If you suffer from speaker’s anxiety, you’re in excellent company. Fear of speaking in public still ranks as one of the top — if not the number one fear — in the western world. But rather than attempting to eradicate it completely, you may be surprised to learn that many speakers learn to live with fear — and indeed, use it to their advantage to ensure effective presentations.
If you’re facing a high-stakes situation of your own, the question becomes, “What makes some presentations effective and others simply just OK?” To ensure that your next big presentation lands firmly in “brilliant” territory, learn about our four-step C.O.D.E.™ process for cracking the presentation code.
Visual aids are not for you; they’re for your audience. Your goal in using them is to reinforce your message and make it more your presentation memorable. But where do you begin? Try our simple, four-step “R-S-V-P™” method to make your next presentation more effective.
So, what does a game show have to do with effective presentation skills? Almost everything.
Notice I said almost, because rather than battling a mysterious entity known only as “the Banker” as in the show Deal or No Deal, chances are most speakers will be presenting to a room full of advocates. That’s right: your listeners want you to succeed.
But Deal or No Deal, is a perfect speaking metaphor in every other way. To win over an audience, game show contestants must be confident they have the knowledge to win; be strategic in their approach, and have enough passion to inspire listeners.
Teleprompters are valuable toolstheir use shouldn’t distract you from your primary goal: connecting with your audience. That’s why we turned to two of our favorite teleprompter pros, Bethel Bird and Andrea Sawchuk, for their advice on taming the teleprompter so you appear engaged and conversational from start to finish.
As a presenter, using your eyes is critical to an effective presentation. Eye contact will engage your audience while creating a sense of confidence, establishing credibility, and building rapport.
Do you find most presentations mind-numbingly dull? … Do you want to break free from the status quo? … Do…
strong>The 4th of July is American Independence Day — a national holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It’s a day commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, concerts and all sorts of celebrations. As we do every year, my family will be celebrating with our traditional, always stupendous cookout and fireworks display in Summit, New Jersey.
But this year, our celebration will be taking on a different focus. You see, over the past several months I’ve been consulting with the U.S. Department of the Army. While most of my work has been with civilians, participants often include retired soldiers or those currently on active duty.
Simply stated, the experience has been a humbling one.
When you are invited to speak, it’s important to understand exactly what you are being asked to do. Understanding your client’s expectation is the first step to understanding your role and expectations. Cathy was meeting resistance from her fellow presenters, possibly because they each had differing views of the event — was this to be a keynote, team presentation or a panel discussion? Such confusion could be easily cleared up by the client.
Tired of the tedium of typical PowerPoint presentations, challenge yourself to develop a pecha kucha.
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