International presentation skills

Presenting in a multicultural or monocultural environment is not without its challenges. In order to avoid confusing, embarrassing, disrespecting or even offending an international audience there are some important points to consider. Add in the problems of translation of both everyday and medically-derived language and the issues are magnified. Therefore, to create both a memorable and informative presentation to an audience of a different, or several different, cultures, an educated approach backed by research and consideration for culture is necessary.

At a general level, preparation is needed to find out how the attendees will receive the presentation. As with any address, a clear understanding of needs and expectations is essential to ensure the information delivered is pitched at the right level. In addition, contacts should be used to find out what the audience will be receptive to and examples and content should be chosen that will relate to that particular cultural world.

A common mistake is wanting to avoid insulting someone’s intelligence and thus overcomplicating the message. However, creating a memorable presentation that is easy to understand will be far more effective than one where the content is lost on a large proportion of the audience. So keep it simple.

Clear structure
Giving a clear structure to the presentation, signposting and delivering information in small chunks is particularly helpful, especially when it is necessary to overcome language barriers. Using short sentences which avoid jargon or colloquial expressions and references will also help make the content more easily understood, as will slowing the pace of speech.

Images can be helpful, too. However, keep in mind the example of an American executive who presented to a Latin audience in Buenos Aires at a large medical conference, using a doughnut theme, along with images to represent the arteries of the heart. His message was: ‘it is not only the hole in the doughnut but the doughnut itself [in other words, the walls of the arteries] that need looking after’. However, one of the audience approached him afterwards to ask politely: “What is a doughnut?” His point was missed by the Latin audience, who did not eat doughnuts. Even some of the British contingent may have struggled with the imagery, as in the UK there is a tendency to have jam-filled doughnuts rather than the hollow variety of these deep-fried pastries.

However, when it comes to imagery, there are no fixed rules; each culture is individual and research will reveal which pictures could be understood, be helpful and resonate within a presentation. The Islamic cultures of the Middle East do not have representational art, so cartoons should be avoided. However, if it is made clear that a slide is a representational image, the audience will understand. Similarly, the doughnut example could have worked if the presenter had taken a moment to explain what a doughnut was and exactly how it represented the company’s issue, instead of assuming understanding.

Identifiable images
About 10 years ago, I attended a memorable cardiology conference where one of the presenters used the image of a house to represent the risk factors for heart disease. One room of the house was inhabited by an obese 65-year-old, another room by a smoker and another by someone who had inherited the condition.

The presentation worked particularly well because every member of the audience, regardless of his or her cultural background or level of medical knowledge, could identify with the image of a home. Simplicity and selecting an image that worked across cultures was the key to success.

Humour
Humour is another area which should be handled with care. British people often use humour to reduce the formality of an occasion. However, even if the joke itself does not offend, some more formal cultures, like that of Germany, for example, may think the presenter is not taking the situation seriously enough if he or she acts like a comedian.

Humour can be helpful to put the audience at ease and one way to use it successfully is to indicate the humour of everyone being in that current situation, perhaps by referencing the very presentation being delivered. This should not exclude or embarrass anyone but may get people smiling at the outset of the speech.

Slide presentations
The number of slides used in a presentation should also be considered carefully and will depend on the audience. In Western Europe, it is important to limit the number of slides. However, when presenting to an Asian audience, feedback usually suggests that the audience would have liked to see more slides.

In Germany or Scandinavia, do not make an overt sales pitch; let the facts speak for themselves and be sure to include lots of detail. If not enough information is provided, British and American presentations can be seen as insubstantial by these audiences.

Background information
Conversely, those who come from a culture which prefers to provide a lot of background information, be aware this may be seen as irrelevant by anyone originating from the US or the UK.

If presenting in Latin countries, do not focus too much on being precise. In these cultures, eloquence and charisma will traditionally hold the attention of such audiences for longer.

Levels of seniority
In the hierarchical countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, speakers must be sure to introduce themselves and their job titles carefully, so that their level of importance is clear. Seniority must also be acknowledged. It is important to know who is the most senior person in the room and gain eye contact with him or her while speaking will demonstrate respect.

Dress should also be considered carefully. I remember one executive presenting to 100 people from Turkey and the Balkans in rolled-up sleeves, with no tie or jacket, owing to the heat. This was viewed as disrespectful and as a result he alienated the entire audience.

Eloquence and charisma will traditionally have your audience wanting to listen for longer

However, other misunderstandings can also occur. One speaker was offended at a recent conference, because a table of Koreans appeared to be chatting throughout his entire presentation. Later, it was discovered that they were intent on understanding his every word and so were translating for each other.

Remote delivery
The challenges of presenting internationally are further magnified when it is necessary to deliver material remotely. Due to the growing cost of travel and the advances in technology, presenting over the internet is becoming increasingly commonplace.

Videoconferencing has generally become accepted and because it is possible for the audience to see the speaker and vice versa, the issues are similar to those which occur when presenting face to face.

However, the webinar is more complex. The relationship with the audience is one step removed and it is often not possible to interact in the same way as with a visible audience. Therefore, when it comes to presenting in this way to an international audience, the clarity of structure, signposting and keeping the message simple are even more important.

A good guide is to adhere to the ‘10, 20, 30’ webinar rule. This means do not exceed more than 10 slides, keep the presentation to 20 minutes and do not include a font size that is smaller than 30 points. This ensures information conveyed is in ‘bite-sized’ sections and one main message or item of content can be covered thoroughly.

There are many cultural rules which relate to different countries and just a few have been mentioned here. However, if there is one key to presenting successfully to an international audience, it is to undertake some research to understand the audience’s perspective.

The Author
James Shirreff is a cross-cultural negotiation and awareness specialist and an associate trainer with Farnham Castle