5 tips we can take from TAKE THAT about presenting
Last night, I had the pleasure of going to see Take That in concert on their UK tour. As a 40-something female, I was well within my comfort zone, ensconced in a sea of similarly middle-aged women, all of us cast back to our early 20’s with just the opening bars of “Relight my Fire”. And it struck me as I was singing and dancing away, that if there is a band who knows how to engage an audience - brilliantly - it’s Take That!
A friend and fellow trainer, Ric Hayden, from Learning Cog refers to the way in which bands such as Take That interact with each other and their audience as “The Boy Band Technique”. It’s based on the observation that where other 90’s boy bands have come and gone, Take That are still going strong, in part due to their ability to work together on stage and connect with their audience.
As the concert unfolded, I started to draw parallels between what Take That do and what successful presenters employ to their advantage, especially when ‘performing’ in front of a large audience. So here, in a nutshell is my version of what presenters can learn from Take That – I’m sure other fans of you out there can add to it!
1. Hook your audience in
Great presenters find unique ways to engage their audience from the get go. In the last few minutes before the trio came on stage, the atmosphere in the stadium was electric. What makes a concert so exciting is often down to the band being able to engage the audience quickly, by drawing on all of the senses - through a variety of sights and sounds, eliciting emotions - and incorporating a certain element of ‘surprise’. Finding a unique starting point for your presentation can take time, but will pay dividends to make you stand apart from the crowd and get your audience to sit up and take note
2. Use eye contact
One thing you will almost certainly notice at a good concert is how the band makes eye contact with individual members in the audience, as well as each other, continually. Take That do it so well, that at times you feel like they have spotted you in the crowd. Yes, I know, eye contact is one of those age old things that we all know we need to do when presenting, but it can sometimes feel hard to achieve, particularly when presenting to a large audience, but it can literally make or break a performance. I attended a school musical recently – as they sang, they looked over the heads of the audience and towards the back of the hall. This might well work on a West End stage, but in the confines of an average school hall, it just didn’t. The cast failed to connect with the audience and as a result, the performance got a bit of a lukewarm reception. There are some great techniques that can be learned quickly and easily to help you use eye contact effectively, even with large audiences, which engage your audience and ensure you come across as a confident presenter
3. Tell a story
Take That are renowned for ‘the show’ that they put on for their tours and this year was no exception. The 'Wonderland' theme with it’s flying horses, giant swans and dancers adorned in crazy colourful costumes, transported the audience to a magical world. Good presentations take an audience on a journey, presenting the pertinent points as a story or coming back to a theme or question to maintain engagement
4. Change it up
Like all good presenters, bands often change gears as they move through their set. Sadly not many of us have the luxury of being able to change into a white tassled suit, with our initials sewn in sequins on the back, midway through a presentation to the Board, but you can change gears in other ways. For example, using your voice – you can change the pace, volume and intonation to reinject interest - and confident presenters often use pauses for dramatic effect around key points
5. Invest in preparation
I cannot imagine the amount of time that must have gone into planning the staging of this show. I do know that it took 176 crew members to build (and later, take down) the set, and the band, supporting musicians and dancers really knew their stuff. It was rehearsed, it was slick, and as a result it was a joy to watch. When a presenter ‘knows their stuff’ they can relax into the presentation (perhaps even have a bit of fun with it) at an early stage allowing the audience to do the same
So in the words of Gary Barlow, if you want to ensure that your audience “Never Forget” you and the crux of your presentation, “Shine” during the delivery without having to “Pray” it all goes well you could incorporate some boy band techniques into your own presentation planning and delivery.
Would you like to find out more about how you or members of your organisation can create and deliver impactful presentations? If so, I'd love to hear from you and fill you in on the in-house presentation skills courses we offer!
Emma Newman is a certified trainer and facilitator and amongst other things provides presentation skills training courses, for people who present to small and large audiences, including at conference, together with her colleague, Lesley Lyle. To find out more or to get in touch go to www.emmanewman.co.uk
Ric Hayden provides leadership, management and sales training for corporate organisations. For more information go to www.learningcog.com