But being a top-notch presenter also means always looking at your listeners through the lens of customer service. In other
words, if you're not serving your listeners, if you're not telling them what they want to know in a way that makes sense to them, how can you really be succeeding?

Think for just a moment of the presenter who says at the top of his or her remarks that you should hold your comments and questions until some magical time in the future. What's your response? Do you feel encouraged, invited, welcomed and engaged? Doubtful. It's more likely you feel as if you've been demoted to first grade again.

We all want to feel as though the presenter is having a conversation with us, even when you're in a convention hall with a couple hundred other folks seated around you. The best presenters make us feel they are talking to us. We feel as if they care.

In order for you to become that top-notch presenter, you need to project that image of caring. One simple way to do that is to listen with your eyes. Imagine you're in a booth at your favorite diner explaining something to a couple of co-workers. One of them suddenly looks completely puzzled. Do you give them the chance to ask a question or express their concern? Probably. That's highly responsive customer service.

Now imagine you're in the corner conference room with a dozen staff members listening to you. One of them suddenly flashes that same puzzled expression. Do you stop and give that person the chance to dialogue with you then and there? If so, those are terrific listening skills. Keep it up.

Question and answer sessions are another challenge for presenters. As the presenter, you're pumped with energy and are running your brain and your mouth at a fairly rapid pace. Then suddenly here comes some listener who's been silent for twenty minutes or more. They get half their question out. You clearly see where they're headed and jump in to cut off their sluggish ramble. Score yourself a big zero on the listening scale

Switching from presenter to listener in a heartbeat is like trying to push a rolling car uphill. It's not impossible but it ain't easy. Give yourself a mental image of coming to a complete stop every time someone opens their mouth to speak. Let them ask their entire question, which may well entail two or three different thoughts strung together. Stop. Breathe. Listen. It's a powerful presentation tool.

Also see, Your Audience, Your Point of View and Eye Contact

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