Presentation Training:
Presentation Skills Success

How to prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your speech, presentation or public speaking program.

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 presentations 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.

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 skill 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?"

Preparing your Presentation

Purpose of your presentation
You have been scheduled to speak to a group. An important question for you to review is "Why are you 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
One 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.

Presentation Structure
There are many presentation structures that you can choose from. For a business group the most effective is to state your conclusions first, the actions required then follow with supporting information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 you plan to say 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. Know the 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 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. I am a professional speaker who has spoken to audiences all over North America yet I also experience speech anxiety.

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.

Source: George Torok link

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