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Articles on
Creating Impact in Public Speaking
Seated Presentations - don't
be a sitting duck
At one time or another, your boss has probably
said to you, "Don't get caught sitting down on this one." The problem is, many
sales presentations are made while you're doing exactly that - sitting down.
It's more difficult to be impressive and in control when making a seated
presentation than when standing, say Judy Stein and Marya Holcombe, principals
of Strategic Communications, Inc., a consulting firm in New Haven, Conn. They
believe sales people who don't adjust their delivery style inadvertently put
themselves in the hot seat.
Fortunately, the problem is easily remedied with a few simple modifications.
Here's what Stein and Holcombe suggest:
My Best
Presentation Tricks
Giving
presentations can be a complete and utter thrill. Too bad attending them
can be a complete and utter bore. If you are on the giving side, I want
to offer you up a collection of my best presentation tricks to date.
The greatest asset any speaker can have is ENERGY. Energy comes in many colours
and hues, from a whisper to a shout. Some will define energy as passion,
enthusiasm or "fire in the belly." With this fire, even a trivial message
becomes compelling; without it, the most powerful message will fall unheard. We
say "fire your purpose with passion. Run it through your principle-filter.
Prepare. Practice. Then, present. The result will be enormous POWER."
Speaking and presenting is something I’m passionate
about. Why? Because it’s another way to start
conversations and build relationships. Or, it can be, if
you think about how you present. Here are some
recommendations on ways to turn your bullhorn into a
party hat in the presentation world.
Corporate Storytelling 101 - How To Pick A Story That
Moves Listeners
Business
publications these days sing the praises of corporate
storytelling. But what if you're not a natural
storyteller? How do you pick a tale that inspires and
connects - and still suits a business setting? Here are
nine tips to get you started:
Make an
impact with speeches and presentation
Like a dog
chasing its tail, the pursuit of clients and prospects can sometimes go
round and round with little more than dizzying results. Yet unlike that
dog, whose frantic spinning continues until exhaustion, agents and
brokers actually have a chance to profit from their pursuit.
In many cases, a
successful outcome can be traced back to the beginning of the chase-that
moment of inspiration when both parties involved decide that the
relationship is worth exploring further. Public speaking
engagements-especially those that put agents and brokers in front of an
audience of decision-makers and prospects-present an excellent
opportunity to spark that inspiration. They can enhance your image,
boost visibility and credibility and show your target audience that you
are a valuable resource in the community.
Using Stories to Bring Your Audience into Your World
”...Once upon a time…”
“Let me
tell you about the time I spent in the mountains all
night by myself – unexpectedly…”
If you
really want to draw your audience closer to you,
tell a story.
Melding Written Materials with Your Oral
Presentation
There are a number of ways that written materials
can support and enhance an oral presentation.
I do a lot of public speaking,
teaching, and training. I utilize PowerPoint slides
extensively.
I also prepare written materials
which I distribute to participants to take with them
which serve as a reference tool so that when they
have a question later, they can use those materials
to refresh their recollection and clear up any
confusion they may have.
Whether or not you should utilize
such tools in your presentation depends upon a
number of factors.
Have You Mastered These 10 Public Speaking Skills?
How skillful are you at public
speaking?
Have you mastered the public
speaking skills?
If you want to master public
speaking, then you need master the public speaking
skills. There are dozens of skills required in a
talk. These skills are an essential part of the art
of public speaking and are especially important in
persuasive speaking. How do you measure up in just
10 of the skills?
Tips On Public Speaking; The Seven Secrets You Need to Know
With the information age upon us, and immense knowledge being constantly shared, people are being asked more frequently to address public audiences. The need to define study tips on public speaking is rapidly growing. More and more people are standing in front of their audiences with nothing to say, or it seems that way. These following tips on public speaking will show you why it is important to target you message to an audience that will enjoy it.
Being able to communicate effectively through words has been a much-coveted
secret for centuries. Take the blarney stone in Ireland, for example. The
blarney stone is part of the Blarney castle in Ireland and it is tradition
that those who kiss this stone are given the gift of the gab. If you want to
have the gift of the gab but kissing the blarney stone is out of the
question, maybe you could benefit from the 10 basics of communication and
public speaking.
Why You Should Never Read Your Speech...
Planning on giving a talk?
If you're a nervous speaker, you might be tempted
to write your speech and then read it.
Don't!
Here
are 5 reasons why reading a speech is an invitation to disaster.
Improve Your Presentation in Less Than an Hour
As you gaze outside of your window to see the sun peeking out from behind
the clouds on what you thought was a predictable day, your boss walks by to
let you know that a top prospect is coming by the office in about two hours.
You think this is good news for your organization only to hear your boss
say, "I would like you to do a 45-minute presentation."
Immediately your heart rate increases, you start to perspire and perhaps
your head is spinning. Your meek reply in the affirmative reveals your lack
of confidence in your abilities. What if your reply was more akin to, "Sure,
I'll be glad to knock our prospect's socks off with a great presentation."
What would need to change in your approach in the next two hours for you to
deliver a presentation that is your best instead of one that went bust?
Ten fatal flaws
frequently found at the podium
Top Ten
Rules for Effective Presentations
I am of the belief that the
majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing
on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add
anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone
say, “Wow, she was great! Did you see how effectively she used her hand
gestures?” That said, here are some ideas to help you become a better
speaker.
Why
Use Handouts?
They allow you to provide more detailed information than you would put on a
slide. They give your audience something to take away from your presentation, to
review later. They are one more way for your listeners to be reminded of you and
your key messages.
What are the Criteria for an Appealing Public Speaking?
In public speaking, you must keep in mind that in
verbal communication there are no second chances for the
audience to catch your remarks. Keep your talk simple
and easy to recognize. Successful speeches contain no
more than three central points. Four points is an
absolute maximum. More will mystify the audience and
waste their time - and yours.
How Can You Convert a Seminar to a Keynote?
In the speaking world, the media stars are the keynote speakers. A lot of
seminar leaders and trainers ask me how they can adapt their material to this
intense, high-profile, and often lucrative specialty.
The Ultimate Contrarian: Six Myths of Professional
Speaking
Many of us either speak professionally as an added
component of our value to clients, or speak because we
must in order to market our services to wider audiences.
Whether we mount the platform with relish to gain
additional revenues, or ascend with trepidation to try
to convert a few more hearts and souls, we should beware
of the myths surrounding professional speaking. As
someone with a foot in both consulting and professional
speaking camps, I thought I'd provide this public
service.
Your presentation doesn't end once you've
finished what you have to say. The question period often is the part of the talk
which influences the audience the most. After all, you've had time to practice
the rest of the talk. This is the part of the presentation where your ability to
interact with the audience will be evaluated. Since you can't always predict the
what you'll be asked, how can you prepare for the questioning? Here are a few
guidelines:
Audiences Are Your Friend
For the rank amateur to the ignorant
professional, audiences create the same effect no matter how small they are to a
speaker. Fear and anxiety.
From a single person to a crowd as big as
the fans in the Super Bowl, speaking in front of a serious listening audience is
the true test and baptism of fire.
Despite this, audiences are predictable.
Audiences listen to you because they want to learn something from the speaker.
Following this logic, the speaker would do
well to follow the strategy of making it informative as well as interesting to
listeners to see your speech through till the end.
Here are some tips on how you can have the
audience listen in rapt attention.
Why
(Teleclass) Audiences Won't
Speak: And How To Get Them To Respond
You've just finished your teleclass or workshop
and you're moving on to question stage.
And then comes the moment that you think you'll be
flooded with questions, so you ask, "What questions
would you like to ask me today?" And all you hear
is the chilly wind of silence.
So how do you get the audience to respond anyway?
Giving presentations can be a complete
and utter thrill. Too bad attending them can be a
complete and utter bore. If you are on the giving side,
I want to offer you up a collection of my best
presentation tricks to date.
Give a Great Talk, Part 1
By
Bob Bly
One of the ways you can market your product or service is through public
speaking.
For instance, you'll often see financial seminars advertised in your local
newspaper. The ads invite you to come for a lunch or evening seminar ...
typically just an hour or two ... on a topic like estate planning,
retirement planning, or mutual fund investing.
The seminar, sponsored by a local brokerage, financial planner, or other
financial services firm, is free.
So
how do they make money? By converting some of the attendees into paid
clients for whom they manage money, prepare estate plans, or provide other
financial servicesThis "give a free talk" strategy can work in many fields
and venues.
The
Interactive Approach to Doing a Presentation
Even
if you are already an engaging presenter, add more audience participation. It
will help the people you're talking to remember more of your content.
Here
are some ways to add variety and help people remember the important points that
you are trying to make. They are especially effective in a learning or
problem-solving situation.
Public Speaking Tips: More
Hiding Places for Your Notes
Public Speaking Tip: Energy
The greatest asset any speaker can have is ENERGY. Energy comes in many colours
and hues, from a whisper to a shout. Some will define energy as passion,
enthusiasm or "fire in the belly." With this fire, even a trivial message
becomes compelling; without it, the most powerful message will fall unheard. We
say "fire your purpose with passion. Run it through your principle-filter.
Prepare. Practice. Then, present. The result will be enormous POWER."
Wake me when it’s over:
A guide to no-nap presentations
It’s 9:30 in the morning and you’ve
made it to the third presentation of today’s marketing meeting. The
presenter is pretty much reading word for word from a deck of 40 slides,
which are mostly densely worded, bulleted items with an occasional chart
or graph thrown in.
You have no interest in the topic, and to keep from falling asleep
during the next 30 minutes, you are taking this opportunity to proofread
some documents for a pressing deadline.
Seven Key Ways
to Gesture Effectively
Gestures are reflections of every speaker's individual
personality. What's right for one speaker may not be right for another; however,
if you apply the following seven rules, you can become a dynamic, confident
speaker who uses gestures well.
Engage
your audience when you speak
How do you make your presentation more
interesting to your audience? Perhaps the
most important technique is to include them
when you speak. You can choose your words to
engage your listeners — or leave them out.
If you leave them out, boredom is the
probable result. In this article, I'll give
you some specific techniques for crafting
your content in a way that grabs the
attention of your audience.
Three
essential body language tips
For anyone who has done some training with me, you’ll know
that I don’t focus on body language when presenting. People can get obsessed by
trying to look convincing or slick, and neglect the content of their
presentation. They perform all the textbook hand gestures, and what comes out of
their mouths doesn’t match up. A bit like watching 100 chavs pour out of a limo.
It just doesn’t seem right.
Sometimes however I do give advice on body language for
presenting - especially when it detracts from the message. Here are the 3
biggest body language presentation pitfalls, and what you can do to avoid them:
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