The 10 Challenges of Presentation Listeners.

Sure it’s hard to be a good speaker. But if you’re really serious about improving your presentation skills, you’ll think about how hard it is to be a good listener.

Here are ten challenges that a listener faces when sitting through a presentation.

Challenge # 1: “Where’s Waldo”.  Few speakers make it easy on listeners by saying “This is the most important thing to remember . . . ,” or “The point of my presentation is . . . .” Instead, speakers provide a lot of information and hope that listeners will find the point on their own. It’s like a corporate version of “Where’s Waldo?”

Challenge # 2: This ain’t “24”. Listeners live in the hyper-fabulous world of television. Simon Cowell insults the lousy singers on “American Idol”.  Santonio Holmes makes an amazing catch to win the Super Bowl. Jack Bauer saves the world every Monday night on “24”.  In such an environment, it’s amazing that anyone can sit through a presentation on improving employee engagement.

Challenge # 3: The Clock is Ticking.  The Blackberry buzzes. Voicemails beckon. And there’s that presentation to write. As a result, people sit through presentations with a strong sense of the clock.  “It’s this worth my time?” is the implied question running through every listener’s head at all times.

Challenge # 4: The Question Won’t Go Away.  If you raise your hand, many presenters want you to hold the question until later. But you don’t want to wait until later. The question is bothering you now.  So you think, “Who is this presentation for anyway?”

Challenge # 5: “Where’s Waldo – The Sequel”.  The speaker’s presentation is so complex and filled with jargon that finding the core message is next to impossible.  Few speakers have mercy on their listeners and say “If you remember only three key things, please remember this.”  Instead, the listener is left to make their own judgments and find their own takeaways.

Challenge # 6: Fatigue. There’s no coffee. And how the heck is someone supposed to sit through an 8 a.m. meeting without caffeine, especially if you were at the office until 11 p.m. last night?

Challenge # 7: The Speaker isn’t Oprah.  The speaker stands at the front of the room with a clicker, advancing the slides, and exhibiting all of the excitement of a houseplant. It’s like watching someone else yawn. The boredom is contagious.  Plus, the listener can’t figure out why the speaker insists on saying “vis-a-vis” over and over again at totally inappropriate times.  And why does he keep picking his nose? Doesn’t he know he’s giving a presentation?

Challenge # 8: The Speaker Misses the Hot Button.  The listener’s sole issue is the fact that his organization is losing money. But the speaker either doesn’t know about the issue or doesn’t care. Either way, the listener finds it impossible to care about the presentation.

Challenge # 9: “Still Looking for Waldo”.  People attend presentations to get direction. Yet too often speakers fail to tell the listener the next simple step they can take to make their lives better.

Challenge # 10. It just isn’t any fun.

Joey Asher is President of Speechworks, a selling and communication skills coaching company in Atlanta. He has worked with thousands of business people in helping them become better communicators. His new book is "How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals that Will Distinguish You from the Competition."  He is also the author of “Even A Geek Can Speak”, and “Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers”.  He can be reached at 404-266-0888 or e-mail Joey Asher. His website is www.speechworks.net.