Chapter 14: Speak to the Judges, Not to the Screen

Chapter 14: Speak to the Judges, Not to the Screen

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Your slides are not your audience. The judges are. Yet nervous presenters often turn toward the screen because it feels safer. The slide becomes a giant set of speaker notes. That weakens the connection with the people you are trying to persuade. Your default orientation should be toward the judges.

• Look at the audience.
• Use the screen when you need to reference something specific.
• Then return your attention to the audience.

The screen is a reference point. The judges are the conversation.

Eye Contact

Eye contact communicates:

• confidence;

• credibility;

• engagement;

• ownership.

More importantly, it creates connection. When you say: "We recommend entering the market through a strategic partnership," say it to the people who need to make that decision. Not to PowerPoint.

Use the Screen Deliberately

At times, looking at or gesturing toward the screen makes sense. For example:

• "The important point is here the downside scenario still produces a positive NPV."
• Reference the visual.
• Then return your attention to the judges:
• "That gives us confidence that the investment remains financially viable even if growth is slower than expected."
• The screen provides the proof.

You deliver the conclusion.

Don't Talk to Your Notes

Notes can become another substitute for audience connection. If you need notes, use them as prompts, not as a script.

A prompt might say: Churn → High Value → Profitability → Retention. That reminds you of the logic. A paragraph encourages you to read.

Share Your Attention

Don't lock onto one judge for the entire presentation. Move naturally among the people in the room. You don't need to rotate mechanically: Judge 1 → Judge 2 → Judge 3 → Judge 4. That can look unnatural. Instead, make genuine contact with different people as the presentation progresses. When delivering an important statement, settle. Look directly at the audience. Deliver the point.

Body Orientation

Your body should reinforce where your attention is. Avoid spending long periods:

• facing the screen;

• turning your back;

• looking down;

• speaking sideways.

Stay open to the audience. When referencing the screen, turn enough to see what you need, but maintain the connection whenever possible.

Present to the Role

Remember the audience work from Chapter 4. You are not simply speaking to "judges." You may be speaking to:

• the CEO;

• the CFO;

• the board;

• a client;

• a government official;

• a nonprofit leader.

That should affect your communication. Instead of "The company should invest $5 million...", consider "For your organisation, this requires an initial investment of $5 million..." That small change reinforces the role-play. You are advising them.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

Present to people, not PowerPoint.

The deck supports the conversation. It should never become the conversation.

The Bottom Line

Your default attention belongs on the judges. Audience → Screen → Audience. Reference the visual when necessary, then return to the people making the decision. Connection creates credibility.