Presentation
With Pizazz
You
are good at what you do. The set of leadership
and management skills that you have developed over
the years has gained you a position of authority and
respect in your organization. But, does your primary
skill set include the ability to make confident, powerful,
effective
presentations that will inspire influential customers
and critical decision makers to trust you and/or your
organization with major contracts and projects? You
see, as an executive, you are now more than a planner,
more than a manager; you must also now assume a public
relations and presentations role in representing your
organization in a variety of situations. Our outstanding
training workshop, The Executive Presenter, was designed
with people like you in mind.
How
to overcome your fear of public speaking
Q:
My business is such that I'm required to make presentations,
either one-on-one or to small groups. I usually have
someone else do these presentations for me, but as my
business grows, it's getting more difficult to find
someone who has the time. Plus, by now, I should be
doing my own presentations, but I still haven't gotten
over my fears or nervousness. Am I in the wrong business,
or is there some way to learn how to do what seems to
come naturally to everyone else?
A:
In reality, terrific presentations don't come naturally
to most people. There has even been a published report
that claims more people say they're afraid of public
speaking than say they're afraid of death. But I promise
you, after nearly 25 years of training people to make
presentations and giving hundreds of presentations to
groups large and small, I haven't known one person to
die from speaking in front of a group. In fact, it can
be lots of fun, and it's a vital part of building many
types of businesses, including yours.
The
three factors that make or break a presentation are
content, structure and presentation style. The best
way to conquer your trepidation is to polish up on all
three.
Start
by writing a complete script or detailed outline of
the content of your talk, making sure to create a benefit-oriented
presentation that contains valuable information. Consider
what your audience is hoping to gain from your talk,
and center your message on how your prospects will benefit
from accepting your proposal. The structure of your
presentation should flow logically from beginning to
end, without digressions or omissions. Try to anticipate
the questions you'll receive, and structure your script
to allow for audience interaction.Next, memorize and
rehearse your presentation.
The
best way to polish your presentation style and eliminate
any bad habits is to use a video camera to tape your
rehearsals, then watch the tapes critically, looking
for signs of nervousness or stiffness. For example,
grinning, grimacing and repeating a single word or gesture,
such as shifting from one foot to the other or saying
"um" over and over again; speaking excessively
slowly or quietly; speaking in a monotone voice; or
staring at the floor all convey nervousness to your
audience.Once you spot your problem areas, practice
your talk until you're comfortable that you've overcome
them. Watching the videotape of your newly polished
presentation style should give you the confidence to
begin making presentations on your own.
Kim
T. Gordon
"Presentations
- Leave Your Audience with a Lasting Impression"
Presentations
Skills Quote:
Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration
with others.
Rosalynn Carter
Suggested
Reading:
Knockout
Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power,
Punch, and Pizzazz
by Diane Diresta
Presenting
to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story
by Jerry Weissman
101
Ways to Captivate a Business Audience
by Sue Gaulke
The
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
by ERVING GOFFMAN
Effective
Presentation Skills : A Practical Guide for Better Speaking
by Steve Mandel
Presentations
Plus: David Peoples' Proven Techniques, Revised Edition
by David A. Peoples
The
45 Second Presentation That Will Change Your Life
by Don Failla, Joe Hardwick
Presentations
in Everyday Life: Strategies for Effective Speaking
by John A. Daly, Isa N. Engleberg
The
Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to
Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid
by Michael Alley
Making
Presentations (Essential Managers)
by Tim Hindle
Scientific
Papers and Presentations
by Martha Davis
Effective
Business Presentations (NetEffect Series) (Neteffect
Series)
by Judy Jones Tisdale
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