Sales
Presentation: Public Speaking Techniques
Sometimes
there is not much difference between a sales presentation
and a bull in a china shop. The presenter will come
charging in, unload a pile of facts and figures, features
and benefits, etc., on the customer, and then request
a decision. Even if the facts, figures, features and
benefits are all true, the answer is still going to
be NO. A good sales presentation must be targeted for
the personality type you are selling to, and the product
appeal must match the needs and interests of the customer.
Then you have to be smooth, polished, confident, but
not pushy. We can teach you how to do all of this and
more in our award winning
Sales Presentation Class. Don’t bluster your
way through any more presentations, when you could use
your new presentation skills to be winning customers.
For
more information or to Register for a seminar, class,
or training workshop Click
here
On
a list of personal fears, the fear of public speaking
is usually teamed with the fear of death and the fear
of public nudity. Many people make a conscious effort
to avoid making a public speech, but others depend on
their ability to speak well in front of an audience
for part of their livelihoods. Whether this is your
first speech or your millionth, stage fright, that irrational
fear of facing an audience, can strike at any time.
Being nervous is natural, and even beneficial at times.
But stage fright can be crippling, and turn a presentation
into a social nightmare for the unprepared speaker.
If you have a speech to deliver and need to overcome
a bad case of stage fright, here are some tips from
professional
speakers.
1. Nothing will ever replace rehearsal. The underlying
cause of most speech anxiety is a lack of confidence,
either in the material's reception or your own delivery.
The best cure for this anxiety is practice, practice,
practice. When an actor has his lines memorized to the
point he can recite them in his sleep, the real performance
begins. The same holds true with your presentation.
Once you get past the words, which only rehearsal can
do, then you can move on to the meaning behind those
words. When you have a high level of confidence
in your material and your delivery, then your anxiety
level should come way down.
2.Don't visualize the audience in their underwear, or
anything else for that matter. This old nugget of advice
tried to convince nervous speakers to spread their anxieties
by imagining the audience in a similarly awkward state.
Current thinking shies away from such visualizations,
because they do nothing to help the speaker relate to
the audience in a mature fashion. Instead, you should
visualize the most receptive audience in the world,
waiting eagerly to hear your inspired speech. Picture
a room full of the best teachers you ever had, beaming
with pride. Whatever you visualize, keep it positive
and dignified.
3.Too much nervous energy is too much. If your anxiety
level is still too high after all your rehearsal and
preparation, then you need to find an outlet for that
energy. Many professional actors and public speakers
find that doing light calisthenic exercises in their
dressing rooms or a private area can relieve the excess
energy. Try running in place, or shaking your arms and
legs. Go out for a quick run somewhere, or punch a boxing
bag. The trick is to release enough nervous energy to
calm your anxieties, but not leave you so stress-free
that your speech suffers.
Some
nervousness is a good thing, because it shows you really
care about the speech and the audience. The best speeches
are delivered by nervous people.
4. If at all possible, stand on the exact area where
you will be giving your speech later. Notice what you
can see and what you can't see from that perspective.
What sort of podium will you be standing behind? How
well do the microphones work, and how are the acoustics?
Immersing yourself in these details may help keep your
mind off your stage fright. Become comfortable with
the feel and atmosphere of the stage you're on. Some
speakers are surprised to learn how limited their view
of the audience really is when all the stage lights
are turned on.
What
you might fear as a group of faces staring at you in
judgement may just turn out to be an anonymous group
of shadows.
5.If you do find yourself becoming overcome with anxiety
during a speech, all is not lost. Take a brief moment
to collect your thoughts. Drink a sip of water. You
might even 'admit' your case of nerves to the audience,
in an off-handed and humorous way. Most of the audience
members have the same fears of speaking that you do,
and may empathize with a polite round of applause or
words of encouragement. Above all, try not to abandoned
your well-rehearsed plans. Find a logical re-starting
point in your speech and start from there. Having an
audience fully behind you and your words of wisdom can
be the best cure of all for anxiety and stage fright.
Pagewise
St. Louis
"Public Speaking - Don't Be Afraid
to Come Out of Your Shell"
Sales
Presentation Quote
"I've learned that mistakes can often be as good
a teacher as success."
Jack Welch
Suggested
Reading:
1001
Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking
by Michael Hodgin
Successful
Speaking: The Basics of Public Speaking
by Joe Ayres
How
to conquer the fear of public speaking & other coronary
threats
by Max D Isaacson
Principles
and Types of Public Speaking (15th Edition)
by Raymie E. McKerrow
Invitation
to Public Speaking
by Griffin
Public
Speaking From The Heart
by Jim Turrell
Speak
for Yourself: An Introduction To Public Speaking
by James H Byrns
Basic
Public Speaking Workbook : SPE 1010
by Jeff Borden
Public
Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach/Keys to Success
by Steven A. Beebe, Susan J. Beebe
Public
Speaking Today Annotated Teacher's Edition
by Diana Carlin, James Payne
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