Jon Lever dispels some of the myths regarding the RICS APC final assessment presentation and offers tips on how to add an air of professionalism to the process
I am often asked about the final assessment presentation and what format it should follow or what content it should have in it. I regularly sit in RICS APC final assessment panels where I am able to see many different ways to skin the presentation cat. Some bad, some not so bad and the odd good one.
DeLever’s mission is to offer best practice advice that really makes a difference, so let’s get back to basics.
First principles
• The presentation is a requirement of the APC process, just as much as the competency knowledge and experience achievement, the creation of the submission documentation, undertaking relevant CPD and recording it effectively, etc. However, the presentation is often the part of the process that gets left behind and only really considered at the last minute. Quite frankly, it shows.
• It is so important to realise that the presentation is a key part of your mandatory competency achievement, especially with “communication” (written, graphical and verbal). This is a Level 2 competency, so you need to demonstrate that you know it and you can do it. Assessors really do expect you to deliver a perfect presentation. Why wouldn’t you? You have plenty of time to get it right.
• The presentation is the first 10 minutes of the 60-minute final assessment interview and it is your unique, uninterrupted time to shine. Ace it and you will impress your assessors.
• You need only deliver the content from your case study. Follow the APC candidate guidance and let’s dispel the myth that you allegedly need to bring something new to the table or an update – you don’t. Just deliver the case study report content as you have submitted it. This does not mean reading it verbatim but turning it into an informative and interesting presentation.
• The assessors will not be bored because they have read your case study report a few times. In fact the presentation is often a useful embellishment of the written report and a great benefit to the assessors, as the pieces they may not have quite understood in the written version tend to fall into place more readily when it is all competently presented to the panel.
• Your aim is to impress and engage with your assessors, demonstrating your ability to competently communicate – one of the most fundamental things that will form part of your everyday work as a surveyor.
There are a number of key subject areas that always come up in conversation with APC candidates preparing for their final assessment:
Visual aids
Should you take any visual aids? With any kind of presenting there is a certain level of personal choice and preference. However, one of the fundamental things about presenting is that it is not about you, it is about your audience. “They” say that human beings take on board 75% of their knowledge and awareness through visual stimuli. “They” also say that our brain processes visual imagery 60,000 times faster than written information (which is pretty impressive). Lastly, I say, based on 20 years of experience of keeping the attention of audiences of 30-plus people over a period of seven hours on some of the training I deliver, that there is something to be said for a well prepared, practised and visually stimulating presentation.
Key things to remember when preparing visual aids:
• Five to seven bullet points per page/slide
• Two to three words per bullet point
• Avoid writing everything in capitals
• Use a sans serif font such as Arial
• Work to a rule of thumb of two minutes per presentation slide
• Pictures or drawings need to be considered carefully and be large enough for all to see easily.
But bear in mind that you are your most important visual aid. Don’t think visual aids stop at a handout or flipchart slide – go and stand in front of a mirror and remember that you are as much a part of that presentation as anything else. You must also look the part and carry yourself in a competent and professional manner.
Timing – 10 minutes flat
A period of 10 minutes can whistle by, and it can also feel like an eternity. Think about your interaction with your audience and any visual aids or handouts you bring. You will undoubtedly have practised your presentation time and time again before the final assessment but, on the day, things can get out of hand due to nerves and worry, so it is all important to think about how you are going to time it. A simple wrist watch on the table and some key time milestones on your notes should suffice and, if well practised, will make you look like a pro as you sail in neatly to your final words between nine-and-a-half and 10 minutes.
Electrickery
There is a time and place for gizmos – and this is not it. Electrickery may be a made-up word, but you know what I mean. Many think that the APC presentation is about mirroring presentations you may deliver in your working life on laptops or projectors or smart gadgets. I have seen discussion forums spouting off about how dated the APC assessment is if it deters candidates from using electrickery. Don’t misunderstand, I am a complete “techie” myself and love the next shiny gadget that comes within reach, but the APC presentation is not about hiding behind the clever technology. It is about you and the fact that you are sat across a table, pretty much within arm’s length of your audience of only two or three people who are keen to hear what you have to say. There is very little time or space for gadgets. It is time to get back to the basics and prove you can deliver a presentation competently, bringing in the human touch.
So, adopt the “KISS principle” – keep it simple, stupid – and use good ol’ paper. It doesn’t need booting up or refreshing, and a healthy dose of confidence in yourself and your well-practised abilities will do just fine.
Stress
Yes you will be stressed. There is no way to avoid it I am afraid. Presenting will always be a stressful experience because you are placing yourself in a vulnerable position with complete strangers who are going to observe and listen to you and then, when you have walked out of the interview room, make a decision about your performance, professionalism and competence. It is the culmination of weeks, months and years of preparation all shoehorned into a single hour. But, by considering some simple techniques, you can massively minimise it.
• Understand the APC process and appreciate it will be a challenge and it is OK to be a little bit stressed on the day. Give yourself a break and try to relax
• Make life simple, be well prepared and relax
• Practice, practice, practice, relax and then practice some more
• Know your required knowledge and experience inside out – and then relax.
Can you see the theme running through this? Relaxing isn’t it? The end of the presentation may seem a long way off when you are actually there, in the moment, presenting. I can only draw on my own experience and say the more you present the better you will get.
I thoroughly enjoy presenting as I find great satisfaction in imparting useful knowledge and experience my audience. I could carry on writing for many more pages about the key tips that have worked well over the years – and what has not – but I need to bring this article to a close. Good luck – and relax.
Useful resources
APC Presentation Online Masterclass A 90-minute discussion of the key elements of the APC final assessment presentation process with hints and tips on best practice: www.delever.co.uk/downloads
DeLever APC Presentation Pack One-stop-shop pack including a presentation easel and 10 plastic wallets containing a demonstration presentation layout, a copy of the Presentation Online Masterclass recording and a 10-page guidance note on how to write a first-class APC presentation: www.delever.co.uk/presentation-pack
Jon Lever FRICS is the RICS UK licenced assessor trainer, a RICS regional training adviser, an APC chairman of assessors and a member of the RICS governing council. Follow Jon on Twitter @deleverapc
