With a heavy shift to digital communications in 2020, some people are having to re-learn how to communicate, or learn best practices for the first time. Alex Grabner-Jarlung, Head of Int. Business for David JP Philips is a master at communicating, and he stood up for a chat (not sat down? Watch to the end to see what we mean) with our Becky Liggero Fontana for this week’s The Long Con to share some wisdom.
In the interview, Grabner-Jarlung shares how we got into communication coaching with David JP Philips thanks to an inspiring presentation, and offers tips on how to improve your skills, use non-verbal communications and cut out filler words. But one thing he’s forceful about is cutting down on PowerPoint presentations.
“Looking at how you react to contrast, if you look at where I’m standing right now, there’s a big white room and I’m dressed in pretty dark colors. That means that the contrast is right now focused here. If I would be sitting or standing, as I am doing right now, in a dark room with the same clothing, I kind of blend in into everything, which makes not me being the presentation, I’m more just a tool. Same thing happens with the PowerPoint.
“So if we attract and use PowerPoint in every single video conference call, and what we do right now is that we usually share our screen, that is equivalent to you just becoming the tool. So every focus will be on the presentation, and that will then lead to you are not time efficient because then you waste that person’s time, because if you only going to show somebody a PowerPoint, and they’re going to listen to exactly all the words that you already have in your PowerPoint, it’s just a waste of time. You could have just sent that in an email.”
He also spoke about how experienced stage presenters can adapt to video presentations. “I look into that camera, understanding that I am fully responsible of everything that goes on right here, but also on the end of the other side,” he said. “So I picture that every time I look into the camera lens there is another pair of eyes that looks back at me.”
Liggero Fontana asked how accomplished, funny speakers can still be confident that their punch lines are working. “I’ve been through this event before, it’s just that I can’t get the response,” he gave as a personal example. “They will laugh, you’ve got to trust yourself that much and understand that they will laugh, they will they will nod, they will make that noise of when they agree to something.”
Watch the entire interview to get more great tips on how to deliver dynamic presentations and get your points across, and to see why Grabner-Jarlung doesn’t want to sit down. And to see every week’s The Long Con as it goes up, make sure you’re subscribed to the CalvinAyre.com YouTube channel, or sign up for the podcast version on Google, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
