Archive for May, 2010
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Organizing genius Kelly Johnson who took a leading role in the design of 40 aircraft, first coined the acronym KISS – “Keep it simple stupid.”
On one occasion, Johnson set a team of jet aircraft design engineers a challenge. Handing them a set of tools, he asked them to design the aircraft so that an average mechanic in the field, equipped solely with this set of tools, could carry out the necessary repairs. Oh, and it also had to be possible under combat conditions!
The KISS acronym has been used widely since, with various interpretations.
In the context of this discussion on communication skills, it also has a very practical application. For your presentation or speech to have the desired effect, it must be simple.
Here are 2 guidelines for keeping it simple:
1. Avoid Jargon And Unfamiliar Terms
Unless your audience is made up of specialists in the field you are talking about, avoid technical terms and acronyms the average person has no idea about.
Some make the mistake of thinking it makes them appear sophisticated, knowledgeable, and educated. Actually, it can have a far different effect on an audience.
Some may perceive the speaker to be pompous or just a plain ‘show-off’. Others may get irritated, wanting to understand the speaker’s dialogue but getting frustrated with the road blocks the speaker keeps putting in the way.
Many will just ‘switch off’ and not even attempt to concentrate from there on, believing this is all ‘over their head’.
2. Use Simple Sentences
Using simple sentences does not mean speaking continuously in short bursts. A simple sentence can be short. It can also be longer, perhaps between 15 to 25 words. As long as complicated sentence structure is avoided a sentence will be simple and easy to understand.
So when delivering your presentation remember to split up longer thoughts into separate sentences, rather than linking them all together in a continuous style.
For example, suppose you were giving a presentation to college students on the importance of goal setting.
You could say: “One thing we have to realize is that if we don’t set goals it is unlikely we will get anywhere because if we don’t know where we are going we will be a little bit like a boat on a river just drifting away from the bank being carried along by the current that happens to catch it at the time.”
Phew!
Notice how much more effective this thought is when it is expressed in simple sentences:
“Goals get you to your destination. Without goals you could end up anywhere. Who wants to be like a boat drifting on a river just carried along by the current.”
Notice with the trimmed version above, unnecessary wordage such as “One thing we have to realize is that” is left out. It adds nothing to the clarity of the message and amounts to useless ‘filler’. Just get straight to the point and say what you mean.
Conclusion
Avoid the tendency to drown excellent information in a sea of words. Use a variety of sentences, long and short, but make sure they are uncomplicated. Be sure to explain unfamiliar terms or avoid jargon altogether.
Keeping the KISS principle in mind in the preparation stage of your presentation will make sure your own mind is sharp and focused. Then you can be sure your presentation will come over that way to your listeners also.
Remember to add the “Keep It Simple” principle to your list of communication skills. As Leonardo Da Vinci is quoted as saying: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Would you like to transform your presentation skills? Do you need help with preparing and developing an upcoming presentation? I offer an Online Workshop and Personal Coaching. Check out the details here:
http://www.vitalpresentationskills.com
Follow me on Twitter for great tips and suggestions for public speaking and skillful presentations:
http://twitter.com/VPSkills
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_F._James
Monday, May 31st, 2010
So, you have the MBA degrees and the 15 year experience to back it up? Yet, you still lack the ability to communicate ideas to colleagues, juniors or your CEO? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. Too many people in the corporate world lack effective presentation skills and this keeps them back from fully conveying brilliant ideas to others. Improved presentation skills can help you deliver more concise and passionate presentations that are not endlessly monotonous, irrelevant and non-persuasive.
The Reasons Behind Poor Presentation Skills
One of the main causes for less than impressive presentation skills is the fear of public speaking. Few of us relish the idea of standing up in a room full of people and conveying a message or idea to them. Unfortunately, most people, instead of polishing their presentation skills, opt for the use of fancy PowerPoint tools to substitute for the anxiety they feel while presenting to an audience. Such tools are no doubt important, but they cannot be used in place of preparedness, research, or enthusiasm for the topics of presentation. These tools are, at best, useful for adding value to an already well prepared presentation.
How You can Improve Your Presentation Skills
All audiences cannot be addressed in exactly the same way. In some cases, an audience may be favorable to you, in many others, they may be distrustful. The same standardized presentation will not work for all cases. Different presentation skills need to be used relative to the audience you are presenting to.
For a truly, effective presentation, making eye contact with your audience is a must. Whether it is a small group or a larger audience, creating and maintaining some degree of eye contact will help the audience connect with the presenter and dissolve any feelings of discomfort they may have. The most successful speakers constantly move about on the stage to engage their audience. Movement is a time tested method for conveying your ideas with emphasis. Your physical posture should be confident and full of energy and enthusiasm.
Equally important is your passion for the product or idea you’re selling. Audiences are quick to gauge when you are not sincere about your message. In other words, if you don’t believe in it yourself, you will never be able to convert others to your way of thinking regardless of the flowery prose or slick slides that you use. Learning the secrets of the best presentation skills will enable you to convey the benefits of your product or message to the members instead of giving them a whole lot of information about something they may not necessarily have any interest in. Honing your presentation skills will help you to better connect with your audience which will create a better chance of convincing them of your message and converting them to your point of view.
These are just a few ways by which you can better your presentation skills. You can benefit immensely from presentation skill training programs and seminars. They will help you overcome the any presentation issues that you may have and will pave the way toward a more successful career.
Michael Jeffreys is the president of Seminars on DVD, a premiere provider of video based training for businesses and individuals, featuring renowned experts and speakers. Learn more at: http://www.SeminarsOnDVD.com.
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Competence in presentation skills is a definite asset. Not only will these skills help you advance as an employee (great presentations help win deals!) they’re also a reliable source of steady income as a freelancer. Indeed, many today who need something extra aside from their regular 9 to 5 job, find moonlighting as a speaker a great way to make ends meet.
If you want to be a great presenter, and consequently get that speaking career off the ground, what are the presentation skills that you should master?
Content Design
Delivering a talk begins with designing a great program or speech. If you’re presenting a learning workshop, you would need to ground your presentation on the learning objectives of the course or training program. If you’re delivering short keynote speeches, you would need to anchor your speech on an overarching theme or central message. A speaker able to structure their speeches strategically are more effective in reaching their audience.
Designing great content relies on two sub skills: research and critical thinking. If you want your audience to leave the auditorium feeling like they spent their time well, make sure you share something useful in your talk. You can prepare quality content by researching books, academic journals and formal company literature; or you may draw from your experience or ability to dissect ideas. Critical thinking helps you lay your ideas with logical flow in mind.
Public Speaking Skills
Content design is for behind the scenes, but what about presentation skills for the day of the talk itself? To deliver a talk effectively, you would need to be a good communicator. Start with the clarity of your verbal communication; make sure you know how to project your voice well, enunciate properly, and vary the inflection in your voice so that you don’t sound monotonous. Non-verbal presentation skills are also critical; you must be able to exude confidence as you talk.
Public Speaking presentation skills also involve effective use of presentation aids, such as audio-visual aids, hand-outs and even actual samples for the audience’s review. These aids should enhance a presentation, and illustrate concepts and ideas that can’t be effectively described by merely using words. Care must be given so that they don’t distract your audience from what you are saying.
Facilitation Skills
If you have the opportunity, it’s great to make your presentation interactive. You can ask the audience some guide questions, solicit their ideas, or constantly verify understanding of what you are discussing. All these require facilitation skills. Facilitation skills include, but is not limited to, encouraging audience involvement, linking similar responses, brainstorming techniques, and throwing back questions to the group. A speaker who can not just deliver talks, but actually facilitate a group-centered discussion is a more dynamic speaker.
Evaluation Skills
Lastly, if you want to hone your presentation skills, you must know how to gather and use feedback. Evaluation is usually a neglected aspect of the presentation giving process, but it’s critical to not just a program’s growth, but the speakers’ as well. Handing out evaluation questionnaires, soliciting the opinion of randomly selected audience members, and getting peers to critique a presentation are just some of the ways speakers can evaluate their work.
Leon van der Walt is passionate about learning and teaching public speaking and one area of focus where a lot of people struggle professionally is presentation skills, so he seeks to address it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leon_Van_Der_Walt
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Author: Anne Warfield
In order to improve communication with others you need to make sure you are always conveying that you respect them as a person. Sadly, I must say I often see this trait missing especially between employees and managers.
Here is a quick test that will help you know if you always convey that you respect the other person. Give yourself a point for all the ones you do consistently.
- You bring pen and paper to meetings and take notes to show your interest and the importance of what is being said.
- You respond to all phone calls and emails within 24 hours even if it is only to say you will not have an answer until later.
- You sit up with your shoulders back, plant your feet firmly and make eye contact during meetings and discussions.
- With management, you appropriately challenge ideas always looking at what can be done to improve things. You never challenge by saying things are “stupid,” “won’t work,” or by rolling your eyes.
- You realize that bottom line your job is to support upper management in reaching the company’s vision. Therefore, you take it upon yourself to look at what you need from your manager in order to do your job better taking full responsibility for your job.
- You do not interrupt while others are talking.
- During arguments or heated discussions you repeat back what you think the other person said before you say your piece. That way you avoid misunderstandings or reading in to what the other person said.
- Any disagreement you have with a person you take straight to him/her rather than gossip about it behind their back.
- When listening to a person you make eye contact 70% of the time.
- You believe that people are trying to do their best.
Score:
9-10 points You really try to make everyone you come in contact with feel valued. You are probably targeted as a leader and someone that people look up to.
7-8 points You will be respectful of those you feel deserve it but sometimes may be seen as not a team player. People may see you as “hot or cold.”
6 or less You probably come off as a person with a “chip on their shoulder.” People are more likely to take what you say negatively because they feel you don’t respect them so they are not going to want to respect you. I recommend that you look at whether you are in the right workplace for you or if you need to find an environment where you can show a greater degree of respect for others. Life is too short not to be happy at work.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/presentation-articles/am-i-communicating-with-respect-10-steps-to-communicating-respectfully-2454559.html
About the Author
When people want to know how to say the right thing at the right time, they call Anne Warfield. As the leading Outcome Strategist, Anne helps people negotiate, present, sell and lead by managing perceptions, since perceptions become reality. She does this by showing you how to speak so people WANT to listen to you.
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
In just about every profession public speaking is often a necessity. For most people who haven’t had much public speaking experience, the thought of speaking in front of a group of people may make them cringe. What these people don’t realize, though, is that once they are actually in front of the group giving the speech, their nervousness should dissipate, or at least decrease. There are several things that the speaker has to remember in order for the public speaking experience to go as smoothly as possible.
First of all, before a person can give a successful speech, he or she needs to be properly prepared. If the person hasn’t thoroughly researched the topic of the speech and doesn’t know much about it, then the public speaking experience could possibly be disastrous. By ensuring that the speech material has been carefully written and prepared, anyone giving a speech will feel a lot more confident Having confidence in oneself during public speaking is imperative to having a positive outcome. If the speaker feels like they will perform well, then their performance will most likely be successful.
Additionally, the old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ applies in many situations, especially public speaking. It is an extremely good idea for anyone planning on giving a speech publicly to practice aloud until they feel comfortable. It could be quite embarrassing for a person to get in front of an audience and start reading a speech that contains unfamiliar material. Even if the speaker wrote the material himself but did not memorize it, it can appear to be foreign material. This is even more possible if a severe case of nervousness sets in. Everyone knows that when someone is nervous, their mind has a good chance of going blank, especially during a public speaking experience.
Practicing will enable the person to memorize the speech so that it will appear less like he or she is reading it. Speeches weren’t meant to be read, but instead they should be memorized and presented with confidence and vigor. The monotone of one’s voice while reading a speech word-for-word is sure to bore any audience. Although the actual written speech can be referred to from time to time, the speaker needs to make eye contact with their audience and this can’t be achieved if their eyes are on the text during the entire affair. Practicing in front of the mirror, or friends and family members, is a good idea. It gives the person the opportunity to experience how it feels to give a speech for an audience, even if it’s only the reflection of the person with the impending public speaking event.
Even those who are veterans at public speaking sometimes experience bouts of anxiety prior to giving a speech. To avoid anxiety during a public speaking event, the speaker needs to prepare thoroughly in advance by carefully writing the speech, practicing it in depth, memorizing it, and finally relaxing before getting behind the podium. If all of these tips are remembered, then the person is sure to give a very successful speech.
Michael Jeffreys is the president of Seminars on DVD, a premiere provider of video based training for businesses and individuals, featuring renowned experts and speakers. Learn more at: http://www.SeminarsOnDVD.com.
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