] Speaker B: Yeah. I can't stress this enough. I mean, think about it. If you're at a party in a social setting, right. I mean, some people give off a vibe where you kind of just, you're drawn to them, you want to go talk to them, they're whatever. And then other people are kind of like, they're standoffish. Maybe they're not. They're just body language comes across that way. Right. It's no different than when you're on stage and, you know, a couple of things, really. Sometimes it depends on the setup. Right. If you're stuck behind a podium, sometimes there's not much you can do. So, you know, you kind of have to bring out your personality a little bit more in those. Or make a comment like, I promise I'm not stuffy. I just, this is the only mic, you know, I always say lean into the audience and let them know what's going on. Like, like you said earlier, like, no one's Expecting you to be perfect all the time. But for me, I like to walk around. I'm sure you can see in this video my hands have been flailing the whole time as well. I like to walk around. I like to make eye contact, but not weird eye contact.
You know, I make people uncomfortable.
But also making sure, especially in a large room, you know, there's nothing worse. When a speaker goes and they find a spot, say, on the right side of the stage and you're sitting all the way in the left corner, you feel so disengaged, you almost feel like you're not part of the conversation. And so being able to kind of move and sometimes space it out, like, go over here, couple talking points, go to the middle cup talking points, go to the left, a couple talking points. And also just kind of like surveying the room and making sure people are engaged. You might see, like people are kind of can't see. You will find your way over there. So, you know, just kind of coming across as approachable.
And I find it too, for questions going back and forth and when you, when you're trying to have a conversation with the crowd and you want the questions, I also find a good tip with that is whatever, wherever you are and someone asks a question, no matter what, you're going to repeat the question back to them for two reasons. One, to make sure you have it correct, but most importantly, to make sure everyone in the room heard that person ask the question because they may not have heard it. And now you're answering something, they have no idea what you're talking about. So you always get the question, repeat it back. And then generally I will move away from the person that asked me that question to kind of engage people in a different area. So just kind of engaging. It helps with engagement in the, in the crowd, but also just kind of like if you are in a social setting, that's what you should be up on stage.
[00:20:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
I love that you repeat the question, you know, as soon as you, you, you shared that. I thought, I can't tell you how many times I've been at some event and I didn't hear the question. And now it's like, what is this person talking about? So that's a really good tip. I love it.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: I. It actually drives me crazy when I'm somewhere because I'm nosy and I'm sitting in there and I want to know what everyone's talking about and I'm like, what they say, right? And then. And then you don't want to. Then you're like putting your hand up and then you don't want them to repeat it. So and when you do that too, the question, like people feel more comfortable asking questions if you're putting it out there to the whole thing and not just like to them.
[00:21:30] Speaker A: Yeah, great, great. I love it. So let's talk about one other thing that you mentioned in your presentation and that was some tips or some do's and don'ts when you're co presenting because that can be really challenging for people, particularly if you have somebody that's got a lot to say or has a big personality and another person that's, that's more of, you know, I'm here to just deliver information and doesn't have that, you know, outgoing style. So what, what's, what's some ideas on how to make sure that you're, you're playing fair.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: That honestly, those are great words, playing fair. Best advice when you're co presenting. Co presenting for people that don't fully understand is, is different than being on a panel where someone else is moderating and kind of controlling airtime, if you will. Co presenting is just that when you are presenting with, you know, one or more people. So generally it's two people. I love co presenting because I, and I like co presenting with people with different personalities and I, because I think you kind of hit everybody in the audience. But you do have to be very mindful that you are not the main character. Right. This is a two person job and I think some of the things that I would say best work are really going through the content and saying, hey, you know, we have these eight slides, I'm going to kick off these four and then punted to you. You're going to kick off. But also during these, there's several times I know I want you to add in. So I'm going to say, hey, like what, what, what are your thoughts on that as well and making sure that they're comfortable and they know you're not just gonna, you know, the worst thing you want to do is just be blabbering on and then be like, so what do you think? And they're not prepared and then they look bad. And to your point, with someone with a bigger personality versus, you know, someone who isn't, it's not a great look for the bigger personality and it makes the person who isn't kind of makes them look like they weren't prepared. So you just want to kind of make sure you're aligned and have a couple prep calls with them. Now I do a lot of presentations with the same people, and it just. It's just great. Right?
[00:23:32] Speaker A: You can finish each other's sentences.
[00:23:34] Speaker B: Exactly. Yes, exactly. But if it's new, I always make sure. I always say, hey, what are you comfortable with?
What do you like? How do you want to do this? Do you want me to start the intro? Do you want. And just kind of really planning it out, but also staying in your lane. I can't stress this enough.
Yeah, we get it. You know, all the information, but so does this person. They're on stage for a reason, too. So even though it might be hard for you to stop and let that other person explain it because you feel like you want to, you have to really be mindful of who's saying what and making sure everybody has enough air time as to fill it. And also just choose better explaining at certain things. Right. There's certain things people are more comfortable with and just kind of identifying those.
[00:24:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that's so true. If this part of the presentation is something that I resonate to, that's the part I want. And I want to give the other part to somebody that has a better take or really understands the other piece much better or can deliver it in a better way or in a more effective way to an audience. So, yeah, I also think co presenting is a great way to learn how to be a presenter.
Having that buddy system can be really helpful if you're trying to dip your toe into the water and you just don't want to get out there and expose yourself.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: One on it is. It's also, honestly, I. One of my other favorite things to do. I love going to hear people that are presenting on something I present on a lot. I can't tell you. Sometimes I'll be like, huh, I wonder why I never thought of explaining it that way. That's so much better than how I explain it. And same thing with co presenting. Like, sometimes they'll say something, you'll be like, wow, that. That was a fantastic, you know, example that I've never thought of given. So just always, you know the term SME. The subject matter expert. I get it. Like, that's why you're there. But you're never really a subject matter expert. You should always be trying to learn from other people that have the same type of knowledge as you. And co presenting is a great way to do that.
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. I love that. That's great. Well, Leslie, this has really been a fun conversation. I think we could go on and on, but as you know, or maybe you don't, that our podcast, we always like to leave our audience with the bottom line on our topic. So I think my bottom line question to you would be, if somebody that's listening wants to immediately improve their next presentation, what's the one most important thing that you think they should do? What's the one piece of advice you give them?
[00:26:02] Speaker B: I would say to a, just do it. Get out there and do it. I promise you, no one's expecting perfection. But I would. I would say preparation. I don't think people put enough preparation into the whole thing. They're so.
They're so locked in on their content and not necessarily their delivery, you know, being approachable, learning the setup we talked about earlier, I think if people take a step back from just their actual content and, and look at everything else, it truly will make it go smoother. And a lot of times it fixes other problems that you, you know, maybe are experiencing as a new presenter. So my advice would just be like to take a step back from the act and. And really be prepared for the whole event, if you will, and making sure that that audience is getting the best experience that you can give them.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: I love it. That's a great bottom line. I love it. I love it. Well, Leslie, thanks again. This was really fun for me to have you on.
Really appreciate your time and your experience and, you know, although, yes, I kind of agree with you, nobody's a subject matter expert on. On anything, but. But you're. You're darn close to it in my book, you know, so.
[00:27:14] Speaker B: So thank you so much for having me. This was so fun.
[00:27:18] Speaker A: Oh, good. Well, great. Thank you again. And to our audience, as always, we really appreciate your taking a little time to join us and hope you enjoyed this conversation. Till next time, let's all keep learning, growing, and prospering. Thank.
You, sam.
