Good advice for making presentations in business

The Authenticity Code is a book-length advertisement for the author’s business, Inside-Out Learning. This is not a criticism. I have written such books myself. But readers should know what to expect.

The target market seems to be relatively young, inexperienced businesspeople who are or who will be called upon to make presentations to senior executives, internal teams, prospects, customers, or other stakeholders. The book’s subtitle is “The Art and Science of Success and Why You Can’t Fake It to Make It” and it asserts that students who embrace the program’s lessons make more money as it “helps them ‘get to yes’ faster than any communication they make.”

Dr. Lamm-Hartman decided to present her process in the form of a parable rather than as a narrative with illustrative anecdotes from real companies. Instead, we follow “Ron Burk,” the vice president of sales for “World Wide Synergistics,” as he sets up a competition between “Rachel Hannigan” and “Joshua Armstrong” for a promotion to associate director of sales.

“I want you both to prepare a presentation that will convince me why I should choose you for this important position,” says Ron in Chapter 2. I’ve never worked in a large corporation; is this the kind of thing a VP of Sales would do? Is this a productive way to promote? Or would it lead to internal friction and resentment?

Anyway, Rachel and Joshua prepare, present, and fail badly. Ron therefore becomes their mentor to teach them Authentic Presence and Presentation Skills. “APPS is a program for people with professional advancement or leadership potential,” says Ron. “It helps you to crack The Authenticity Code™, which is Your Presence + Your Audience + Your Presentation = Your Success.” And while the full program is what Dr. Lamm-Hartman is selling, the book also offers readers several free aids they can read and try.

The book defines authenticity as “Your most powerful way of adding value is by expressing your unique gifts and talents for your chosen audience.” This of course is somewhat different from dictionary definitions of authenticity: “The quality or condition of being authentic, trustworthy, or genuine . . . Truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, and intentions . . . The quality or state of being authentic; reliability; genuineness.”

For presentation success, you need an “Authentic Presence,” which is “how you affect others by the impression you make with your physical presence, your demeanor, your presentation of thoughts, and the general mode of conversation you have with others.” The challenge is to appear sincere, truthful, and genuine while presenting products, services, plans, or ideas about which you may have reservations but upon which your success—perhaps your future—depends.

The process is not quantum mechanics. Know your audience. Is the decision-maker “a people person, point person, party person, or planner person”? The book defines these four types and suggests the kind of language that appeals to or that each expresses. A point person says things like, “What’s the bottom line?” A planner person says things like, “Now, let’s look at this logically.” Most people of course do not fit tightly in a single category, but have a touch of one or more of the other elements. The book assumes you’re making a presentation to a decision-maker, not a relatively heterogeneous group. But in any case the advice is solid and basic: learn as much as you can about your audience before you open your mouth.

Know yourself. Which type of person are you? And if you’re basically, say, a party person and will be presenting to a point person, you’d better adapt your presence and your language to the other.

Know your content. Is it relevant to the audience and their needs?

Start strong by capturing the audience’s attention in the first minute. If you know the audience, you’ll know whether it’s better to start with a joke or a personal story.

Finish strong with a clear call to action. “Are the decision-makers motivated to do something.”

Dress the part. If it’s a professional setting, look professional. If it’s business casual, don’t be too casual. 

Welcome feedback and address questions. Meet the audience’s needs and objections without becoming defensive.

Because Dr. Lamm-Hartman does not, on the evidence of this book, write much fiction, casting the book as the story of Rachel and Josh’s journey to authenticity with Ron and the head of HR as mentors means that it’s filled with clunky, didactic dialogue and explanatory tags: “‘We appreciate your commitment,’ Rachel offered. ‘Yeah,’ Josh chimed in.”

Because I suspect, perhaps unfairly, the book’s audience does not read much quality fiction, however, the wooden writing and unlikely situation probably makes no difference to its target readers. 

Bottom line: The Authenticity Code™ offers the target market useful insights and ideas. If it helps readers improve their presentation skills, it’s done its job.