Avoid the Scientific Presentation Format - It's still boring

Many of us learned the scientific presentation format in school. It was boring then. It's still boring.

Don't write and deliver your presentation in the scientific presentation style - unless you are a scientist speaking to a group of academics.

This is the scientific format.

1. Problem
2. Theory
3. Process
4. Results
5. Conclusion

Boring - boring - boring!

Instead - tell us the conclusion. If we don't like your conclusion - we don't care about your process. If we like your conclusion - we don't care about your process.

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How to Become a Professional Speaker

I often get asked "How can I do what you do? How can I become a professional speaker?" It's not always in those words but the message is the same.

As you can imagine some are more committed than others. Some have made real investments of their time, effort and money. All three of those elements are critical.

Then there are the dreamers.

They say,

"I love to speak about 'x' and I put together a PowerPoint show. What's next?"

"I've been calling speakers' bureaus and they won't want to talk to me until I'm successful. If I was successful, I wouldn't need them. What's your secret?"

"I want to be a professional speaker and you've got to help me because I bought your book."

"I was let go by my company and I always loved to speak. My friend suggested that I become a professional speaker."

"I'm passionate about my message. I want to change the world. You've got to help me."


Dreaming is a good place to start. And you've got to move past that stage to planning, investing and doing.

All three actions need to be there to succeed.

When I only had the dream to become a professional speaker, I asked a friend who was a speaker what to do. His advice was:

• Don't quit your day job yet
• Join Toastmasters to get good at the craft
• Volunteer to speak as often as you can to any group - for the practice
• Focus on a specific area of expertise
• Become an aggressive marketer of your service

It took at least a few years to get from birth of the dream to full-time professional speaker. I did all the things my friend told me and more.

I appreciate my friend's help and others that I learned from along the way. Naturally I'm willing to assist others but I don't wish to waste my time with every dreamer that crosses my path.

One piece of advice from my mentor, Peter Urs Bender, was "Be nice to people, but be rude with your time."

So I wrote my advice to future professional speakers and published it on my website. Those who are serious will read it and benefit from the open and practical insights. Those who are dreamers won't read it - because they want a pill.

Here's the link to How to Become a Professional Speaker.

As you can see if you visit the link, there's lots of good information there. I invested my time and effort to write this information and publish it as a free resource. It doesn't answer every question you might have but it does cover much more than the basics. Also there are links to other useful resources and books.

It's curious that after sharing this link I have received angry messages from people who seem to believe that I owe them more - for free. As you can probably guess, those people will not make it in the professional speaking business.

If you want to become a professional speaker check this link.


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Collect & Organize Your Presentation Ideas

Call it old school, but a simple yet effective way to capture and organize your presentation ideas is to write them on index cards.

Write your ideas on separate index cards. Go ahead and simply write as many ideas and questions on index cards while preparing for your next presentation.

Don't judge the ideas as you write them.

After you've run dry on generating ideas for your presentation start to sort them. Lay the index cards out on your desk or the floor if necessary and look for commonalities. Start grouping them.

After you group them look for how you might sequence the groups.

Look for contrasts.

You might start colour coding the index cards by categories.

Move the ideas that don't fit to the side - but keep them for later consideration.

Then start writing your presentation.

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Assume and You Lose

Have you noticed that when people assume they know what you meant – often they misunderstood?

Can you recall a recent conversation where you assumed you understood the other person and you messed up because you assumed wrong?

One piece of the puzzle seldom shows you the whole picture.

Assumption seems to be the biggest cause of failed communication.

That’s curious because it happens often yet we keep repeating our mistakes.

The first step to overcome assumption is to listen without judging or jumping to conclusions. The next step is to ask for clarification and listen carefully. The next step might be to check your understanding one more time.

When you what to clarify your understanding first ask an open question and listen. Then ask a closed question or state your understanding and listen.

Why might people assume?

They believe they can read your mind.

They want to demonstrate eagerness by getting started.

They want to impress you.

They didn’t listen and don’t want you to know.

They believe that they are saving time by not asking you to explain.

They are insecure about your relationship.

They don’t want to spend any more time in your presence.

They are intimidated by you.

They are overeager to please you.

They don’t know how to ask good questions.

They believe that they should know and are afraid to ask questions.

They believe that motion is action.

They see themselves as a victim.

They think that you might be testing their knowledge.

Of course those are only my assumptions.

The next time you have a conversation or listen to a speaker ask yourself, "What assumptions have you made before or while listening to that person?"

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How to Close Your Presentation

The close to your presentation is the last thing that your audience hears. It is the last impression, therefore it could be memorable if you make it powerful.

The close to your presentation should direct people in the direction that you have been nudging them throughout your presentation.

Make it clear in your close what you want them to do next.

When writing the closing to your presentation consider that someone wakes up or arrives late and only hears your close. Will they know what to do next?

For those reasons it's good to include a summary or call to action in your closing statement.


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Open Your Presentation Like Restaurant Greeters

How to open your speech?

The opening to a speech is often overlooked - yet it is so important because it is the first impression that the audience has of you and your presentation.

The two fellows on my right were the greeters at a middle eastern restaurant. They served as perfect examples of what the opening of your presentation should do.

Think of your presentation opening as the store-front or lobby of a retail shop.

The opening of your presentation should do these three things:

• Grab Attention
• Build Rapport
• Set Direction

When we entered this restaurant these two greeters grabbed our attention with their colourful costumes and contrasting size.

They built rapport with their smiles, bowing and gestures of welcome.

They set the direction for the experience that we could expect from this restaurant with their welcoming presentation. We knew that we were in for an exotic experience that would go beyond good food.

That's what the opening to your presentation needs to do - every time you speak.

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An Unconventional Guide to Public Speaking - video

This short video offers some practical insights about public speaking in a funny deliver. - enjoy



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Presentation Success: What do you Want People to Do?

This is the most important measure of presentation success.

If the true purpose of your presentation is to move people - then the measure of your presentation success is - did you move them?

What do you want them to do?

Are they doing what you wanted them to do?

If the answer is yes - you delivered a successful presentation. If the answer is no...

The best measure of a presentation is what your audience is doing after your presentation.

Are they continuing to do what you wanted them to continue to do?

Are they changing to do what you wanted them to change to do?


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Turn Presentation Disasters into Presentation Success

Have you heard Murphy's Law that says "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong"?

It seems to apply to presentations as well. In fact if you deliver presentations the question is not "Will something go wrong?" The question is "When will it go wrong?" The more important question is "Will you be prepared to deal with the disruptions?"

Download and study this free eBook and you will be better prepared to deal with 17 common presentation disasters.

You don't even need to give your name or email to get this free eBook. Just click to download. No strings attached.

Tell others about this terrific resource and terrific deal.

In this special report you will discover how to:

·        Avoid the common presentation disruptors

·        Confidently manage when things go wrong

·        Mitigate the damage from the turbulence

·        Leverage bad things to your benefit

·        Defend your presentation against Murphy

Download the free eBook here.


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