Presentation Training Tips:
Ten Habits of Highly Effective Speakers
By James A. Baker
Presentations Training Institute.
April 2009
When it comes to presentations, one of
the biggest myths is that the very best presenters – the ones who
leave you on the edge of your seat begging for more – are just more
gifted and talented than the rest of us. Nothing could be farther
than the truth. However, all the highly effective presenters do have
one thing in common: they are constantly working to improve their
skills, especially in ten key areas. Do you want to become a Big
League presenter? Start paying attention to the following important
principles.
1. Do your homework. A great presentation starts days, or even weeks
in advance. Be sure you allow adequate time to think through what
needs to be said, how you want to say it, and then practice and
refine your delivery strategy. Jotting a few notes on the back of
napkin, or downloading an article off the Internet, is the kiss of
death if you are hoping to give an effective presentation.
2. Follow some kind of relaxation routine right before your
speech. No matter how it looks to you, ALL presenters have
butterflies before going on stage. It is just a normal part of human
nature. The best way to counter that is to practice some very easy
relaxation techniques like slow, deep breathing, or stretching and
relaxing key muscle groups. Visualizing your presentation and seeing
yourself smiling and hitting a home run also works very well. Then
take the stage, take a deep breath, and go get ‘em.
3. Develop a strong opening that will instantly get your
audience’s attention. It could be anything – a bold, outrageous
statement; an amazing statistic or a challenging quote; perhaps even
a quick, tasteful joke or funny story. You must draw the audience in
so they will be anxious to hear what you have to say next.
4. Use note cards with bullet points, rather than a speech
printed out– and then read – word after boring word. One of your
greatest tools as a presenter is to maintain eye contact with your
audience, so they can read your face and judge your sincerity. Don’t
blow that by reading your speech into a podium.
5. Care about your topic, and act like it. Your audience can tell
if you are “mailing it in.” In order to be effective, you have to
care about the message you are trying to deliver. You also have to
care about your audience and whether or not they really get it. Your
tone of voice, facial expressions, body language and choice of words
should all say, “Please pay attention. This is really important to
each of our lives.”
6. Arrive early enough to meet and greet. This is one of the best
ways to pave the way to a convincing presentation. The more people
you meet before you begin speaking, the more meaningful your eye
contact will be during your presentation. You will know them and
they will know you – at least to a certain degree. This only
enhances the credibility of your message.
7. Be yourself. Even if your material comes from well-researched
secondary sources, make it your own by giving examples of how it
applies to your own life, or to the lives of those close to you. It
doesn’t hurt to use quotes from other famous people, but don’t be a
quote machine. Tell your stories and share your conclusions. If they
wanted to hear what that other guy had to say, they could have
invited him.
8. Be sure your body language lines up with your message. In the
normal conversations we have with others, there is usually an
unconscious dance going on between the feelings we have about the
points we want to make, and our bodies – especially our hands, arms
and facial expressions. While it is true that you need to avoid
unnecessary, distracting gestures and mannerisms, it is still
important to let your body resonate with your message. If your body
is stiff, your message will be, too.
9. Save your big finish until after the Q and A. Giving your
audience a chance to interact with you by asking questions is
important; it is a great way to continue to sell your message while
the clock is stopped. But try setting up the Q and A by saying
something like, “Before I close, I would like to take a moment now
for your questions. Who has the first one?” Then, when the questions
are done, pull out one more great story or summary statement, and
send them off with a bang.
10. Most important of all, keep practicing and never stop
learning. You can bet the team that wins the Super Bowl this year
kept right on practicing, and practicing hard, even after training
camp was over. Every day, they refined an old technique or threw in
something new. They never quit getting better, and neither should
you. That is how champions are made, no matter what field they are
playing on.
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