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"Your Presentation Tip #2 arrived just as we were putting together four different presentations to a variety of client levels in different categories and different countries. It was helpful to be reminded of some of the basics - to help pull it all together. One of my favourite quotes is "man needs more to be reminded than informed", and this was helpful."
Marion Plunkett,
Founder Plunkett Communications Inc.
Toronto, CANADA
"This tip is a superb reminder of what I know is a powerful way to get and keep the room engaged, and is something I should be doing not just in formal presentations, but in my day to day presentations with people I love."
Jamie Lord,
Worldwide Creative Director JAMconsult.org
Hong Kong
"GREAT TIP… Actually I'm about to attend a week long leadership course in which we will be giving presentations…I will use these suggestions…"
Alberta Williams,
CDFM, Financial Manager Federal Highway Administration, DC Division
Washington, USA
"Recently I made a presentation and applied a good number of tips from your edition, I must say, it worked well, thank you so much."
Bennett Size,
SHE & Training Manager Iron Duke Pyrites (Pvt) Ltd
Zimbabwe
"I just want to thank you for this great tool. I have read your books and tried to follow your guide in regard to presenting in front of an audience. These latest tools are awesome!"
Jo-Ann Cino,
Senior consultant, (Top 10 in Canada) Investors Group Financial Services
Oakville, Canada.
"As a Toastmaster (more than 10 years), your message rings true to me. It reminds me to keep my priorities straight. I can only agree with you. Some speakers make it about them, and consequently, the audience responds accordingly, or not. Keep those tips coming."
Claude Desroches
Berlin, Germany
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Review the archive of past Power Presentations Tips.
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Power Presentation Tip 06: Focus on the 80%
Power Presentation Tip: 80 will get you 90
Imagine if you were successful 90% of the time. That would be amazing.
We humans have a natural urge to try to please everybody. That is the main reason we have trouble saying "no".
That urge to please everybody can sabotage your effectiveness as a presenter. When delivering a presentation you need to focus on the key decision makers.
With most audiences you will have a 10-10-80 split.
10% adore youThe first 10% of the people will adore you no matter what you do. You don't need to do anything spectacular to impress or convince these people. Recruit them as assistants. Feed off their support but don't overdose on the adulation.
10% dislike youThe second 10% are like poison ivy. Tangle with them and you lose everything. These people will dislike you no matter what you do or say. You can't reach them. Don't knock yourself out for them. It's best not even to directly engage them. Ignore their snarls and don't take it personally. Even Superman had enemies.
Your target is 80%The 80% remaining are the people who can be convinced. They are movable. So focus your presentation on them. Design and deliver your presentation for this 80%. Actively engage them. Notice their reactions. Adapt to their mindset.
When you move this group you will have achieved 90% acceptance. And 90% is an overwhelming success.
Focus on moving the 80% of your audience that can be moved. Don't waste your effort on the unmovable or the adoring fans.
George Torok
PS: tell me how this tip helps you.
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Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Imagine if you were successful 90% of the time. That would be amazing.
We humans have a natural urge to try to please everybody. That is the main reason we have trouble saying "no".
That urge to please everybody can sabotage your effectiveness as a presenter. When delivering a presentation you need to focus on the key decision makers.
With most audiences you will have a 10-10-80 split.
10% adore youThe first 10% of the people will adore you no matter what you do. You don't need to do anything spectacular to impress or convince these people. Recruit them as assistants. Feed off their support but don't overdose on the adulation.
10% dislike youThe second 10% are like poison ivy. Tangle with them and you lose everything. These people will dislike you no matter what you do or say. You can't reach them. Don't knock yourself out for them. It's best not even to directly engage them. Ignore their snarls and don't take it personally. Even Superman had enemies.
Your target is 80%The 80% remaining are the people who can be convinced. They are movable. So focus your presentation on them. Design and deliver your presentation for this 80%. Actively engage them. Notice their reactions. Adapt to their mindset.
When you move this group you will have achieved 90% acceptance. And 90% is an overwhelming success.
Focus on moving the 80% of your audience that can be moved. Don't waste your effort on the unmovable or the adoring fans.
George Torok
PS: tell me how this tip helps you.
Register for your Power Presentation Tips
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Presentations: Handling Questions with Authority
Presentations: Handling Questions with Authority
At some point during your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy into your message. Handling their questions with authority can make the difference for you between a successful presentation and a waste of time. This is the opportunity for the audience to test your knowledge on the topic and commitment to your message.
1. Explain at which points during the presentation you will take questions and how individuals will be recognized to speak. Point out the microphones they should use. State the rules that must be followed to ask questions.
2. Prepare how you will answer questions - especially the worst questions. Imagine how confident you will look when they hit you with the killer question - the question that is intended to skewer you to the wall. Instead you smile and calmly respond with a positive answer. Craft and rehearse the answers to these difficult questions before the presentation.
3. Maintain control of the questioning. Formally recognize the questioner before they speak and limit the number of questions. Allow only one person to speak at a time.
4. When listening to the question look at the questioner while moving away to include the whole group. Paraphrase the question for the group. State your answer to the group. Beware of answering only to the questioner.
Read the rest of Handling Questions with Authority.
George Torok
Free Presentation Tips
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Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
At some point during your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy into your message. Handling their questions with authority can make the difference for you between a successful presentation and a waste of time. This is the opportunity for the audience to test your knowledge on the topic and commitment to your message.
1. Explain at which points during the presentation you will take questions and how individuals will be recognized to speak. Point out the microphones they should use. State the rules that must be followed to ask questions.
2. Prepare how you will answer questions - especially the worst questions. Imagine how confident you will look when they hit you with the killer question - the question that is intended to skewer you to the wall. Instead you smile and calmly respond with a positive answer. Craft and rehearse the answers to these difficult questions before the presentation.
3. Maintain control of the questioning. Formally recognize the questioner before they speak and limit the number of questions. Allow only one person to speak at a time.
4. When listening to the question look at the questioner while moving away to include the whole group. Paraphrase the question for the group. State your answer to the group. Beware of answering only to the questioner.
Read the rest of Handling Questions with Authority.
George Torok
Free Presentation Tips
Presentation Skills Coaching
Boardroom Presentations
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Presentation blog: Authenticy Rules
Presentation Blog: Authenticity Rules from Rhett Laubach
Followup to my last post, here is another neat blog on presentation skills from professional speaker, Rhett Laubach.
Recent blog posts include an enlightening approach to the use of PowerPoint Slides, a nostalgic connection to the Elvis in you and several helpful links to convincing research. I especially appreciate the explanation along with diagrams of how best to organize the seating of your audience.
Check it out at: http://authenticityrules.blogspot.com/
George Torok
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Followup to my last post, here is another neat blog on presentation skills from professional speaker, Rhett Laubach.
Recent blog posts include an enlightening approach to the use of PowerPoint Slides, a nostalgic connection to the Elvis in you and several helpful links to convincing research. I especially appreciate the explanation along with diagrams of how best to organize the seating of your audience.
Check it out at: http://authenticityrules.blogspot.com/
George Torok
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Presentation Skills - Blogs
Blogs about Presentation Skills
A look around the blogosphere uncovers these blogs on presentation skills:
Blogs About Presentations
A curious collection of WordPress blogs on the topic of Presentation Skills
Presentation Skills - telling people
This is the voice & presentation skills blog of Dr Simon Raybould, the Director of Curved Vision.
Curved Vision is a training and consultancy group, based in Newcastle, in the north of England, but working all over the UK. Essentially, by writing this, I’m hoping that it will become (not only interesting!) but also a useful resource for anyone wanting to develop their own abilities as a public speaker and presenter.
The Extreme Presentation Method
Dr. Andrew V. Abela designed the Extreme Presentation(tm) approach to meet the pressing need for presentation development where failure is not an option. He has been designing and delivering effective presentations to senior executives - and training and coaching others to do so - for over 20 years. He is currently a professor of marketing and market research at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Prior to this he worked as a brand manager with Procter & Gamble, as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, and he was the founding managing director of the Marketing Leadership Council, a best-practices research organization serving Chief Marketing Officers at hundreds of leading corporations worldwide.
Presentation Zen
This blog from Garr Reynolds seem to have a Zen-like feel to it. It is not easy to understand but we pretend that we do so we don't appear to be unsensitive. Topics covered include condom charts, sleep depravation, Benjamin Zander, George Carlin and an eclectic collection of quotations.
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Blog
Patricia Fripp's Weblog Dedicated to Public Speaking, Presentation Skills, and Sales Presentations. Too bad that she stopped contributing to this blog over two years ago. I consider her to be a fabulous presenter and presentation coach. She has at least 100 good articles on her website on presentation skills.
Six Minutes
A mysterious title however Six Minutes is a public speaking and presentation skills blog. It includes tips, analysis, insights, and strategies which help you become a more effective speaker and a more effective communicator.
enjoy
George Torok
Executive Speech Coach
Presentation Skills Training
Motivational Business Speaker
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
A look around the blogosphere uncovers these blogs on presentation skills:
Blogs About Presentations
A curious collection of WordPress blogs on the topic of Presentation Skills
Presentation Skills - telling people
This is the voice & presentation skills blog of Dr Simon Raybould, the Director of Curved Vision.
Curved Vision is a training and consultancy group, based in Newcastle, in the north of England, but working all over the UK. Essentially, by writing this, I’m hoping that it will become (not only interesting!) but also a useful resource for anyone wanting to develop their own abilities as a public speaker and presenter.
The Extreme Presentation Method
Dr. Andrew V. Abela designed the Extreme Presentation(tm) approach to meet the pressing need for presentation development where failure is not an option. He has been designing and delivering effective presentations to senior executives - and training and coaching others to do so - for over 20 years. He is currently a professor of marketing and market research at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Prior to this he worked as a brand manager with Procter & Gamble, as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, and he was the founding managing director of the Marketing Leadership Council, a best-practices research organization serving Chief Marketing Officers at hundreds of leading corporations worldwide.
Presentation Zen
This blog from Garr Reynolds seem to have a Zen-like feel to it. It is not easy to understand but we pretend that we do so we don't appear to be unsensitive. Topics covered include condom charts, sleep depravation, Benjamin Zander, George Carlin and an eclectic collection of quotations.
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Blog
Patricia Fripp's Weblog Dedicated to Public Speaking, Presentation Skills, and Sales Presentations. Too bad that she stopped contributing to this blog over two years ago. I consider her to be a fabulous presenter and presentation coach. She has at least 100 good articles on her website on presentation skills.
Six Minutes
A mysterious title however Six Minutes is a public speaking and presentation skills blog. It includes tips, analysis, insights, and strategies which help you become a more effective speaker and a more effective communicator.
enjoy
George Torok
Executive Speech Coach
Presentation Skills Training
Motivational Business Speaker
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
How to present to teenagers
How to present to teenagers
Question:
I received this question recently, "How should I present to 15-year old girls so they won't get bored and would concentrate for the maximum time possible?"
Answer
I speak to a few groups of teenagers each year. I do it for two reasons:
1. Some of them appreciate my message.
2. It is tough speaking to teenagers so the experience keeps me humble.
Speaking to teenagers seems to be the toughest audience - even tougher than engineers.
Your results on speaking to them depends on why they are there - because they want to be or because they have to be.
Guess which group is more productive?
The main thing that I do differently when speaking to teens is to give them less information and engage them with discussion and Q&A much more. They keep interrupting if I try to speak all the time.
Encourage interaction and opinion. Don't punish wrong answers - look for other answers closer to what you are looking for.
Review the concepts that were explained. Ask them to summarize parts of your message.
George Torok
Presentation Skills Coaching
Presentation Skills Training
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Question:
I received this question recently, "How should I present to 15-year old girls so they won't get bored and would concentrate for the maximum time possible?"
Answer
I speak to a few groups of teenagers each year. I do it for two reasons:
1. Some of them appreciate my message.
2. It is tough speaking to teenagers so the experience keeps me humble.
Speaking to teenagers seems to be the toughest audience - even tougher than engineers.
Your results on speaking to them depends on why they are there - because they want to be or because they have to be.
Guess which group is more productive?
The main thing that I do differently when speaking to teens is to give them less information and engage them with discussion and Q&A much more. They keep interrupting if I try to speak all the time.
Encourage interaction and opinion. Don't punish wrong answers - look for other answers closer to what you are looking for.
Review the concepts that were explained. Ask them to summarize parts of your message.
George Torok
Presentation Skills Coaching
Presentation Skills Training
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Olympic Speakers
Olympic Speakers
Olympic athletes who want to build their career on their Olympic experience need to develop their presentation skills.
Enjoy this report from the Globe and Mail.
----------------
Boardroom Olympians
Gifted athletes aren't necessarily gifted speakers. But with training, a career can blossom after the game ends
DAVE MCGINN
From Monday's Globe and Mail
July 14, 2008 at 9:40 AM EDT
The day after Katie Weatherston arrived back in Ottawa from competing at this year's women's world hockey championship in China, the 26-year-old Olympian began what might prove to be the most important training program of her career.
It had nothing to do with slap shots or stick handling. Instead, Ms. Weatherston found herself surrounded by entrepreneurs and aspiring CEOs, all of whom were looking to punch up their podium skills at a public speaking course offered by Dale Carnegie Training, an international business training company.
...
Canada's national team athletes are expected to inspire both on and off the field, and are often invited to speak to schools and corporations across the country. But just because they are naturally gifted athletes does not mean they are naturally gifted public speakers.
So it is no surprise, says Jasmine Northcott, executive director of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada's national team athletes, that the governing bodies of amateur athletics in Canada place such a high emphasis on providing athletes with public speaking training.
...
When Newfoundland's Brad Gushue won a gold medal in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, he was flooded with public speaking invitations, the majority of them paid engagements. The better a speaker an athlete is, he says, the more likely they are to continue to receive those invitations.
"There's probably about a year-long window after the Olympics where you're going to get speaking opportunities," Mr. Gushue says. "I think having the Dale Carnegie course allows athletes to open that window for a longer period of time."
...
Olympic athletes who want to build their career on their Olympic experience need to develop their presentation skills.
Enjoy this report from the Globe and Mail.
----------------
Boardroom Olympians
Gifted athletes aren't necessarily gifted speakers. But with training, a career can blossom after the game ends
DAVE MCGINN
From Monday's Globe and Mail
July 14, 2008 at 9:40 AM EDT
The day after Katie Weatherston arrived back in Ottawa from competing at this year's women's world hockey championship in China, the 26-year-old Olympian began what might prove to be the most important training program of her career.
It had nothing to do with slap shots or stick handling. Instead, Ms. Weatherston found herself surrounded by entrepreneurs and aspiring CEOs, all of whom were looking to punch up their podium skills at a public speaking course offered by Dale Carnegie Training, an international business training company.
...
Canada's national team athletes are expected to inspire both on and off the field, and are often invited to speak to schools and corporations across the country. But just because they are naturally gifted athletes does not mean they are naturally gifted public speakers.
So it is no surprise, says Jasmine Northcott, executive director of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada's national team athletes, that the governing bodies of amateur athletics in Canada place such a high emphasis on providing athletes with public speaking training.
...
When Newfoundland's Brad Gushue won a gold medal in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, he was flooded with public speaking invitations, the majority of them paid engagements. The better a speaker an athlete is, he says, the more likely they are to continue to receive those invitations.
"There's probably about a year-long window after the Olympics where you're going to get speaking opportunities," Mr. Gushue says. "I think having the Dale Carnegie course allows athletes to open that window for a longer period of time."
...
"I do a lot of public speaking and a lot of corporate events, and just wanted to find a way to be a little bit more comfortable when I'm up in front of people and a bit more confident when I speak," he says.
--------------
Read the rest of the story.
George Torok
Executive Speech Coach
Presentation Skills Training
Free Presentation Skills Tips
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Presentation Skills Question: Memory Loss?
Presentation Skills Question:
How do I recover from a memory lapse?
Presentation Skills Expert Answer:
There are a few techniques you can use to recover from a memory lapse.
The first thing to do is to smile and pause. When your audience sees you smiling they assume that you are in control. The pause gives you time to recover.
Pause to regain your thoughts and the attention of the audience.
Repeat that last thing you said. That might jog your memory and the audience thinks that you do that for effect.
Ask a rhetorical question, "Where do we go from here?" That question might trigger your brain to get on track. Or it might even trigger your audience to throw out some suggestions to help you.
George Torok
The Public Speaking Pro
Public Speaking Success
Read more Q&A about presentation skills.
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
How do I recover from a memory lapse?
Presentation Skills Expert Answer:
There are a few techniques you can use to recover from a memory lapse.
The first thing to do is to smile and pause. When your audience sees you smiling they assume that you are in control. The pause gives you time to recover.
Pause to regain your thoughts and the attention of the audience.
Repeat that last thing you said. That might jog your memory and the audience thinks that you do that for effect.
Ask a rhetorical question, "Where do we go from here?" That question might trigger your brain to get on track. Or it might even trigger your audience to throw out some suggestions to help you.
George Torok
The Public Speaking Pro
Public Speaking Success
Read more Q&A about presentation skills.
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Power Presentations Tip 05: Be like a talk show host
Power Presentations Tip 05: Be like a talk show host
Are you ready for a simple and effective method to both write and deliver your presentation?
Interview yourself.
Pick your topic. Decide on your key message. Design the process through which you need to take your listeners. Then frame that thought process with advancing questions.
Advancing questions are opened-ended questions that allow you to answer with an explanation. The questions form a quick transition to your next point.
This is one of the simplest ways to prepare and deliver a presentation. It is also an effective method of delivery. Why? Because it forces you to think like your listener and design your presentation from that perspective. Secondly, the structure and delivery will feel more like a natural conversation than a lecture or sales pitch.
Your questions might look like the following:
Why is this important to you?
What is the current situation?
What are your options?
Why is this option your best choice?
How will this work for you?
What are the next steps?
That set of questions could be the outline for many of your presentations. The questions in the middle can vary. Depending on the complexity of your topic, there might be more "what" and "how" questions. However, the first question should almost always be "Why is this important to you?" and the last question should be "What are the next steps?"
Interview yourself to deliver more powerful presentations.
George Torok
Speech Coach for Executives
-----------------
Feedback
"As a Toastmaster (more than 10 years), your message rings true to me. It reminds me to keep my priorities straight. I can only agree with you. Some speakers make it about them, and consequently, the audience responds accordingly, or not. Keep those tips coming."
Claude Desroches
Berlin, Germany
------------------
Register for your free presentation tips.
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Are you ready for a simple and effective method to both write and deliver your presentation?
Interview yourself.
Pick your topic. Decide on your key message. Design the process through which you need to take your listeners. Then frame that thought process with advancing questions.
Advancing questions are opened-ended questions that allow you to answer with an explanation. The questions form a quick transition to your next point.
This is one of the simplest ways to prepare and deliver a presentation. It is also an effective method of delivery. Why? Because it forces you to think like your listener and design your presentation from that perspective. Secondly, the structure and delivery will feel more like a natural conversation than a lecture or sales pitch.
Your questions might look like the following:
Why is this important to you?
What is the current situation?
What are your options?
Why is this option your best choice?
How will this work for you?
What are the next steps?
That set of questions could be the outline for many of your presentations. The questions in the middle can vary. Depending on the complexity of your topic, there might be more "what" and "how" questions. However, the first question should almost always be "Why is this important to you?" and the last question should be "What are the next steps?"
Interview yourself to deliver more powerful presentations.
George Torok
Speech Coach for Executives
-----------------
Feedback
"As a Toastmaster (more than 10 years), your message rings true to me. It reminds me to keep my priorities straight. I can only agree with you. Some speakers make it about them, and consequently, the audience responds accordingly, or not. Keep those tips coming."
Claude Desroches
Berlin, Germany
------------------
Register for your free presentation tips.
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
Presentation Quotes from Walt Disney
Presentation Quotes from Walt Disney
When delivering your presentation it is always powerful to inject a quote from a powerful leader. Walt Disney certainly was a powerful and inspirational business and community leader.
Enjoy these quotes from Walt Disney.
-------------
"I don't believe there's a challenge anywhere in the world that's more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin... how do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we're convinced we must start answering the public need. And the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community that will always be in a state of becoming. I twill never cease to be a living blueprint of the future, where people actually live a life they can't find anywhere else in the world."
"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."
"We did it (Disneyland), in the knowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financial disaster - closed and forgotten within the first year."
"It's no secret that we were sticking just about every nickel we had on the chance that people would really be interested in something totally new and unique in the field of entertainment."
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
"We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."
----------------------
Find more Walt Disney quotes
Learn more about Disney
George Torok
Business Speaker
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
When delivering your presentation it is always powerful to inject a quote from a powerful leader. Walt Disney certainly was a powerful and inspirational business and community leader.
Enjoy these quotes from Walt Disney.
-------------
"I don't believe there's a challenge anywhere in the world that's more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin... how do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we're convinced we must start answering the public need. And the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community that will always be in a state of becoming. I twill never cease to be a living blueprint of the future, where people actually live a life they can't find anywhere else in the world."
"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."
"We did it (Disneyland), in the knowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financial disaster - closed and forgotten within the first year."
"It's no secret that we were sticking just about every nickel we had on the chance that people would really be interested in something totally new and unique in the field of entertainment."
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
"We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."
----------------------
Find more Walt Disney quotes
Learn more about Disney
George Torok
Business Speaker
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
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