PowerPoint Tips, Mistakes and Ideas from 2011

What are the best ideas that you can use to improve your PowerPoint Presentations?


What if Your PowerPoint Slides Make You a Liar?


The marketing director of a well known Internet company presented us with fascinating stats about Internet use and users.

I was captivated by the numbers and percentages until he reached the graph slide in his PowerPoint presentation.

One of my colleagues raised his hand to ask a question. The presenter innocently paused to take the question and was blindsided by what happened next.


Black Death Versus PowerPoint


It's estimated that the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) killed 20 to 50 million people in Europe between 1347 and 1351. It's attack was swift and merciless. People didn't know how to deal with this threat. They didn't understand nor appreciate personal hygene nor sewage removol. They were vomitting in the streets - and dieing horibily. Almost half of the European population was eliminated in four years.


How Many Words Can You Have on Your Slides?


This is a question that more presenters need to ask before they speak. How many words should you put on your PowerPoint slides? What is the maximum number of words?



Geoff Ramm Presenting With PowerPoint


I watched my good friend from the UK, Geoff Ramm present at a few conferences. We were fellow speakers on this speaking tour. Geoff is a marketing expert and specializes in Observational Marketing. That means he looks around and reports what he sees – especially what seems to be working.
In his presentations Geoff made the best use of PowerPoint that I’ve seen. Too many speakers use PowerPoint as a crutch or shield. You know those speakers who simply repeat the words on the slide or constantly check the slides so they are reminded of what to say next.
 
 
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Top Executive Speech Coach Blog Posts of 2011

Executive Speech Coach Top Blog Posts of the year are:


What’s the difference between a speaker’s bio and an introduction?


Many people don’t realize the difference and often say bio when they mean introduction. And many non-professional speakers mistakenly supply their bio as an introduction.

There is a big difference between these two documents in their purpose and hence their form. Function always drives form.



Researching Your Presentation


Get your facts straight

Don’t stand there saying, “I think so” or “I’m not sure.” Don’t lie and pretend to know something you do not. So spend time collecting and confirming your information. Too many public speakers are quick to present their opinions without providing clear substance. Avoid that trap
 
 
Should you call out an individual by name?


Question about engaging your audience
I asked the group of MBA students for examples of ways to engage your audience. One student suggested selecting an individual, calling their name and directing a question to that person. He pointed out that this was a common technique used by professors in the university classroom.


How to Open Your Presentation with Commanding Attention


You have a few seconds to set the tone for your presentation. A good start paves the road to success while a weak opening can slam shut the door to success.
Your opening must do three things for you. Grab attention, set the direction and establish rapport. Without their attention you have a room of non-listeners. Without knowing your direction your audience will feel lost and confused. Without rapport you might have a room of enemies.


George Torok
Speech Coach for Executives

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Change Your Posture, Change Your Presentation Success

Perhaps you remember your teachers or a parent scolding you to “Stand up straight, don’t slouch.” Looking back you probably realize that advice was well intended.
We generally perceive a person that stands straight with head high is more confident and thus more successful. Because of that we tend to listen better to that person and grant more credibility to their words.

Research from Harvard adds more weight to that advice. The work was published in an article titled “Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance” which appeared in an issue of Psychological Science magazine (September 21, 2010).
The study and article suggest that if you assume a more powerful pose you will feel more powerful because of the increased production of testosterone caused by the physical power posturing. This is a curious aspect of body language. By adjusting the physical language of your body you can  influence  the internal chemical language of your body.
The Burnside News reported:

The study concluded that learning to adopt "high-power" poses of your body for two or three minutes before an interview, meeting or presentation will increase your testosterone levels and decrease your cortisol levels. Since testosterone is associated with power and dominance in mammals and cortisol can cause hypertension and even memory loss, this simple technique can be quite valuable to anyone who suffers feelings of powerlessness, nervousness or physical upset prior to a potentially stressful "performance."

The message for presenters is, if you want to be more successful, adopt a powerful stance before you take the stage. You will both feel more powerful and convey greater power and confidence.

Go ahead and practice before your mirror. Just don’t let your mother walk in on you.

Read the rest of the Article in the Burnside News at Improving Presentation Skills with Power Poses.



Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns

English, like many languages has many dialects and regional accents. None of them is the right way. This detailed website explains and demonstrates the variety of English spoken in North America.

The detail is amazing - including links to videos that demonstrates the accents. Kudos for Rick Aschmann for the detailed work into producing this resource.

North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns

http://aschmann.net/AmEng/



Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Geoff Ramm Presenting With PowerPoint

I watched my good friend from the UK, Geoff Ramm present at a few conferences. We were fellow speakers on this speaking tour. Geoff is a marketing expert and specializes in Observational Marketing. That means he looks around and reports what he sees – especially what seems to be working.

In his presentations Geoff made the best use of PowerPoint that I’ve seen. Too many speakers use PowerPoint as a crutch or shield. You know those speakers who simply repeat the words on the slide or constantly check the slides so they are reminded of what to say next.

Geoff Ramm worked with his slides as if they were a tag team. One didn’t steal from the other. They handed off to each other. Geoff would set up the next slide before it appeared so the audience anticipated it and knew what to look for.

When the slide had delivered its message, the attention moved naturally back to Geoff. Like an accomplished comedy duo they worked seamlessly together.

The slides were real visuals – photographs. Not paragraphs or bullet lists. The only slides that had words on them were for his transitions. So the audience always knew what was coming next.

Nicely done Geoff Ramm and company.



Presentation Skills Training

Read "Annoy Your Audience: Read Your PowerPoint Slides"


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Power Presentations Tip 51: Fact vs. Opinion

Facts vs Opinion

When you want to persuade you need to present both facts and opinions.

Both need to be there. Facts serve as the foundation and reference points. Opinion builds on the facts and leads them in the direction you wish to take them.

Be clear on the difference. Distinguish between them and use them wisely.

In a courtroom trial the lawyer will present a series of linked facts and then interpret those facts via expert opinion or his own opinion. The jury will reach a verdict based on their own opinions. But it all starts with proven facts. Unproven facts are simply opinions and not the foundation for a persuasive argument.

Facts

When presenting a persuasive message you need to include the relevant facts – but not all the facts. Too many facts will bore and confuse people.

Choose your facts carefully and present them clearly and confidently because your argument of opinion is based on the facts. If the facts are unproven or disbelieved your argument will fail.

The speaker mentioned that today was the birthday of Elvis (primary reference point fact). He then went on to add stats about the growth of Elvis impersonators since the death of Elvis (secondary reference point fact). He next compared the money earned by these impersonators versus the original (tertiary fact).

His conclusion was that it was more important for people to be an original instead of a copy (opinion).

It looked like a good use of fact-linking to support his opinion – except for one thing. One audience member pointed out that today’s date was August 16 – the anniversary of the death of Elvis; the birth date was January 8. The primary factual reference point of the speaker’s argument was wrong. Therefore the rest of his argument was suspect. If his facts are wrong or suspect his opinion is worth very little.

Get your facts straight.

Opinions

Facts by themselves often fail to persuade. It is opinion that persuades people because opinion adds relevance. To be effective build your opinion on facts. Your opinion will always appear more convincing when supported by proven fact.

The salesman repeated several times that the laptop was a good price. That was his opinion. He did not connect that to any facts. Because of this I didn’t believe him and stopped listening to everything else he said.

Some speakers mistakenly present opinion as fact. If you can’t prove it – don’t call it fact.

“In my experience” is an opinion. “Everybody knows” is not basis for a fact. Wikipedia is not a source of reliable facts.

I believe that more speakers need to distinguish their facts from their opinions and appreciate the dependant relationship between them.

When building your persuasive presentation research and clarify your facts then build your opinion on top of the facts.


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Presentation Train Wreck: Avoid These Mistakes

Have you ever cringed while watching a speaker and wondered “How is this speaker going to save this train wreck of a presentation?”

Most presenters make some mistakes. All speakers can get better. And then every once in a millennium you witness a presentation that defines awful. If you saw the movie “Apocalypse Now”, just imagine Marlon Brando, watching this presentation and muttering, “The horror, the horror”.

Be forewarned. This will be awful. Reach for the air sickness bag.

This speaker was the head of an international office for a major advertisement agency. You would think that people who make their living persuading people to buy would understand the principles and importance of communication skills. You would think that their leaders would be superb communicators and presenters. At least, that’s what I had thought.

Of all the speakers at this international marketing conference, this speaker was the only one who chose to plant himself firmly behind the lectern. With both hands desperately grasping the lectern he made it clear to his audience that:

1. He had no intention of getting close to his audience metaphorically and literally,
2. He would be lost without his notes,
3. He would not let the lectern fall over. 

He then showed his first slide while reading it word for word from his notes – never looking at the audience. Then, the next slide and so on…

I admit. I stopped paying attention for a while. Examining my finger nails and wondering if they were ready for cutting and filing – seemed more interesting at this point.

At some point during his presentation he started to display videos of TV advertisements that his agency had produced. I missed his introduction of the first video – wondering “Where did I leave that nail file?” But the videos did seem more interesting than he so I glanced at the videos on the screen. He played a few in a row – without commentary between. No setup and no debrief. I wondered: What was his point? What message was he trying to convey? Did his audience understand the message? Did he know the answers to those questions? Did he even care?

Then one video caught my attention. It was a short story about a teenage girl having communication problems with her handicapped father. They argued. They both seemed angry and frustrated. It was saddening to watch. Then, the daughter attempted suicide.

In the last scene of the video the daughter was recovering in the hospital while her father donated his blood to save her. It was an emotionally stabbing story.

I wondered, “How is this speaker going to bring the audience up after this emotional plummet into the abyss? Surely he understands that you never leave your audience with despair. You might take them to the depths for a brief visit. But you never abandon them there. You always leave them with hope.

I was intrigued at how he would perform this magical transition. I wanted to learn from this advertising agency CEO.

Then he said, “Well, that’s it. Thank you.”

Arrrrrggghhhhh.

He left his audience in the pit of despair. And then he failed to have a close to his presentation. That callous ending demonstrated a complete lack of understanding and empathy for the feelings of his audience.

Of course he also demonstrated an incredible lack of presentation ability. I believe that this man is an unconscious incompetent. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. And he clearly didn’t care. He was the only person who didn’t compare notes with the other speakers at this marketing conference.

The Lessons From This Disaster

• Know your presentation well enough that you don’t need to read it.
• Move away from the lectern to appear more open to your audience.
• Tell your audience what to notice when you use videos.
• You might even stop the video part way to draw attention to an important point.
• After the video review the message.
• If you take them to an emotional low – be sure to bring them up immediately after.
• Close your presentation. Don't just end it.
• Demonstrate that you care about your audience.

The best news for you as a speaker is that the standard for awful has been set. And you now know how to be better than awful.



Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

When You Speak It's Not Your Time That You Are Using

The worst presentations waste time.

They start late, drone on too long and go over time.

If you are starting late, ask your host, "When do you want me to finish?" And then finish early. They will love you.

The measure of a good presentation is not how long you can speak. It is about how well you can get your message across in the shortest possible time.

Always be prepared to have your presentation time cut. Leave out that 5 minute story, extra point or extended Q & A.





Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die

Steve Jobs delivering graduation speech at Stanford University in June 2005.

Steve Jobs has been cited as an effective presenter - especially when he announced the new Apple products.

This presentation seems to show a shy, wounded and reluctant presenter.

The words are powerful. It was a well written speech. It is an amazing speech to read. The best way to enjoy this speech is to read it or listen to it - but not to watch it. You will notice that Steve Jobs read this speech - almost entirely.

That seems strange because he only told three personal stories. He knew those stories, yet he felt compelled to read his speech. When the audience reacted to his words, he did pause, but failed to look at them. He was clearly lost in his own emotion and discomfort.

Notice the lack of emotion on his face and in his body language. Although his message was important to his audience he was clearly telling it for his own personal cleansing.

Notice how he strokes his chin at personal moments. That is likely a sign of self comforting because of pain.

The man was likely in a swamp of personal pain during this presentation.








Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Your Audience Doesn’t Care About Your Problems

Yet, too many speakers start their presentation with their personal tale of woe.

The speaker started his presentation by telling us that he travelled from the west coast across three time zones and arrived around midnight. He went to the wrong hotel because he didn’t clarify that information before he travelled.

Was he looking for sympathy because of his stupidity? Was he hoping to gain rapport because he travelled? Meanwhile I was remembering that I had recently travelled half way around the world across nine time zones to speak. I didn’t bore my audiences with my personal pain and lack of sleep because they didn’t care.

Why did this speaker think that his audience cared about his travel challenges?

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop crying to your audience. Deliver your message.




Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Keynote Speaker's photostream

Keynote Speaker's photostream on Flickr.

International Keynote Speaker, George Torok, speaking on the big stage at conferences in Iran. Notice the passion, body language and energy

How Many Words Can You Have on Your Slides?

This is a question that more presenters need to ask before they speak. How many words should you put on your PowerPoint slides? What is the maximum number of words?

I wish more people would ask me because I would tell them - zero, zip, nada. PowerPoint slides should be for images only because it is a visual medium. Text is not visual. Images - photos, diagrams and charts are visual.

But, those people don't seem to listen to me.


Here is a tip that business presenters might find more palatable.

"Put as many words but no more on the slide than you can speak in one breath."

That practical advice comes from my friend, colleague and professional speaker, Mark Ellwood. He is a productivity expert who helps business professionals make better use of their most limited resource - time.

The photo above is a picture of a slide from a presentation I attended at a conference in Iran. As you can see - it has way too many words on the slide and no visuals at all. This PowerPoint scourge encompasses the globe.

The bad news is that presenters all around the world have been seduced into delivering boring PowerPoint presentations.

The good news is that presenters all around the world have been seduced into delivering boring PowerPoint presentations.

The wonderful news for you is that you can stand out from the competition by using less words and more visuals on your PowerPoint slides.

Look at your slide and try to read it out loud in one breath. I dare you! Then remove the excess words.

George Torok
Speech Coach for Executives
Presentation Skills Training
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Why do you ask questions?

The most obvious reason might be to discover the answer.

The purest form of asking questions is just that – to discover the answer. But that could be difficult. To discover the answer you must ask a good question then listen without judging.

That’s difficult for many people and impossible with certain temperaments.

First, you must ask a clear question.
Second, you must listen without interrupting.
Third, you must listen without judging.

Each of those steps are difficult for most of us some of the time and each step can be difficult for many of us most of the time.


Are you asking a question to trap someone?

Are you asking a question to prove that you are right?

Are you asking a question to confirm what you already believe?

If you want to better connect with your listeners – ask questions to discover.

Ask, and then listen without judging.


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Better Name for PowerPoint?

Don’t be fooled by the name. There is no implied or real power in PowerPoint. It’s just a clever name. Would so many presenters have been as easily seduced if the product was named FoolsPoint, LoserPoint or BoringPoint?

PowerPoint is software that is easy to use. So, many presenters make the mistake of relying on the software instead of preparing an effective presentation. The next mistake they make is assuming that the PowerPoint slides are the presentation, so they don’t bother to improve their own presentation skills. They expect the software to present for them.

Microsoft put one over the whole presentation world by naming it PowerPoint.

So, let's have some fun and suggest a realist name for the scurge "once known as PowerPoint".


George Torok

PowerPoint Sins

SlideShare Presentations


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Presentation Training: How to Select Your Presentation Skills Trainer

If you are ready to improve the presentation skills of your team and are looking to hire a presentations skills trainer you might be wondering “How do you choose the right presentation skills trainer?”

This article will offer you some tips and ideas on the questions you should be asking of your prospective presentation skills trainer when planning a presentation skills training program for your people.

Ask these five direct and revealing questions of your presentations skills trainer to help you select a superior trainer.


Are you a natural born speaker?

This is an important question because if the trainer is a natural born speaker – they will not likely be a good instructor. The best teachers and trainers are those who struggled to learn the skills. They remember the pain of how difficult it was for them and thus can better help your people. You don’t want a self appointed Prima Donna as your presentation skills trainer. Do you?

It’s a good sign if the trainer briefly describes some of his own pain and struggle to become a better presenter. You don’t want an individual who claims to have a gift.


Other than training, what other types of presentations have you delivered?

You probably heard the expression “those that can, do and those that can’t, teach”. Be sure that your presentation skills trainer is not just a teacher or professor telling students how to do something that they have never done. Almost anyone can tell the theory of delivering a sales or boardroom presentation but it’s another story to actually deliver the real thing and relive the mistakes and lessons for you.


What have you written and where else have you been quoted and published?

If the presentation skills trainer has any substance he will have written something. The real question is who else thinks it’s worth quoting. A few articles is a good start but does not make one an expert. Ask to see copies of several articles written over a period of several years. Look for evidence that the individual is raising and answering provocative issues. If he wrote or contributed to a book, ask for a copy to see if that resonates with your needs and values.


Who says that you’re good?

There are two things that you are looking for here. Who (companies or organizations) have they worked with and for how long? The other important element that you want to see is client testimonials. You want testimonials from clients that detail the results and show the names, titles and companies. Anonymous testimonials are fools gold. Recognition from other experts is helpful. The third area of recognition is the media. Where has your expert been quoted, interviewed or published?


What have you done recently to improve both your presentation skills and presentation skills training?

There are two things that you are looking for with this pointed question. You want to hear that your presentation skills trainer has attended training programs to refresh or upgrade their skills. You want to hear that this person has invested in their own expertise by working with a presentation skills coach. You might also ask about the books that they have read lately or books that influenced them greatly. Here’s a simple tip – ask them what two or three books – other than their own they would recommend to you to improve your presentation skills. If they can’t immediately name at least three and the reason for their picks, you can write them off your list.


When selecting the best presentation skills trainer for your people it’s important that you ask the right questions so you make the right choice. Ask the questions that establish the expertise, approach and fit for training your team on improving their presentation skills.


© George Torok is a presentation skills trainer, keynote speaker, bestselling author and radio show host. Get your free presentation skills tips at http://www.torok.com Arrange for executive speech coaching and presentation skills training at http://www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com For media interviews call 905-335-1997



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Black Death Versus PowerPoint

It's estimated that the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) killed 20 to 50 million people in Europe between 1347 and 1351. It's attack was swift and merciless. People didn't know how to deal with this threat. They didn't understand nor appreciate personal hygene nor sewage removol. They were vomitting in the streets - and dieing horibily. Almost half of the European population was eliminated in four years.

It took almost five years for the uneducated masses of the middle ages to learn how to deal with this threat.

In 1990 another plague assualted us - PowerPoint. Twenty one years later the people are still suffering from Death by PowerPoint.

Audiences are still suffering from bad PowerPoint Presentations. Educated people are still deverlering painful PowerPoint presentations.

Why?

Because the pain is kept to oneself, because the death is in deals lost, and the vomitting is done in private.

Cleary - it's not painful enough - yet.

What are the numbers?

We don't know for sure.

Consider this. When was the last time you sat through a PowerPoint presentation? Today? Last week? Last month?

How did you feel during that experience?

Let's consider some conservative assumptions about corporate presentations.

Of the Fortune Five hundred Corporatioins in North America, let's assume that each of them endures at least 10 interal PowerPoint presentations each working day.

At the same time let's assume that their sales reps are delivering at least 50 external presentations each day.

The next 2,000 large sized corporations are delivering at least five presentations per day.

The next 5,000 large and medium sized corporates are delivering at least one persentation per day.

Of the hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs at least 10,000 are delivering a PowerPoint presention each day.

Of the at least thousands of colleges and univeristies at least 2,000 must be delivering PowerPoint presentations every day.

So what does that leave us?

Fortune 500 x 10 = 5,000

Fortune 500 x 50 = 25,000

Next 2,000 corporate x 5 = 10,000

5,000 mid sized x 1 = 5,000

Entrepreneurs 10,000 x 1 = 10,000

Colleges & Universites 2000 x 1 = 2000


That suggests at least 57,000 presentations a day.

That means at least - 14 million presentations a year

Let's be conservative again and cut that number in half. So for for the last 20 years, at least 140 Million PowerPowerPoint presentations have been forcing people to vomit in private.

With at least five people attending each presentation - that makes at least 700 million people that have suffered the plague of Death by PowerPoint. That is more than twice the population of the USA.



Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Power Presentations Tip 50: Timing is Everything

Timing is Everything

The singer sang the verse and then encouraged the audience to sing
along with the chorus of the old yet well known song, "Those Were
the Days My Friend"

I studied her as she switched between the roles of singer /
performer and maestro / cheerleader. The transitions were smooth
and coincided with the accompaniment from the band.

Each time she shifted out of "singer" mode into "maestro" mode she
waited for the precise moment to call out an encouragement to the
audience.

It was only micro-seconds that she waited but I marveled at her timing
because I've seen many performers loose their sense of timing when
they fall out of performer mode.

What is Timing?

Timing is a difficult concept to explain. If you know it, you will
recognize it when you see it. Bad timing is usually easier to
recognize because of the ill effects.

The importance of timing is especially noticeable in relationships,
dancing, business, combat, sports, music, entertainment and
presenting.

Complex Skill

Timing is a complex skill because it is based on developing other
skills first.

Timing seems to be the combination of two key skills. First, the
willingness to wait, even though you feel ready now. Second, the
ability to be in the moment, observe your audience and notice when
they are almost ready.

Timing in Presenting

Where can you make better use of timing in your presentations?

-Pausing just before you deliver a poignant point
-Slowing down your delivery on a critical message
-Delaying your response to a challenging question
-Waiting for the laughter to arrive and then subside after a funny
line
-Changing the sequence of your presentation because the rhythm was
right
-Taking an unplanned break because the room was ready for it

How Can You Improve Your Timing?

Listen to music and notice both the rhythm and the beat. Notice how
important that is. Try humming your favorite tunes - first as
intended, then quicker and finally disjointed. Feel the difference.

Watch comedians - live or on TV and count the seconds of their
pauses. Repeat their lines out loud.

Sit on a chair - look at the clock - close your eyes and open them
in 60 seconds. Then try it again and aim for 90 seconds. See how
close you can get to your target.
The next time you are near a lake, sea or ocean - watch the waves.
Count the cycle between big waves. Imagine that you are a surfer
timing your next ride. Move too soon and you crash - too late and
you miss the joy.

Of course the most important part of timing is to finish your
presentation on time.

George Torok

PS: Tell me how this tip helps you.

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Me, Me, Me

Imagine how you feel when they start talking to you like this?

Me, me, me, me, me, me me...

My, my, my, my, my...

Mine, mine, mine...





Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Why Are Presentation Skills Important?

Most people will agree that presentation skills are important. But ask them to explain “Why?” and they are stumped. These folks might mumble something unintelligible and proudly declare “Because – everybody knows that it is”.

I’ve been studying and teaching presentation skills for over a decade so I’ve had the opportunity to think about this question.

First, let’s clarify the statement “Presentation skills are important”. What we really mean is, “Effective presentation skills are important”. “Presentation skills” is not a black and white off/on switch. It is a rainbow of colors. Everybody has presentation skills. Some are better than others. The primary goal is for your presentation skills to be better than your competition, whoever and whatever that is. The secondary goal is for your presentations to get better with every presentation that you deliver.

So whenever you read “presentation skills are important” think “better presentations are critically important”.


Presentation 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.


Presentation Skills are Important to Business Success

Having the superior product is never enough to guarantee business success. Apple is acknowledged as offering leading edge technology and Steve Jobbs 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.


Presentation Skills are Important to Stress Reduction

The financial cost of stress to organizations is huge. Work related stress can be demoralizing to staff, management and executives. Effective presentation skills reduce miscommunication, which is likely the biggest cause of work related stress. Better presentation skills also reduces the stress on presenters which means they will be more willing to present and more effective with their communication. The principles and techniques of presentations apply to other methods of communication. Become a better presenter and you will become a better communicator.


Presentation Skills are Important to Time Management

Many presentations take too long and thus waste time because the presenter was trying to fill the time period. Better presenters get their message across in less time because they respect time, focus on the message and use the most effective techniques to communicate. Better presenters can deliver their 30 minute presentation in 5 minutes or 90 seconds when needed. Better presenters also save time while preparing because they prepare their presentation more efficiently. They know where they are going and how to get there faster.


Presentation Skills are Important to Leadership

Winston Churchill was praised for his inspiring presentations that helped England fight back against Nazi Germany. Leadership in your community, association or organization demands effective presentation skills.

Every cause needs a leader. Every leader needs to be able to stand up and deliver a clear and inspiring message. The team and followers will often judge the leader and the cause on the presentation skills of that spokesperson.


Presentation skills are Important to Public Image & Opinion

It might seem unfair, but we will often judge you, your organization and your product on how you, your staff or executive delivered a presentation. We will tend to remember the extremes – really bad or really good. Remember that our perception is relative to how everyone else presented.


Better presentations don’t guarantee you success but they give you a better fighting chance of success. Almost everything you want to accomplish is a fight. Why not gain a powerful edge in your favor? Improve the presentation skills of you and your team.

For the reasons above you can see clearly why presentation skills are important to you and your success.


© George Torok is a presentation skills trainer, executive speech coach and keynote speaker. He helps business leaders deliver million dollar presentations. Tap into your free presentation skills tips at http://www.torok.com Arrange for presentation skills training or speech coaching at http://www.SpeachCoachforExecutives.com For media interviews call 905-335-1997


Why Are Presentation Skills Important?

Presentation Skills Articles

Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

Keep Your Speech Interesting By Being Present Yourself

What happens when you keep your speech more interesting? Your audience will listen attentively to your words. People will think about your message. Your listeners are more likely to act on your call to action.

When those three things happen you know you delivered a successful presentation. So how can you keep your speech more interesting?

First you must realize that making your speech interesting is not something you do one time. You must keep injecting interesting moments throughout your presentation – much like adding spice to your cooking. If you want to make your meal more interesting you will include a variety of flavors and textures that stimulate the palate of your guests.

Delivering an effective speech is similar. You want to stimulate the minds of your listeners. So, what can you do to make your speech more interesting?

You can deliver more interesting and effective presentations by being present when you speak. What does that mean? Your audience must feel that you are there in the room with them – body, mind and soul. They must feel that you want to be there, that you are listening as well as talking and that you truly care about their best interests.

How can you demonstrate that?

Transform your speech into a conversation instead of a lecture. Think of how you might feel when the speaker is lecturing at you. That might feel rather cold. Lectures are often delivered by parents to children. Neither party enjoys them. They tend to be a one way communication. The listeners are usually made to feel small.

Use these techniques to be present when you present.

Ask questions of your audience and listen to their answers. Acknowledge and respect their opinions and perspectives especially when they differ from yours.

Encourage questions from your audience. Listen carefully to their queries and answer as best as you can. Look at the person asking the question and allow others to offer their comments.

Make eye contact with your audience while you are speaking. Don’t speak to a spot on the back wall, your slides or the floor. Look at your listeners and talk to them. Connect with people for a few seconds and then move your eyes to another person. Talk to every person in your audience one person at a time.

Be human. Admit a personal flaw, mistake or failing. Nothing says “I’m real” like sharing an embarrassing moment. Pretending to be perfect will offend your audience. Just don’t admit to all your flaws in one speech.

Laugh. Ha! Inject some humor into your presentation. Laugh when you make a mistake and laugh when something funny happens in the room. When you make a mistake be willing to allow people to laugh at you.

Be aware of what is happening in the room. When someone sneezes, say “Bless you.” When a cell phone rings, make a comment. If there is noise from outside, acknowledge that. If the mood seems to be dragging, either take a break or finish early.

Tell stories. Most people would prefer to listen to stories over lectures. Just ask your children. Include stories in your presentation that connect with your audience and illustrate your message.

You can keep your speech more interesting by demonstrating to your audience that you are fully present in the room.

© George Torok helps business presenters deliver million dollar presentations. Get your free Power Presentation Tips at http://www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com Arrange for presentation skills training or coaching at http://www.Torok.com For media interviews call 905-335-1997


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.