Strategy and tips for you to prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your next presentation – based on the experience of the “Speech Coach for Executives”. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when you polish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate will take you farther than any other skill set. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message so that others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity for you. Study this article and watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you polish your presentation skills to deliver your message with impact.
First thoughts on your presentation
Why you?
How can you get more done? By being
a superior communicator. The secret of managing people is to master the art and
science of communication. Superior communication skills are a combination of
listening, negotiating and speaking.
Public Speaking, Presentation or Speech?
Deliver your message with impact. It is not just a speech or
presentation. I use the words speech, public speaking and presentation
interchangeably in this article. It is your message that is important. Your
presentation is the vehicle for delivering your message and to create results.
A successful presentation is one that moves people to action. You know it was a
success if after you speak, they buy, work or follow. To do that requires
skill. Devour this article. You will capture the essence of superior
presentation skills.
First Rule of Great Presentations
A great presentation does not just happen. It is planned,
rehearsed then delivered with flair. A good presenter is one who learns the
skills of presentations - not one who hopes for talent to carry them. Public
speaking is a set of skills not a talent. You can be a good presenter if you
learn the skills for presentation success. You will be a great speaker if you
learn from every presentation you deliver. Great presenters start as poor
speakers – then they get better.
Learn from other Great Speech Makers
Who are the public speakers you admire? Ask yourself why you
admire them. What techniques do they use in their speeches that you can use?
What principles can you adapt to your presentations? It could be a great
political leader, business executive or innovator. Whether it is a Churchill,
Henry Ford or Einstein – ask yourself, “Why does their delivery work so well?
How can I use that technique or principle in my speech?” Look for the skills
they used and make them your own.
· Preparing your Presentation
Purpose of your presentation
Imagine that you have been scheduled to speak to a group. An
important question for you to review is “Why am I delivering this
presentation?” Don’t answer, “Because I
was asked.” Instead ask why does this group need to hear from you?
What message is so important that you must take their time to speak to them?
You must be clear on the purpose of your speech before you can write it. Please
don’t give a speech just because you are the boss. Don’t waste their time and
embarrass yourself. Have something worthwhile to say. If you start by knowing
what you want to happen then you will begin to create an effective speech.
Your audience is the reason you are there
Understand your audience. What do they want? Why would they listen
to you? If you want to reach them with your presentation you must reach them
through their needs. While you are talking they are asking themselves, “What’s
in it for us?” If you have not spoken to this group before, interview a few of
them before your presentation. Mention the names of some audience members
during your presentation. It will help you connect with the group.
Design your presentation backwards
The most common way to write your speech is to start at the
beginning and write to the end. That is not an effective way to write a speech.
Instead write the speech backwards. Start with the destination and work back to
the opening. You will write your speech faster and clearer if you start with
the end in mind. Know your purpose. Write the closing line that hammers home
your message. Then write the points to support that close. Then write your
opening that launches you into that presentation. Designing your speech is also
a set of communication skills.
Presentation Structure
There are many presentation structures that you can choose
from. When you speak to a business group the most effective approach is to
state your conclusions first, the actions required then follow with supporting
information. That would be an effective business speech.
The most boring and ineffectual presentation style to use
with a business group is the scientific method that many of us learned in
school. The scientific method starts with a problem, followed by a hypothesis,
a method, results and conclusion. That sounds logical but most people in
business today do not have the patience to listen to that litany. We want the
answer first. Speak – don’t lecture.
Q&A structure
Another simple presentation structure that works is to tell
your audience that you will answer the most common questions you have heard.
Then you state the question and answer it. This is one of the easiest ways to
give a speech. It sounds like a conversation and you will find it easier to
remember. All you need to remember are the questions because you already know
the answers. The best speech feels like a conversation.
Pain and Relief
An effective sales technique is to first reveal or describe
their pain, fear or problem. Then you offer the relief to the pain. The relief
from pain and desire for pleasure are powerful motivators. Just don’t dwell on
the pain too long. Think ‘plop, plop fizz, fizz.’
Illustrating your main points
We need images to understand. A good image for the
accountant and numbers type is a chart. Bankers, financial planners and money
folk love charts and graphs. Use pie charts, bar graphs and piles of coins to
illustrate and emphasize your points when talking to financial types. Images can
contribute more to the success of your presentation then words.
Telling Stories
Tell stories. Paint word pictures that create images in the
listeners’ minds. If they can see it they are more likely to understand and remember
your message. The best public speakers are storytellers Use stories and
anecdotes to illustrate and reinforce the main points of your presentation.
Learn to master the skill of storytelling. Listen to newscasters, entertainers
and other speakers.
The best stories are personal. Because they are yours - they
are easier to remember and they make your presentation unique. We listen to
stories. We hate lectures. If you forgot that lesson - just ask your kids. The
way to find personal stories that can be used in your presentations is to write
them down. Make a list of significant things that happened to you and those
around you; the first time… the best, the worst, the biggest mistake, the best
break, the greatest ah-ha, the funniest moment, the most frustrating incident,
the dumbest thing you did, the most embarrassing moment…
The things that hurt you the most make the best stories to
tell in your presentations. Rehearse your stories to edit them down into a
short story that is easy to listen to. The hardest thing for you might be to
leave out details. The hardest thing for your audience is listening to you
describe unnecessary details. Just make the point.
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.
Be careful of presenting hearsay as evidence – unless you
preface it as that. You might interview customers for their comments or check
with the front lines for their unofficial feedback. That is
ok – but present it honestly. Do a quick search on one or a few of the Internet
search engines to find some new insights on the topic of your presentation.
These Internet ‘facts’ might not be confirmable so present them as what you
found – ‘Stuff from the Internet’.
Test for relevance
Review your speech for relevance to your audience. After every statement that you plan to make ask yourself, “So
what?” Because that is what your audience will be asking. If you cannot
answer this question clearly and succinctly – then rework it or remove it from
your speech. What do you want them thinking, “Yeah right on!” or “So what?”
Remembering your speech
The best public speakers do not memorize their presentation.
Instead know your topic and the issues. Then make notes for yourself. But don’t
read your speech. That is so boring. Instead write key words that remind you of
your messages. Write your speech notes on index cards. That is much easier to
handle instead of fumbling with a sheet of paper.
Rehearsing your presentation
Rehearse your speech on your feet at least three times. It
is okay to rehearse parts of it in your car or sitting at your desk. But
because you will deliver in on your feet – you rehearse the speech on your
feet. It feels different when you speak on your feet. Get used to the feel of
delivering your presentation. The best way to reinforce a set of skills is by
repeating the pattern the way you plan to deliver. Golfers and musicians
rehearse their patterns so the skills of the big day are natural to them.
The fear of public speaking
Studies show that our number one fear is the fear of public
speaking. Hard to believe but it is more prevalent than the fear of death. If
you have a fear of public speaking or feel some anxiety you are not alone. Even
great speakers like Churchill experienced this fear. But he worked on his
delivery skills so he could deliver even when he was nervous. I am a
professional speaker who has spoken to audiences all over North
America yet I also experience speech anxiety. The fear of public
speaking might be with you forever. But your audience does not need to know.
Overcoming the fear of public speaking
In most cases the symptoms of the fear are not noticeable to
your audience. You might feel terrified but your audience doesn’t know. There are
several ways to get past speech anxiety. Focus on the success of your
presentation. Before you step up to speak take a couple of slow deep breaths.
Speak slowly. Don’t let it run away from you.
