How To Deliver A Great Presentation

on Sep 04 in Uncategorized

 

Most courses require students to give a presentation at some point during their studies, for many the prospect fills them with dread. Unfortunately or fortunately depending upon your perspective, the inherent nature of graduate jobs means that at some point there will be a requirement to present to or address an audience.

The prospect of presenting is so distressing for some that they waste too much time worrying and vital preparation time is lost. Worrying is counter productive, so you must put it out of your mind.

The fact is that confidence is a great antidote for nerves and a presentation that is well researched and properly prepared will give you that confidence.

The opposite is also true. I have known students who have been so side tracked by fear that they have been unable to concentrate upon the task in hand leading to sub-standard preparation, in turn promoting a lack of confidence which equates to increased nerves.

You need to break the cycle! Focus on the work and the nerves will to a greater extent take care of themselves. Don’t forget once completed, it will be easier the next time.

If your presentation is to be assessed the first step, is to read the assessment criteria. Look at how the marks are allocated and gear your efforts accordingly.

Take particular note of the time limit keeping to a time specification is a vital part of the presenter’s skill, so ensure that yours is spot on. Too much under the allotted time and you will have probably failed to do your subject justice, over run and as interesting as you subject may be, you will fail to demonstrate your ability to plan effectively.

Decide on whether you are going to use a visual aid and if so, what.  Aids tend not to be mandatory but their use is advantageous for four reasons:

1. They add quality and will make you look more professional.
2. Make it easier for your audience to follow.
3. Provide you with a prompt so you don’t have to rely on cards.
4. Take the attention of the audience away from you.

Your subject matter will probably dictate the type of aid you will be able to use. Acetates still have their use but the favourite for many now is ‘PowerPoint’ it’s simple to use and very effective. 

Whatever you decide make sure that you use a font size that is easy to read and use a clear heading and bullet points around 4-6 per ‘page’, avoid cramming in loads of information.

Do your research, know your stuff, and don’t forget that knowledge equals confidence!

Make sure that the information flows in a logical sequence, once you have it planned out practise, practise and practise some more.

Don’t just run through it in your head, actually speaking the words will take longer than thinking them-remember that time limit!

It’s a common mistake to think successful people are just born that way. Footballer’s, golfer’s, advocate’s, actor’s, artist’s, writer’s, no matter what the field, successful people have one thing in common, they practise and keep on practising until they get it right. So must you!

Presentation complete, the next thing to consider is how you are going to present yourself. Don’t turn up in jeans and trainers show your audience and the occasion some respect. If you look professional, you will act professionally and if you are being assessed you will gain extra marks.

If you are unfamiliar with the equipment make sure that you have a couple of practise sessions so you know how to use it.

When the moment arrives wait until everyone is seated and quiet, introduce yourself and tell the audience the subject that you are going to examine.

Make eye contact with a couple of audience members periodically throughout your talk.

Unless you are supremely confident and time is not an issue, you will not want to be disrupted by questions as this may throw you off course and will eat into your allotted time. So inform your audience that you will take questions at the end. At least if you are being marked the assessor will know at what point the talk ended and the questions began.

Relax and enjoy, it will get easier!

Sam Collyer is a law graduate, adviser and the author of: The Smarter Students Guide To A Great Grade.
For a free downloadable copy visit:  www.degreehelp.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Articulation Matters — How Good is Yours?

on Sep 03 in Uncategorized

When you address an audience, do you think your articulation has value? The only answer is most definitely yes. If your audience cannot understand you or misses a word or a phrase here and there, then they are missing your message. And, if they are missing your message, then it doesn’t matter how dynamic your delivery or how well-crafted your presentation because a lost message is lost business.

Aside from Toastmasters or a public speaking class, the majority of speeches and presentations being made today are for the purpose of selling. Whether you are a political candidate, an entrepreneur, a member of a leads club, or a motivational speaker, the purpose of public speaking usually involves selling something – an idea, a product, or your book at the back of the room.

If you expect to be successful, then your audience must be able to understand every word you say, not just some of them.

Poor articulation can occur for a number of reasons. You may speak with an accent or a dialect. You may mumble or possibly you speak too softly and your audience cannot physically hear you. But poor articulation can also occur if your voice trails off at the end of the sentence because you have run out of air. Then again, you may slur your words, making your speech unintelligible.

Anything which interferes with your audience’s ability to hear and understand your words results in a pointless message.

Many of my clients who have not spoken distinctly were unaware of this fact until they heard and saw themselves on a recording. One man was confident that his wife was just being difficult because she constantly complained about his mumbling. Once he heard himself on video, however, he then recognized what she had been saying for all those years. He changed that habit overnight – literally. When I saw him for his next class, he spoke clearly with a beautifully deep, rich voice and I could hear and understand every word he said.

If others have difficulty understanding you, record yourself and study the playback so that you can hear that which is interfering with your articulation. Then, decide to improve that aspect of your delivery and change your negative old habits into positive ones. If you speak with an accent, there is no need to eliminate it, just clean it up and learn to control your speed and volume.

Should you mumble or slur your words, practice opening your mouth when you speak and concentrate on listening to yourself as you say your words. One of the best exercises to improve lazy or poor diction is to exaggerate your articulation in practice in order to accustom yourself to moving your mouth when you speak.

If your voice trails off at the end of your sentences, learn to breathe with support so that you have a better air supply and use pauses to supplement your breathing.

Being able to speak clearly not only increases your likelihood of success but also makes you sound more intelligent. Say your words distinctly and you can be confident that others will not only hear you but understand you as well.

What Distinguishes the Speech from the Presentation?

on Sep 03 in Uncategorized

At some time in your life there is the likelihood that you will or have given a speech. Throughout your education, it is quite possible that you were required to speak on a particular subject at one time or another. Perhaps you toasted the bride or groom at a wedding or were asked to give a eulogy at a funeral. Maybe you delivered a graduation speech at your high school or university. In any or all of these situations, your oral delivery would have been a speech.

While there are certainly similarities between the speech and presentation, there are also some differences; and, it is important to understand what distinguishes the former from the latter.

Formal in its delivery, the speech consists of a script that you will read, word for word. (The better speakers, however, do not sound like they are reading – they sound like they are talking to you.) The presentation, on the other hand, should never be read. Instead, you should speak around notes or bullet points which are either on note cards or on some form of visual aid; i.e. a PowerPoint presentation or overhead slides.

While both the speech and presentation consist of an opening, a development, and a closing, the presentation will be ‘looser’ in its structure and offers greater opportunity to add or delete material during your delivery. Usually during my presentations, I will change anecdotes or even the format of my design dependent on my audience.

If you are relying on slides or PowerPoint to keep you on track, however, be careful how far you stray from your main points.

In a presentation I gave to some Toastmasters in Detroit last year, one of the women in the audience was quite vocal in her agreement with my words. I stopped midstream and asked her her name. Because of her broad smile and heartfelt laughter with my material, I switched gears and talked about smilers, those in your audience who will smile throughout your speech or presentation (every audience has them).

Since my presentations deal with public speaking skills, I usually discuss this aspect towards the end of my delivery. In this particular case, however, Joanne was so effusive in her response to me that I wanted the audience to become aware of how powerful smilers can be in bolstering your confidence. Had I been giving a speech, however, I would not have felt comfortable changing the layout of my major points or subtopics during my delivery.

Whereas the presentation actually allows for acknowledgement of audience response, the speech does not offer the same flexibility. When President Obama delivers a speech, he will not ‘change it up,’ so to speak. He needs to follow the TV monitor and cannot afford to change his thoughts midstream. In this respect, the delivery of a speech does not allow for the same audience interaction that is very likely and most welcome with the presentation.

Whether it is a speech or a presentation, understand the differences between them and your delivery will be much more effective.

How To Speak At Conferences

on Sep 02 in Uncategorized

At some point in your speaking career, you may have to speak at a conference. This is a golden opportunity to get dozens of paid referral bookings. Conferences are great marketing venues and there are some few tricks you can do to get tons of money out of your breakout session.

Do not let this opportunity slip away. Have things ready, particularly marketing materials. You may speak at a conference for free but the after effects are amazingly profitable but you can only do this by implementing some sure fire techniques that will create more opportunity for money making venture!

Here are some steps to generate more riches from your conference speeches:

1. Create a customized biography that directly addresses your chosen niche. Biographies are a great way to market your services and be seen as an expert especially if your Biographies are customized to a particular market you want to reach out to.

2. Always propose an enticing offer in your speech that will lead prospective customers back to you. You can do providing free gifts or perks to conference attendees who book a speech, buy your book or visit your website.

3. Always promote your self and your message to the audience. It is important to showcase your speaking skills while marketing yourself as a speaker with a message or useful products and services to offer. Ask them to look at your products or provide brochures, pamphlets, or at the very least business cards.

4. Build or add potential clients to your database by asking for personal information for your directory and mailing lists. Once you have captured the data you can use it to mail them your brochure or send them a well written sales letter.

5. Remember, ABM… Always be Marketing. There plenty of techniques and methods you can use. Do not get satisfied by the blurbs the coordinators will be  circulating at the conference. Make up your own handouts and include contact information, testimonials, and a sales letter. Always aim to grab the interest  of your audience and create buzz about you and your message.

One way to generate buzz is by placing a book poster outside of the room. People will think that something special is going on. Also, use special announcements in conference programs to your advantage. Remember, you want to grab their interest and create a buzz.

6. Place something on your product table that can get people to write more information about them. You can add these to your database. A list of paper with labels such as name, email, and other contact information.  Individuals or groups that are interested to book you will have the means to give out their information. You can follow up with these later when you get home.

7. Seek to give a good speech. You do not have to pressure yourself to give a great oratory. A decent speech or pitch is good enough. The deeper purpose of your speaking presence at a conference is all about marketing your message, promoting yourself as a speaker, and improving your public image and notoriety.

If you have a lot of other streams of income, conferences is the best place to introduce it to the public.

You will find a qualified audience interested in booking you, visiting your site, or buying your products.

How To Sell Your Products While Speaking

on Sep 02 in Uncategorized

Do you want people to flock over your products, go to your store, or visit your website to grab your offers after listening to your speech?

A great persuasive sales speech can make your wallet fat by earning lots of passive income! It can make people want your product even if they do not really care for it to begin with. The purpose of the speech is to create a desire in them. Make them believe that they want the product badly. The art of persuasion is easy if you know what to do.

Marketing your product is the key to sales. People seek information to solve their problems. As a marketer, you will give all the information but along with providing information you should use persuasion and motivation.

For example, if you are trying to sell a non-fiction book about the how-to’s of corporate success, don’t just tell the people what your book is about. Tell them why it is so effective and easy to implement. Tell them why it’s just no ordinary book; tell them how it has helped a lot of people and who these people are.

You may be thinking, easier said than done. Okay, let me just share with you some principles on how to give a speech that will help to sell your products faster and easier.

1.    Know your product

You are the expert, you must know the ins and outs of your product. It will give you confidence in your speech because you know everything about it. You will also be able to answer any questions from the audience without difficulty.

2.    Believe in your product

If you don’t believe that your product is capable of solving people’s problems then marketing the product is just one big fat lie and most of the time, people can see through it. Truly believing in your product will radiate passion, enthusiasm, and self-assurance. Audiences will easily have faith in you if you yourself believe in the product.

3.    Mood is everything

Make your audience laugh. Laughter makes the audience feel more relaxed. A relaxed audience is more receptive and trusting. If the atmosphere is tense and uptight, you won’t be able to pitch your product effectively.

4.    Specify the benefits of having your product

This is the motivation part. You need to explain to the audience the benefits of having your product and showing them why the should believe in your product and explaining that it will solve their problems or help attain their goals. The primary reason why people are listening to you is because they want to know if you can provide the solution for them.

5.    Tell them why you created the product (How and Why it got made)

Building rapport and trust is essential. Make the audience realize that the product is not mainly a money-making wagon even if that’s what it has become. Tell them how and why you came up with the product while stressing that you want to share your product with the people.

6.    Testimonials

Testimonials are very powerful. They build credibility and add more influence.

7.    Tell the people that the product could be great for someone else

Well, Some people just don’t need your product. Some just do not have desire to own it.  No matter how much persuasion, they may not sway. How can sell a book entitled “How to get rich” to Bill Gates for example? The point here is to convince the audience members who do not want to own it to think of it as a gift idea for friends and business associates.

8.    Give the audience a great discount

Show the audience that you care about how much better it will be for them once their problems is solved. Provide a special discount that is only for audience members and if it is only if they buy today. Creating a sense of urgency will help your product sell.

How to Develop Your Speaking Voice

on Sep 02 in Uncategorized

The sound and tone of your voice can greatly affect the effectiveness of your speech. The audience is normally receptive to pleasant sounding voices. Clarity and inflection are essential as well.

In public speaking, the voice is the carrier of the information. If your voice lacks volume and clarity, the message will be poorly received. Monotonous sounding voices lack the personality and will bore listeners. For these reasons, speaking voices can make or break the success of the speech.

Fortunately, speaking voices can be developed and improved. With consistent practice and proper training techniques, your speaking voice will develop into a very pleasant and influential tone.

The only way to improve your speaking voice is through practice and exercises. But you must hear yourself speak first. So, try to rehearse a speech while recording it. It will be better if you don’t try too hard at first. Try to speak as naturally as possible so you can determine if your normal efforts will sound good enough.

After the recording, listen to your voice. Take note of your flaws and determine the parts in which you hear yourself having difficulties. You must know the what gives you most trouble.

These are the common blunders in speaking voices and the ways to remedy them:

1.    Low volume

Having an inaudible voice is public speaking mortal sin. You are not whispering to your spouse; you are addressing a crowd!

Low volume can be a result of poor confidence but if confidence is not the problem, insufficient lung power or lung capacity is the likely reason. To resolve this you must loosen up your speaking muscles and do some breathing exercises.

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, vocally count to ten. Increase your volume in every count. Repeat as often as you want.  Keep in mind to breathe from your diaphragm and use your stomach muscles for volume not your throat. Straining your throat may harm your vocal chords.

Learn to relax the muscles above your neck. Loose muscles will not fatigue easily. It will be much easier to control your voice if you are loose and relax. The muscles from the throat, jaws, and nasal airways are only used for effect such as, pitch and tone. They should not be used for volume increase as much as possible.

Posture is also important. A straight and relaxed posture will allow you to expand your lung capacity and lets the air in your body flow easily.

2.    Monotone

Speaking in monotone makes it look like you lack personality and you won’t be able to arouse audience interest.

Try to speak with passion. Learn to emphasize important phrases by breathing into them while using your throat, jaw, and nasal muscles to produce inflection.

Don’t try too hard to speak out of your natural pitch. Be natural but professional sounding. Humming in different tones can help develop pitch control.

3.    Pacing

Fast pace will give the audience a hard time to catch up while too slow of a pace will turn off people.

You must not forget to breath and pause. Start your speeches slowly because you tend to increase the pace as you get along with your speech. Fast pacing will often result to gibberish. Articulate the words if you have a tendency to speak fast.