Clear Purpose
Start your presentation with the end in mind. The only
reason to speak is to move people. So start preparing by thinking about this
question. What do you want people to think, feel or do after you speak? Keep
that purpose top of mind as you prepare and deliver your presentation.
Prepare
Don’t wing your presentation or hope to think on your feet.
That’s a formula for disaster. Instead consider the mind set of your audience.
Design your presentation. Rehearse it. Arrive early to check out the room. Be
prepared to cut it short or deal with interruptions. Rehearse dealing with
difficult questions.
Open & Close
There are three parts of your presentation – the opening,
the body and the close. They are not equal in time but each is important. Many
speakers make the mistake of only focusing on the body. The opening of your
presentation needs to grab the attention of your audience, establish rapport
and set the direction. The close is the last thing you say and hence might be
the strongest thing they remember. Ensure that it reinforces your message and
what you want them to do next.
Pause
Nervous and novice speakers are afraid of silence. Yet,
silence is your friend. You don’t persuade anyone by speaking constantly,
rapidly and louder. You persuade them by saying something poignant then pausing
while they absorb and consider your words. The more often and longer that you
pause the more confident you will appear and the more comfortable they will
feel with your ideas.
Conversation
The most important point is that your presentation should not
feel like a pitch or a lecture. If you come across that way people will tune
you out and resent you. So, how do you make your presentation feel more like a
conversation? Do the things that you enjoy in a friendly conversation. That
will include some of the techniques above – telling stories, pausing and making
friendly eye contact. Here’s one more technique to have the conversation – ask
questions of the group and listen without judging. Also punctuate your
presentation with rhetorical questions to repeatedly engage their minds.
We are creatures of habit. You can be more successful when
presenting by following these habits of highly effective speakers.
© George Torok is The Speech Coach for Executives and the
author of the Superior Presentations program. He coaches executives and trains
business professionals to deliver million dollar presentations. Discover free
tips and presentation resources at www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com
Arrange for personal speech coaching or a training program by calling
905-335-1997 Find more presentation ideas at the blog www.Speechcoach.ca
Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives
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