If you are looking to become a recognized expert and influencer in your field, your goal is to make your ideas stand out. But how do you make that happen? Dorie Clark’s book Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It is one of the best resources I’ve come across on this topic. It reads like a how-to guide for developing and promoting thought leadership.
When you’re facing an important business presentation, do you often feel like you’re at the mercy of your anxiety? As you probably know, fear of public speaking is rooted in human biology. However, that doesn’t mean speech anxiety is an inevitable fact of life that you can’t overcome. It certainly does not need to derail your goals. Using the right techniques, you can manage your anxiety so that you achieve results when you step up to speak.
As a business professional, do you frequently face situations where you need to “say a few words” without time to prepare? It might be a meeting, conference call or request to fill in for another speaker, to name just a few scenarios. For many, these situations can induce more anxiety than making a prepared presentation. As a result, you may find yourself rambling, filling your sentences with “ums” or, in the worst case, completely drawing a blank. When that happens, both your point and your credibility are in jeopardy.
Whether you’re facing your first presentation opportunity or your fiftieth, chances are you will experience some level of apprehension. Even seasoned professionals who have been presenting for many years (your truly included!) have to manage their nerves leading up to the event.
Have you ever received a pivotal piece of advice that changed your thinking, influenced your actions and helped you succeed? “Aha” moments like these frequently come from tuning into the wisdom of our colleagues. If you’re looking to improve your business presentation skills, today you’ll learn the secrets of how some top executives did just that.
Most people watch TED talks to be inspired by the “idea worth spreading” and entertained by the speaker’s engaging delivery. As a business presenter, you probably watch with a sense of admiration and a deeper purpose: to learn how these talented communicators do it. After all, these speakers are at the top of their game.
When you’re tasked with giving a persuasive business presentation, there’s more on the line than making yourself understood. Your goals are bigger: winning new business, shifting the direction of your business, or adopting new tactics, to name a few. To achieve the results you’re after, you must move your audience to take action. Doing that requires a different skill level than simply conveying information. How can you step up your presentation game accordingly?
Senior executives are accustomed to being at the top of their game. That’s why it can shake your confidence a bit when you face an important opportunity that’s outside your wheelhouse—like a high stakes media interview.
If you have the opportunity to present at a conference or industry event, congratulations! It’s a wonderful chance to share your expertise, promote your perspective as a thought leader, boost your reputation, and elevate your company’s brand.
When you have an opportunity to pitch for a new piece of business, there’s a palpable sense of excitement, isn’t there? Yet that excitement can quickly turn into disappointment when the presentation doesn’t go as planned.
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