Effective Presentation Skills » Presentations

You probably have seen the images of Rick Perry drying up completely during a TV debate. Anybody who has ever spoken in public will have felt enormous sympathy. There but for the grace of God go I. So where did he go wrong? He started his sentence by saying that there were three things that he wanted to mention. That immediately provides a hostage to fortune. Much better to use a phrase such as “a couple of things”. No number, no pressure. If you can’t remember, only you know

Three useful tips for when you speak in public

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:59:40 +0000

Here are three useful ideas for when you have to speak in public.

http://andromedayelton.com/2011/11/three-more-things-i-know-about-public-speaking/

It is funny how most of is try to be “professional” when we speak but end up appearing so amateurish. Being professional does not mean that we should lose our personalities. Think of the last good presentation you saw. I bet it was given by a REAL person.

12 great tips for improving your presentations

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:09:17 +0000

Here is a great article about ways to improve your presentation. It is interesting to note that some tips seem to be influenced by the recent “pitch” book that I have been so enthusiastic about. http://globalneighbourhoods.net/2011/10/12-tips-for-giving-great-presentation.html What do you think? … Continue reading →

Presentations – Writing It Out

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:38:41 +0000

One area where people don’t agree is whether to write out your presentation completely or to just put the main points on cards.
If you write the main points on cards you will probably sound more natural, interesting and confident. However, you may blank completely during your talk and forget what you are trying to say. You need to make sure that your cards contain enough words to help you if you lose your train of thought.
Tips to using cards well:
Use postcard-sized cards.
Write neatly, clearly and in big characters.
Number your cards.
Write on only one side of the cards.
Practice with the cards several times until you feel confident.
If you write out your presentation completely, you won’t sound as natural without a lot of preparation with a voice coach. However, it’s a good solution if you are extremely nervous. You may also need to write out your presentation if the exact wording is vitally important or if you are required to give out a handout of your talk.
Tips to writing it out well.
Use short sentences. What you want to produce is good speaking not good writing.
Write on A4 paper. Don’t put too much on each page and make sure no paragraph runs over onto the next page.
Use a large typeface, at least 16pt.
Number each page.
Don’t attach the pages.

Presentation – fears video now on Youtube

admin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:56:38 +0000

Hello again,

By popular request, I’ve added a video about how to cope with fear when you are giving a presentation.

Presentations – getting over your fears

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:19:25 +0000

I’m not going to try to pretend in this article that giving a presentation is anything other than a stressful experience. Even the most experienced and accomplished presenter may be in a total state of panic in the lead up to his or her presentation.

However, there are certain fears that can block us from even preparing our presentation – and these can be dealt with by good preparation. Let’s look at them.

1.You get so nervous that your mouth goes completely dry.

Well the obvious solution is to make sure that you have a glass of water near you. Even better, have a couple of glasses of water shortly before you start – but not enough to make you want to have a bathroom break during the presentation

2.You cannot think of a word to say. Your mind is completely blank.

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. If you can rehearse in the place where you are to give your presentation, then so much the better. Have a written copy of your speech close by, just in case. And have a photo of somebody you love with you so that you can glance at it if you need reassurance.

3.The audience looks bored and people start conversations between themselves.

You need to be enthusiastic as a speaker. Your enthusiasm will convey itself to the audience. Good eye contact with the audience also helps. However, sometimes the audience is just not interested in too much detail on a particular point. Be prepared to cut your presentation if necessary.

4.Your visual aids don’t work properly.

This can be a nightmare for any speaker – and sometimes things happen which are outside of your control. However, make sure that you have mastered everything within your control. Make sure you know exactly how all the visual aids work well in advance of the presentation.

5.Members of the audience heckle during your presentation or are very aggressive during the questions

Well at least you’re getting a reaction The one key rule is to be polite and courteous at all times. Ask the hecklers to raise their points in the questions after the presentation. Then deal with them courteously. Where possible, try to anticipate these objections before the presentation and prepare answers to them. If you are stuck for an answer, throw the question back at the rest of the audience. This will give you more time to formulate your response.

I think many presenters fear that one of these situations will arrive during their presentation. However, think back through the hundreds of presentations you have been to. How often have you seen one of these occur? Rarely, I imagine. Don’t let fear of these cloud your mind too much. But do take the preventative steps I have suggested.

To listen to a recording of this, press the PLAY button.