Nathan's Insights

So I’m thinking of changing my job description to ‘professional speaker’ and giving my staff a photo so they remember what I look like.   Over the past three weeks I’ve been engaged to present at three different types of events to approximately 1,500 people;

1) At the SMSF Association National Conference (19 February 2015);

2) On the internet via 4 SMSF Professional webinars (25-26 February 2015); and

3) At the MCG before 300 people at the Super Day Event (4 March 2015)

The events received some media coverage which has meant that I need to now undergone formal media training.  I guess this means I’ll learn how not to provide too much information 🙂

The differences in events was at the National Conference I was sharing the stage with Belinda Aisbett, a leading industry professional, at the webinar I was responding to questions without the advance of seeing the questioner or hearing the tone, and at the MCG it was a traditional presentation standing on a stage with the lights almost blinding me.

The National Conference presentation was also video recorded and the webinar has an audio / visual recording (visual was presentation slides only not my face!).

It’s getting hard to remember a stage when I disliked presenting.  I recall a very senior executive over 8 years ago challenging me to present and engage more directly with clients.  This has really openned up so many doors, oportinuties and experiences.  It has allowed me to become better aware of what is actually happening in the industry, hear directly from some very smart people.  Presenting has also forced me to think more strategically.  What is the message I what out there?  What have we done recently?  How can we provide better services.

I’ve recently started telling the two cadets I mentor and the other two cadets I supervise that this is the skill to develop if you wish to stand out from your peers.  Most people don’t like presenting and will actively resist requests to do so.  

My advise is very simple just know your topic and think you are just talking to 1-3 people not 100+.  Scripts are good but don’t be an actor, be yourself, react to the audience and let them see you are human.  I’m still trying to work out the non-visual webinar medium but hopefully I’ll figure it out as well.