Not Just Another Presenting Video

Sit! Lie down! Roll over!
Speaking to the Big Dogs, Video, 2004, Frederick Gilbert Associates, Inc., $239.
Review by Garry Cosnett

After 12 years of reviewing training programs for presentation skills, I’m getting a little road weary. Highway hypnosis has set in. These programs follow a tired format. The expert first introduces his or her unique approach to presentations. We see some actors doing it all wrong. Then we see them following the expert’s guidance and—presto!—they are spellbinders.

OK, got it. Enough!

Maybe I’m being a tad harsh. There are some effective programs in the genre, despite the well-worn format. But they do all suffer from a universal weakness: the perspective comes exclusively from the host-expert. He or she is the source of all wisdom, insight, tips, and tricks. And since there are no boards to certify the credentials (or sanity) of presentation experts, it forces us, the viewers, to take the expert’s direction on faith until we decide at some point that the expert is worth listening to, or not.

Turning the problem on its head

Speaking To The Big Dogs turns this problem on its head. This new 100-minute DVD puts the expert (in this case, Rick Gilbert) on the receiving end of presentation insight. He’s interviewed 17 senior-level business leaders and asked them what works and what doesn’t work in business presentations.

Now, Rick seems to be a sharp guy and just as “expert” as any other expert I’ve seen in this type of program. But the very best thing he does in “Speaking to the Big Dogs” is to let the leaders he’s interviewed do the talking. And talk they do. Not a shy group, they weigh in on everything from preparation (it’s nearly everything) to PowerPoint (it’s nearly nothing) to overall style (it’s a dialogue, stupid!).

Just simple arithmetic suggests that learning from 17 people who have witnessed probably thousands of presentation in their careers is significantly more valuable than listening to a single expert. The risk in this approach, however, is that it can produce a mess: too many people presenting contradictory perspectives. Yet, that doesn’t happen here. The program is remarkably coherent. These seasoned executives offer surprisingly consistent advice. They’re also consistently fresh in their perspectives. Few college speech-class bromides show up here.

Who are they talking to?

I’ve waited a bit to tell you that “Speaking to the Big Dogs” is directed at presenters who address senior-level audiences. The number of people in any organization who present in the boardroom is small. And those that do will find this program to be a critical survival kit. At the same time, there’s lots of value here for anyone who presents in a business setting. Trust me, the executives interviewed in this program will tell you critical things about your presentations that your actual manager is reluctant to (such as, “cut it by half –it’s too long,” or “it’s not about you”).

One theme that runs through the program is that your presentation need not be perfect to be a winner. The host likens a board-level presentation to playing in a jazz ensemble. Flexibility, improvisation, and “being in the moment” are key. This is good news for the production of “Speaking to the Big Dogs” as well. Like that jazz improvisation, things can get a little messy at times. Production values are inconsistent, as in the case of one interview that looks as if it was done on my VHS camcorder. Some of the interviews should have been more tightly edited. Yet, the overall message is so strong that I willingly overlooked the occasional messiness in the shooting and editing.

Recommendation

Speaking to the Big Dogs is a one of those rare programs that delivers more than it promises. It does offer a complete briefing in how to survive – and prevail—when presenting in the boardroom. At the same time, it brings insight, guidance, and nuts-and bolts tips to those of us who speak in less rarefied forums.

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