Patricia Poon's Blog

Dear UBC Blog, I know I have been neglecting you. I haven’t written since freshman year – partially because I am learning so much that my thoughts couldn’t possibly keep up with all of it, and partially because I wouldn’t be able to do the topics justice. However just recently I took a course titled business communications, and thought this would be the perfect space to gather my thoughts about the course. 

I have always believed that I was a good presenter.

I am by no means an introvert. My parents retired in 1996, when I was 2 years old. Therefore, I began working at just 14 years of age, part time at a local movie theatre after school and on weekends. The hours were often long and the environment stressful. Eventually, I began serving at a popular restaurant, and from this experience I thought I knew about engaging my audience.

In grade 10, I was invited to coach and mentor high school students to judge local science fair projects and conduct workshops and seminars, after my own experience as a Gold Medalist at the National Fair. So, I thought I knew about informing, coaching and training others.

In grade 12, the BC teachers’ strike meant that support for our graduation ceremonies were completely abandoned. I scoured the halls to recruit over 100 amazing student volunteers, spearheaded fundraisers, organized school talent shows, and pitched my own design proposals to the school board staff. So, I thought I knew about assuming responsibility, addressing a wide audience, and giving persuasive proposals.

Now, here at UBC, I have many opportunities to address a wide audience. From the President of the Hong Kong Students’ Association, to being a Campus Ambassador, I frequently and comfortably chat with my peers, represent them on relevant issues, and drive my team to success.

As a Project Manager and Consultant at Linked Into Leads, a LinkedIn training and lead generation company, I have worked with CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and B2B Sales Professionals to manage their e-business strategy. So, I thought I knew about informative presentations, corporate training, business meetings, and the professional world.

I was so wrong. (And I had a big ego). Although these experiences were crucial in helping me develop a public speaking mindset, and alleviate the nervousness many peers my age have when confronted with the exercise, I was far, far, away from a polished and impressive speaker. In retrospect, I am really pleased that UBC offers this mandatory course for each of their business graduates.

A particular topic I enjoyed was “audience focused presentations”. It is easy enough to see that presenting, there is often only one opportunity to “get it right” – and audiences can be unforgiving. Through our discussions, I eventually learned to take accountability – realizing that I bear the sole responsibility to convince the audience of my purpose, while keeping them engaged. We learned a neat technique – by structuring the presentation around the triple bottom line (People, Planet, and Profit), we can speak to 3 things that matter to any audience member.

We also discussed the importance of structure in alleviating audience doubts. I had a wonderful corporate finance professor who introduced corporate structure by first stating that she would ensure we understood the simplest model first – an all-equity firm in a world with no taxes or bankruptcy. Then, she explained that we would “add” a different type of complexity to the previous concept, such as debt, interest tax shields and the risk of default. Eventually, before I knew it, we were discussing the impact of senior and junior debt in a leveraged buy out timeline, and valuing IPOs for large companies. This class has taught me a lot about the types of presentations that work for a variety of people.

This class also had us prepare and deliver presentations, all of which were recorded. Though they were difficult to watch, I found that I have a very soft and flowing voice. Therefore, certain “strong” or emotional statements do not marry well with my natural tone and I must take this into account, whether by being extremely conscious of changes in pitches and tones, or carefully planning and choosing appropriate fillers and pauses. This leads into my next takeaway – That confidence is not a belief, but also a projection. It is not enough to be feel confident, but I must also act and be confident.

Our class introduced several techniques to portray confidence. The first was to know your audience well – segment them and conduct serious research. Know what their lifestyle is, what biases they have, what their priorities are, and what they may already know about your topic. Secondly, we aimed to answer the following questions: How can I help? How can I increase their confidence and show them helpful tools? Crafting a presentation knowing that I can truly address my audiences’ concerns certainly encourages me to speak effectively.

It was interesting to learn that some Toastmasters had actually “broken” down even impromptu speaking down to a science. I was surprised to find that the structure of a great speech is very similar to that of a formal presentation, and that one of the key aspects was not only the passion and delivery of the presenter, but also their structure. Many tips, including using a personal story, referring to current news, or using comparisons, allowed me to learn how to organize my thoughts.

But how can I transform mere ideas into meaning? Information into stories? I certainly did not expect to emerge from this class a TED Talk Speaker. I began this class believing I was a good presenter, and perhaps, in some ways, I was. However, I realized quickly that I was far from being an adequate speaker. I learned many valuable lessons along the way. I have always believed strongly in connecting with my audience, but striking the balance of emotional and analytical appeal was extremely foreign and a technique I felt should be reserved for inspirational speeches. Regrettably this is an aspect I must heavily work on going forward.

I learned to NEVER overgeneralize, even when introducing an argument or giving a strong persuasive speech. Rather, a well-structured, carefully researched, logical presentation will sway more audiences than passion well. However, I also learned that CONVICTION is important. Regardless of well-researched facts, or reasonable context, material must be delivered to the audience in a trustworthy and confident manner.

But most importantly, I have learned to be an active listener in order to truly understand my audience’s pain points and needs, such that I can ask relevant questions and offer insightful solutions. My professor led by example when she taught us that good speakers are also good listeners, and I truly admired this. No matter how repetitive discussions may have been, her body language and facial expressions always ensures us that we are offering an excellent contribution. This resonated with me. As an audience member, if I expect the speaker to give the best presentation possible, I must encourage them to do so by giving them my full attention.

Listening to my classmates’ presentations was incredibly eye-opening. How often do you get a chance to hear 30+ presentations on a variety of topics, from a variety of unique people? From excellent to lackluster to everywhere in between, each allowed me to reflect on my reaction as an audience member. For example, during our impromptu presentations, slow and steady cadence, with lots of “intended” pauses, was a technique many used to contain their nervousness and allow their brains to catch up with their voice. On the other hand, other speakers tended to overcompensate by outwardly raising their voices and speaking quickly, which amplified their obvious nervousness. Accounting for my own uncomfortable reactions to certain speeches allowed me to reflect on my own shortcomings as a speaker.

There are many challenges that lie on the road ahead; however, I have learned that there is no end to improvement. This class showed me the many ways speaking is truly an art, and I am sure there are many more. This summer, I am honoured to have been chosen as a delegate to conduct an MBA-type workshop for business owners and entrepreneurs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, through a program at Sauder called the Arc Initiative. The Arc Initiative delivers a conference that truly stands for everything I believe in, challenging conventional ideas of “foreign aid” to provide true education, and foster business skills and management mentality, and economic well-being in developing countries. The book “7 Habits of Highly Successful People” was recommended during our class, and I look forward to purchasing it for in-flight reading!

In addition, we discussed speaking to international audiences. In the past, I had refrained from adjusting my presentation style when speaking to such audiences in fear that they would feel offended. However, our professor coached us into accepting that subtle and carefully chosen changes in tone, demeanor, and even relatable examples can make a presentation much more effective, without offending my audience. We agreed that these techniques, particularly examples which resonate (ie. Refraining from using Starbucks or Lululemon as case examples in Ethiopia, instead, use local market), helps the audience retain new information and “warms” them to a level where they are comfortable enough to speak up and clarify misunderstood information.

When I lived in Yokohama as an exchange student, I did indeed adjust to the high-context culture and appreciated the honorifics, small gestures, and the customary (“ittekimasu/tadaima/okaeri” I’m leaving/I’m home/Welcome home!) greetings. When I was in Greece, I noticed the phenomenon known as “GMT” (Greece Maybe Time) – doing business with the laid-back, friendly Greeks would certainly be a vastly different affair than with the Scandinavians (though it is one country I have regrettably never visited.)

I am so pleased to have taken this business writing course when I did – the concepts introduced have allowed me to reflect significantly on adding value to my audience when delivering a speech. I have become even better at conveying complex information and concepts in simple, concise terms. I have learned to deliver audience-focused presentations that are interesting, informative, and engaging. So, as I chat with my friends in passing, as I sit down for coffee with a new connection, as I make phone calls, chair meetings, give business strategy presentations, or even consultations and training sessions, I know each opportunity is a chance for improvement. And I will never stop learning.