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Let’s say you’re part of a team of several trainers making a joint presentation at one of your association’s educational programs. Now imagine the following scenarios:
- One of the trainers keeps talking, oblivious to the fact that the session is ticking away and the rest of you haven’t had your turns.
- It’s time for a new speaker to step up, but because the group never officially determined who goes when, you just look at each other in awkward silence.
- As one of you speaks from the lectern, the other trainers distract the audience by fumbling with the easel pad and markers, adjusting the computer, or whispering nearby.
- While speaking, you realize you’re out of time and end abruptly with, “And now, [Insert Name] will present the next topic.”
- One of the trainers interrupts with additional information while you’re presenting (or worse yet, contradicts something you just said).
Do these situations sound familiar?
Of course they do. We’ve all witnessed (or participated in) awkward, distracting, or embarrassing moments like these. But whether you’re helping to organize other trainers or serving on a training team yourself, you can prevent these problems with a simple rule: Any time two or more presenters appear together, they must plan ahead to make sure that the all-important details behind staging a successful session go smoothly.
So assume for the moment that each presenter knows the subject matter she or he will deliver. The following transition techniques will help you work together as a team to complement each other.
1. Take the trouble to script your transitions.
Typically, trainers present their content by referring to note cards, key words on slides, TelePrompTers, and other tools that help ensure they’ll deliver what they planned to once they’re in front of the audience. You and your fellow trainers should take the time to script transition statements just as carefully. The “from” presenter should plan exactly how to wind up her topic and then introduce the “to” presenter and topic that follow. The “to” presenter should have a transition statement that allows him to accept the spotlight and provide a seamless segue between the previous topic and the one to come.
Even though it’s unlikely that anyone will actually read the transition scripts from the lectern, writing them down forces each of you to plan the flow from one trainer to the next. (It also helps you think through the speaker order, thus heading off that exchange of helpless glances as trainers ponder who goes next.)
2. Arrange everyone in ways that keep the focus on the primary speaker and cut down on distractions.
How speakers are positioned sends a subtle message to the audience. To make it clear who is the focus of attention, the active presenter (the primary one at a given moment) should be alone at front and center; secondary presenters should position themselves at the sides or back of the room until they’re needed or it’s their turn to be primary.
If for some reason all trainers must be in the front of the room at the same time, secondaries need to sit or stand back from the active presenter. Secondaries should never fidget or send nonverbal signals (through body language) to communicate disagreement or otherwise invalidate what the primary says or does. This advice may seem obvious, but all of us have seen how distracting poorly positioned trainers can be.
3. Make the most of individual strengths.
Multiple trainers bring multiple perspectives, training styles, and skills to a given situation. One trainer may be better at projecting her voice. Another is more proficient at coordinating multimedia tools and creating PowerPoint slides with exciting visuals. A third is a neat writer at the easel or white board. Yet another is great at developing and proofing handouts.
Recognize and use each other’s strengths. Set aside egos and, as a team, decide who takes which responsibilities so that the complete product is superior. In cases where the team has never trained together before or where individuals have not identified their own strengths and skills, take the lead and ask each person to handle specific tasks (write on the easel, tack papers to the wall, distribute handouts, run the projector). Though each trainer may present material at some point, you may decide that one or two should have more platform time while others work with supporting visuals or record responses. Planning ahead allows each member of the team to do what he or she does best and ensures that participants get a quality session. Everyone wins.
4. Create an atmosphere of mutual support.
This is a broader version of the previous tip. Before the session begins, plan how you’ll coordinate every task. Start by figuring out which team members are free at which points. Then distribute responsibility accordingly so everyone knows who will hand out materials, run the computer presentation and synchronize audio and video support for the active trainer, help the active trainer record participants’ responses, and signal timing. (Establish a subtle five-minute warning sign to keep the active presenter on track as the others wait their turn to speak.)
Also discuss how to handle conflicting perspectives or incorrect information. Ideally you’ll resolve issues off-stage so you can present a unified front to participants, but decide if and when additional comments are acceptable during the presentation.
In the end, always remember this: As important as content may be, it is only one piece of a complete training session. When more than one presenter is involved, logistics, staging, shared responsibilities, and interpersonal relations are vitally important factors as well. By planning with these factors in mind, your training session will appear seamless and smooth to your participants.
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