Want To Be A Better Public Speaker? Do What The Pros Do.

Being an effective presenter is critical for anyone who is (or aspires to be) in a leadership position. In fact, certain presentations can be downright career defining.

Instead of leaving your speaking success to chance, take some cues from the pros.

Begin with the end in mind.   

Before you start working on your script or presentation, get clear on its purpose. What are you trying to accomplish? What impact do you want to have on your audience? Are you looking to inform? Inspire? Persuade? Knowing your ultimate purpose and desired outcome will help you stay focused through the preparation process.

Simplify your messages.  

 You are where you are because of the depth and breadth of your expertise. Your natural inclination will be to impart lots of that knowledge onto your audience. Resist it! Otherwise, you’ll bore and overwhelm your listeners with details they’ll never retain. Focus on conveying a few powerful ideas that they’ll remember. Think of yourself as Master Distiller of Information – boil it down and go from there.

Avoid the perils of Powerpoint.   

t’s called “death by Powerpoint” for a reason. Those “eye charts” crammed with words in 8-point type are dreaded by audiences everywhere. Lose them! Your job is to hold the attention in the room. All eyes should be on you, not the screen. If you use slides, make them impactful and use them sparingly. They should be simple, compelling and graphically appealing.  Also remember that when you’re reliant on slides, you run the risk of a technology problem and a presentation disaster. By reducing or eliminating slides, you minimize risk.

Connect with your audience. 

One mistake speakers often make is trying to prove they’re smart. Remember that you’re at the podium for a reason. Your credentials speak for themselves.

Continue Reading 

Ten tips for smoother public speaking

When you have a presentation to give, do you spend more time preparing the content, or practicing your delivery in front of a mirror? The impact of communication can be measured in the following way: seven per cent is determined by content, 55 per cent by body language, and 38 per cent by your voice. These are the findings of eminent educational psychologist Albert Mehrabian.

Content is crucial, of course, but remember that presentation techniques—how you communicate words—accounts for 93 per cent of the impression you make. My top tip is: once you have prepared a presentation, spend time on how you present—your voice and body language will count. In addition, consider the following...

1. Research your audience. Study a brand and understand its values. What are people expecting from you?

2. Send out three messages. Begin powerfully, deliver the three key points, and then finish your speech memorably.

3. Body language. Smile, make eye contact and use gestures. Good posture conveys a sense of personal power and it communicates confidence.

4. Voice counts for 38 per cent of impact. Variation of pitch adds color to a voice. Pace your delivery-move quickly through unimportant words and phrases and slow down vital ones.

5. First impressions count. Clothing has a language and is a key part of your message. It takes seven seconds to make a first impression. What you wear says something about you. Your introduction is paramount.

6. Connect with your audience. People respond positively when you are authentic, so be yourself. There is a difference between impressing and connecting.

Read more

Why are public speaking skills important?

Why are public speaking skills important?

Are public speaking skills important? Yes. The real question should be “Why are effective public speaking skills important?

Everybody has public speaking skills. Some are better than others. The primary goal is for your public speaking skills to be better than your competition, whoever and whatever that is. The secondary goal is for your presentations to get better every time you speak.

Public Speaking Skills are Important to Individual Success

For many individuals the first important presentation they deliver might be to the selection committee. It might be labeled as a “job interview” but it’s really a presentation. Success rides on their presentation outshining the competition. The results are black and white but the skills are a rainbow of colors.

In most organizations day-to-day business entails teamwork. That means presenting to your team or on behalf of your team. Career growth necessitates presenting your ideas to others. And if you want to be promoted you need to train others to handle your old job. If you want to fast track your career – volunteer to work on projects and deliver more presentations.

Public Speaking Skills are Important to Business Success

Having the superior product is never enough to guarantee business success. Apple is seen as offering leading edge technology and Steve Jobs is often modeled as a superior presenter. If you are not the Apple of your industry just imagine how much better your presentations need to be.

Business leaders are often expected to present their message with confidence and clarity to staff, clients, partners, investors and sometimes the public. Millions of dollars can ride on these presentations.

Public Speaking Skills are Important to Stress Reduction