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Presentation Skills
During this session we are going to look at how to improve your presentations.
Whether you complete internal presentations to other members of your company or external sales presentations it pays to make sure that you are well prepared beforehand and that you have thought everything through.
Speaking in public, in front of groups and conducting presentations are commonly agreed as the least favourite activities that anyone can perform but if you are a salesperson this will be a big part of your job.
However, if we are well prepared, well equipped and well supported, you will find that your presentations can be quite enjoyable – honest!
Here are some ways to make your presentations an enjoyable experience both for yourself, as well as for your audience.
As much as possible/appropriate, include your audience
You don’t always have to be the talking head at the meeting.
Prepare questions in advance that will encourage the audience to participate.
Ask them about the problems they are facing, the challenges they need to overcome.
Consider your audience in advance—Who are they?
What might their histories and/or interests be?
What do they want to hear from you?
Prepare opportunities in your presentation/speech for audience participation.
Inject appropriate humour in your delivery
It will do you good, enabling you to lighten up and release any tension.
It will also enable the audience to loosen up, pay more attention, and receive you in a much more favourable way.
Share a little known fact
Most audiences are especially grateful to hear something they haven’t already heard before.
One single piece of new information can make the time spent listening completely worth their while.
If you can find one little known, yet especially relevant fact, you will have a captive audience.
Keep it relevant
To the extent possible, make sure your audience is the right audience for the information you are presenting.
In other words, don’t lecture on retirement options to a newly graduating class.
Know before hand what you want to say and practice until it comes naturally.
This will enable you to spend more time relating to your audience, than trying to remember what comes next in your delivery.
Create fun visuals (as appropriate)
Some individuals will retain more if they are able to see graphic representations of the information you plan to deliver.
Consider
which parts of your message can be presented visually, and remember to keep visuals simple, attractive, and large enough so everyone can see them.
Any fun, relevant clipart or pictures can also be a nice perk.
So, what are the qualities of a good speaker?
Here are a list of the qualities and characteristics of a good public speaker/presenter.
The importance of body language
Don’t forget your non-verbal action signals!
You will want to look confident even though you may not be on the inside.
Don’t just stand there, with your arms by the side of you!
ACT CONFIDENTLY and you will FEEL CONFIDENT!
Try it, it really works.
So, how do you act confidently?
With your posture – wall tall with your head up.
Smile
Maintain eye contact
Handshake
Move around
Gestures
Relax
Speak with confidence as well.
People will believe what they see more than what they hear, but once you look confident, you have to sound the part too!
Breathing
Sound quality of your voice
Pitch
Speed
Tone
Pausing
Listening
Use confident words
Ok, in closing here are 15 Ways to overcome your STAGE FRIGHT!
