Crafting rich and compelling content and delivering our message powerfully are not the only keys to presentation success.
If you ‘Google’ the term ‘Keys to presentation success’ you’ll be greeted with a wealth of suggestions including:
Knowing your audience
Preparing effectively
Practice makes perfect
Make eye contact
Tell stories
Use of gestures and facial expressions
Use visuals wisely
Open and close with impact
Slow down, breath and pause
These are just a few of the many keys to presentation success
Whether you are a seasoned presenter, or just beginning your journey, there’s a missing ingredient which is often outside of the presenters control.
Meeting rooms can contribute to presentation success
You can be certain that if you are sitting in a meeting room with colleagues, clients or stakeholders, a presentation will be taking place. Unfortunately, far too many organisations don’t give much thought as to how harsh, clinical and barren meeting rooms stifle presentation success.
The word ambience isn’t often associated with office meeting rooms. It’s an idea normally reserved for restaurants and cocktail bars.
By contrast office meeting rooms are normally purely transactional. In other words, you’ll often find a table and chairs; that’s it.
If you’re really lucky you may have a window in the room allowing you to enjoy a little natural light.
Many have white walls without any pictures, paintings or colour at all. Devoid of warmth, character or any sense of being welcoming environments, people are expected to contribute openly and honestly. They are encouraged to be themselves in a room which screams conformity.
Despite meeting rooms being a very important part of every workplace, you have to search quite hard to find ones that are designed to foster:
– Creativity
– Authenticity
– Collaboration
– Ambience
– Openness
– Comfort
– Inspiration
Many meeting rooms look like this
What’s wrong with meeting rooms like this?
They are smart, clean, functional and professional.
They also feel quite clinical
Meeting rooms like this don’t champion presentation success.
I’ve read that 83.13% of employees spend up to one-third of their workweek in meetings.
Even if we spent half that amount of time in meetings we still need them to be more warm and welcoming.
It’s been suggested that, ‘The average employee attends 62 meetings a month’ and that ‘71% of senior managers believe meetings are unproductive and inefficient’.
You don’t have to search to hard to find a plethora of other suggestions stating how unproductive and unhelpful many of these meetings are.
There are of course many reasons for their ineffectiveness, many of which relate to culture and leadership.
This article isn’t designed to address any of those issue and focuses instead on the most simple thing that organisations can do to make meeting rooms a place where people are actually happy to meet.
At the very least we could add a little colour to meeting rooms by hanging a couple of pictures on the wall.
Many people may even welcome a plant or two.
Colour and presentation success
A little colour in meeting rooms can influence presentation success.
‘The human mind perceives more than you might be aware of seeing. Our environment affects our emotions as images result in messages to our subconscious mind, having a profound effect on our brain function.’
Seating and presentation success
Chairs matter too.
‘People tend to sit for longer periods during certain types of meetings, so the room will need comfortable chairs. Meeting room chairs should be durable, yet attractive. And don’t forget ergonomics. Here you’ll need to consider the people who will be using the room—don’t forget to keep in mind that the chairs should include back support and armrests. Look for chairs that are ergonomically correct, as well as comfortable. Wheels and swivelling chairs are also a good option, as they allow people to easily turn to see the person who’s talking, etc.’
Lighting and presentation success
Don’t forget about the lighting.
‘Lighting goes beyond simply illuminating a space. Studies have shown that proper lighting design can positively impact participants’ mood, alertness, and even creativity.
Natural light has been linked to improved alertness, focus, and mood regulation, promoting a more engaged meeting environment. While warmer light colour temperatures promote a calming and inviting atmosphere, ideal for brainstorming sessions or collaborative discussions, cooler temperature lighting might be more suitable for tasks requiring high levels of concentration.’
Pictures and presentation success
Pictures really do paint a thousand words.
‘In today’s fast-paced workplace, meeting rooms are not just spaces to gather; they are incubators for ideas, collaboration, and decision-making. The design of these spaces plays a crucial role in setting the tone for productivity and creativity. One often overlooked element? Visuals.
Meeting room pictures, artworks and conference room pictures have the potential to influence mood, enhance focus, and even improve team performance.’
Energy and presentation success
Did you know that rooms have their own energy?
‘Have you ever walked into a room and felt heaviness or discomfort?
You might notice increased arguments or a decline in productivity. Negative energy in your space can also lead to physical symptoms like fatigue and restlessness.’
I experienced a similar phenomenon very recently.
I was leading a serious of public speaking course for a longstanding client. Having worked with them for several years they normally use one or two rooms which they have dedicated to training.
Having led a one day training course in one of these training rooms with great success, the following week we were moved to a different room (a meeting room) as the one used previously had already been booked and so had the second training room.
This workshop in the same organisation with different people from the same team felt very different in the meeting room. The energy was notably different in a number of significant ways.
When I mentioned this to one of the organisations training partners, they responded with, ‘I’m not surprised’. On further discussion, they explained that the room which nobody (including me) felt comfortable in had a ‘reputation’. It was know internally by those who had worked there for a long time as ‘The departure lounge’. Over at least two decades this room had been used by HR to make people redundant or fire them.
Coincidence?
Crafting rich and compelling content and delivering our message powerfully are not the only keys to presentation success. Meetings rooms matter too.
We can’t change your meeting room but we can help you craft and deliver powerful presentations
– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.
– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.
– Get yourself some excellent presentation training
Image courtesy of Canva.com
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