Archive for the ‘Presentation Skills’ Category
Getting The Best Out Of Practicing Your Presentation
One of the best tools for improving your presentation skills is to video-record yourself as a means of practice. While you may think this is a bit extreme, it really isn’t: you will learn so much by watching yourself on video. A lot of people are recorded during their presentation, but imagine the advantage if you record yourself beforehand so that you can correct your mistakes as well as the ‘tics’, the ums, ahs & uhs, and any other mannerisms you may not like.
The first step, however, is to practice your material out loud. I tell this to my clients and my students over and over; and still, I have people that don’t practice their material. My question is why?
If you were to give a piano recital, you would practice; if you were to enter a golf tournament, you would practice; if you were to take a driver’s test, you would practice. What makes you think you can give a presentation or deliver a speech without practicing? Going over it in your mind is not practice…saying it OUT LOUD is!
After practicing your material, do it again with your camcorder on. [As an aid for my clients, I place a huge stuffed gorilla on the sofa and 'Goofy' on an adjacent chair so that my presenters feel like they are talking to an audience. Dolls and mannequins will also work.] Go through your entire presentation and then play it back and study it. Decide what you like and what you don’t like.
Then ask yourself an important question. Overall, did you enjoy your presentation? Forget the mistakes, just look at the entire piece and judge it in its entirety. Mistakes are not important at this particular time. Was your delivery good? Did you convey what you wanted to say in an entertaining, enjoyable, interesting manner? Feeling good about your presentation skills is an important acknowledgement because if you enjoyed it, so too will your audience.
If, on the other hand, you didn’t like it, ask yourself why.
Did you acknowledge your ‘audience’ or were your eyes glued to your notes or your script? Did you show any emotion in speaking or was your face frozen in fear? Did you move during your delivery or were you standing perfectly still? Did you read to your audience or were you able to sound conversational? (Remember: this is not a reading at the library or Barnes & Noble!) Were there a lot of ums and ahs or was your speech smooth flowing?
These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself about your style of delivery; but, more importantly, ask yourself if you are able to correct these faults on your own or could use some training.
Just as all musicians and athletes have had training so too should those involved in public speaking. Most people are not born natural speakers; it takes practice; it takes constructive criticism; and, it all begins by recording yourself on a camcorder first.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice DynamicYour Least Developed Tool! and watch Nancy as she describes
Presentation Skills Training – How To Be More Expressive
That which makes the voice truly interesting to listen to is color. Color is the life, the emotion, the animation one exudes in talking, be it at the lectern, in the sales meeting, over the phone or in a one-on-one conversation. Through my many years as a voice specialist, I have discovered some very interesting correlations between the professions we choose and whether we speak with color. At the top of that list are athletes, research scientists, and CPA’s who often exhibit little or no expression in their delivery. (Please understand that I am generalizing.)
Color is heard not only in the voice but is seen in one’s facial expression as well as one’s body language. Harrison Ford is a wonderful example of excellent facial expression, excellent body language. The tone of his voice is somewhat static – he doesn’t display a lot of variety in his voice – but as an actor in the types of roles he plays, he almost doesn’t need vocal variety: his face and his body display or ’speak’ every emotion he is feeling.
Step 1
To see just how expressive you are (or aren’t!), watch your face in a mirror and say the following statement – She said yes – as if you were delighted. Now say those words again – She said yes – as if you were disappointed. Did you notice a difference in your facial expression between delight and disappointment? If there was no difference, then you probably need some work.
Step 2
Let’s work with – She said yes – again. This time when you look in the mirror, smile when you say it and nod your head up and down just a bit. (Don’t overdue it.) Did you notice a difference? Now when you say – She said yes – I want you to frown and shake your head back and forth as if you were sad or disappointed. Was there a difference? If you noticed a difference, then you’ve just taken the 2nd step to speaking with color.
Step 3
Record yourself saying – She said yes – the first time as if you were delighted (you just found out you won the lottery) and the second time as if you were disappointed (your mother-in-law is coming to visit for 6 months). Play back the recording. You should notice quite a difference if you can ‘act’ in those two manners. I’m not advising you to act in normal conversation; however, expressing some emotion after finding out you just won the lottery or discovering your mother-in-law’s impending visit is normal. It is natural. It is what most people do.
When I teach color I explain to my clients that I want them to straddle the fence, meaning too much color is as bad as not enough color. Sometimes a client will exaggerate his/her ‘color’ which is not what I’m looking for. Exaggerated color is seen on the stage. That is the only place for it. Exaggerated expression sounds ridiculous because it is inappropriate. So if you already express emotion when you speak beware that you don’t go too far in improving on your delivery.
At the lectern, however, I often find that many people who are normally quite expressive have a tendency to lose their life, their color, their emotion. They are so overcome with panic and fear, that they don’t allow themselves to be expressive. Their voices become flat and their faces pale as they spit out a pile of words with little or no emotion. If this sounds like you, then you need to change.
A colorful delivery of your presentation or your speech is what is going to grab and keep your audience’s attention. When you can be expressive on the podium, then you are on the path to becoming a dynamic public speaker.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group session in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit her website at: http://www.voicedynamic.com
Presentation Skills – Developing The Power Of The Pause
Is silence beneficial?
When speaking in front of a group of people, it is natural for some of us to encounter stage fright, as we may not be used to public speaking. Our anxiety may cause us to start to talk very quickly, and at the same time feel unable to insert pauses into our speech.
Alternately, talking endlessly may be a sign of having a fear of silence. This comes about because people tend to associate silence with incompetence, and thus avoid it like a plague to avoid appearing amateurish while speaking.
In reality, silence is beneficial. Making a point to pause now and then during your presentation allows your audience time to take in and understand your material to a greater extent. They can then retain the given information better.
Understand your audience
One way to understand how your audience feels when you speak quickly without pausing is to think back on your school lecture days. There must have been at least one lecturer who bombarded you with facts, and gave you little time to absorb what you heard.
Therefore, to avoid becoming such a lecturer when presenting, pause frequently to help your audience absorb the information presented. Also, hold their attention during these pauses by engaging them through eye contact, checking to see if they are following the presentation.
Pauses are beneficial to the speaker as well! When you pause, you give yourself time to consolidate your thoughts so that you can be clear when communicating. Your audience will understand and respect that you are both able to keep them attentive and satisfy their needs, and thus be more accepting of what you have to say.
What about PowerPoint Presentations?
Of course, this technique can also be applied to your PowerPoint Presentations.
After going through each slide, pause to give your audience time to take in the information they have been given. This means that you should pause for a longer period of time if you give them more information to absorb.
To make sure you have a hold on your audience’s attention, do not ever display all the points on your slide immediately, because the new information displayed on the screen will distract the audience from the point you are presenting.
Your presentation would be more effective if you employ the use of the PowerPoint’s “On-Click” feature in the animation section, so that points are displayed one by one. Your audience can then focus on one point at a time, and be able to understand your presentation better.
Remember, it’s important that you give time for your audience to think through your material. Click here to see this technique in practice. Kelvin is a dynamic and eloquent communicator and an experienced trainer of Power Presentations workshops. He is a certified Microsoft PowerPoint specialist and also specialises in giving corporate slides makeovers. To receive free tips and techniques on PowerPoint Presentations, visit http://figtree.com.sg/ppt_tips
Boost Your Career Success Through Public Speaking Skills
Your hands are shaking, your heart is racing. Your knees are jittery and there seems to be about a million butterflies in your stomach. The notes in front of you are starting to blur and the audience is getting restless – why, oh why, you think by yourself, did the boss ask me to do this presentation?
Sound familiar?
It’s one thing freaking out during an oral exam at school. It’s quite another when the success of a project, or your career, depends on your ability to speak in front of an audience.
Rest assured - you are not alone. Research has shown that there are many people out there who fear public speaking more than they do death!
Regardless of the career you’ve chosen, there will most likely come a time when you will be required to get up and say your piece in front of a crowd. When that time comes, you will need to speak with confidence and conviction.
With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at some tips to help you overcome your fears in order to make a killer speech, and win some praise and recognition that will benefit your career.
Practice makes perfect
This may be stating the obvious, but there is no better way to overcome your fears than by practicing your presentation beforehand.
This applies to both the content of your speech and your body language while delivering it. The former speaks for itself – be sure to know your information like the back of your hand.
The latter also makes sense, once you think about it. Simply stand in front of a mirror and practice your posture and movements. Think about how you want to come across and then rehearse this vision of yourself until you feel comfortable with it. For example – you want to:
Practice these behaviours until they start to come naturally, until they are imbedded in your subconscious, and you should have no trouble performing them on stage.
When it comes to behaviours, a lot of people find it difficult to keep their hands steady while speaking. If you are worried about what to do with your hands, and if you know from previous experience that you tend to fidget when you get nervous, find something to keep them busy.
For instance, it might help to select a smart pen to keep your hands occupied. You can shift the pen from hand to hand if you feel you have to move, and use it to gesture at some points in your presentation, and still maintain a professional image.
Visualise your success
Some experts recommend visualisation techniques to gain confidence in speaking.
Picture in your mind your audience, then visualise their positive reactions towards your message. See them listening attentively.
Now focus on yourself – picture yourself on the podium. See how relaxed and confident you are. You are making eye contact; you are full of enthusiasm and energy. What’s more, you are moving naturally and are perfectly in control.
Just breathe
Utilise the power of some simple breathing exercises before getting on stage. Breathing deeply sends more oxygen to your brain, which will help you to calm down.
Sit down for a minute and breathe in slowly and deeply five times in a row, then another five times. Concentrate only on your breathing, on the sound of the air leaving your body, on the feeling of your lungs expanding. Think of nothing else. You should start to feel more relaxed in minutes.
Give your audience some credit
Why are we afraid of speaking in public? We are afraid we will mess it up, and that we will be laughed at.
But have you ever given thought to the fact that your audience is not actually rooting for you to fail? Most people are somewhat afraid of speaking in front of an audience, and have empathy with the poor guy on stage.
Also, just because you are painfully aware of your every stutter and hesitation, don’t think that your listeners are paying such close attention. To them a pause is just a pause – they will hardly notice the fact that, for five excruciating seconds, you forgot the next point on your agenda.
View more career-related articles at Careers24.com
Changing Careers
Developing Your Career
Finding the Perfect Career
Marketing Yourself
Jeanne Calitz is the staff writer for Careers24. Careers24 is a South Africa based job and recruitment portal. Career seekers can search thousands of jobs and apply online. Recruiters can advertise jobs and search thousands of resumes to find the perfect candidate for the job.
The Best Powerpoint Shortcuts You Can Use
The Top 10 PowerPoint Shortcuts You Should Know
Author: David Tracy
In my opinion, there are 4 key contributing factors to building presentations with incredible speed and efficiency. These are:
- Practice.
- Having a robust inventory of slides and diagrams./li>
- Button shortcuts. This is why I still prefer 2003, because it reduces the extra step of toggling among ribbons.
- Keyboard shortcuts.
In this article, I will list the 10 keyboard shortcuts that I use most often and that are not immediately obvious. In other words, I won’t include any shortcuts that everyone knows (e.g. Page Up, Ctrl+C).
Alright, here they are, in no particular order.
- Ctrl + arrow key Move objects pixel by pixel. You may notice, if you just select an object (e.g. shape, group, table) and hit the arrow key, the object will jump by a number of pixels.
- Ctrl + [ Decrease font size.
- Ctrl + ] And, likewise, increase font size.
- Shift + F5 Go to presentation mode on current slide.
- Shift + changing size of object Maintain ratio of object’s dimensions-i.e. a square will remain a square and not turn into a rectangle when you resize.
- Ctrl + Shift + G Group objects together (in PowerPoint 2003).
- Ctrl + Shift + H Ungroup a group objects (in PowerPoint 2003).
- Ctrl + click object with mouse Creates a duplicate copy of the object.
- Shift + changing length of line Ensures straightness of line.
- Shift + Alt + right arrow Increase indent of a bullet one level deeper.
Here is an extra bonus. Useful shortcut number 11:
- Ctrl + Shift + P Jump to the font size dropdown toolbar.
At the beginning of our discussion, I mentioned having a large inventory of created slides is instrumental in whipping together slides quickly. This, of course, takes time to collect and/or create such slides.
To speed things along, I have put together a Basic PowerPoint Toolkit, which you can freely download: http://www.learnppt.com/downloads/basictoolkit/.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/presentation-articles/the-top-10-powerpoint-shortcuts-you-should-know-2732005.html
About the Author
My name is David Tracy. For the better part of my career, I worked as a management consultant, where I focused largely on corporate strategy and M&A. In 2010, I decided to wrote an eBook called “Become a PowerPoint Guru.” You can find it at my site: http://learnppt.com.
Most of my articles here are excerpts from my eBook. You can also browse and download PowerPoint Diagram Packs from my site: http://learnppt.com/powerpoint/.
Planning For Presentation Success
Practicing for presentations can waste more of your key personnel time then almost any
other business activity. The possible exception being useless meetings! To maximize your
planning efforts just follow these 5 easy steps. You will find that you can streamline the
process and make Presentation Practice much more productive.
*There must be One Person in Charge. This person has responsibility for scheduling,
coordinating and, perhaps most importantly, communicating with all of the presentation team
members. Preferably this is a staff position working in Business Development who can be
assigned the job. Never put a busy executive in charge of the day to day process.
*Select the Presentation Team Early. Be sure to determine who is required to be a
presenter. Almost always the client wants to meet and hear from the people working
directly on the project, not just the sales group.
* A detailed presentation schedule is mandatory. Everyone must understand what the plan
is. At a minimum the schedule needs to show the following: Presentation date and time.
Team practices and who needs to be present along with where and when practices will be
held. A block of time needs to be allocated for preparing visual aids. They can be power
point slides, presentation boards, handouts, leave behinds, or anything else that may need
to be created for the presentation. The schedule needs to be distributed to all team
members as quickly as possible to allow maximum time for individuals block out times in their personal schedules.
*When practices are scheduled everyone must be prepared to practice. This sounds redundant
but I can’t tell you how often I have heard people complain over what a waste of time a
practice session was. Having a room full of people waiting for someone to finish the power
point presentation slides is not where you want to be.
*Communicate everything pertaining to schedule with everyone as quickly as possible.
Again, numerous times I have seen practice sessions rescheduled without letting everyone
know. The result is always a conference room of senior staff with nothing to do! They
didn’t know the practice had been rescheduled.
Try these steps and you will be surprise at how much more productive your Presentation
Planning will become.
Allen Jossim is a retired executive and freelance writer with much presentation and public
speaking experience. Please go to his blog Public Speaking – You Can Do It! where helpful information
is always available. Allen Jossim has sold stamps and collectibles on ebay for 12 years. He also is a successful freelance writer. Allen is a retired executive from a major international commercial construction firm who enjoys living in rural north Georgia with his wife, dogs and cats!
6 Tips For Presentation Success
Successful presentation skills can make or break your career. Speaking in front of a group of people can be difficult but there are simple ways to help yourself build confidence and your career.
*Many people get very nervous during a presentation and can forget to breathe. While talking it is important to remember to take regular breaths. Before starting take a few deep breaths to help you to relax.
*When you start your speech find a focal point in the room. It may be something in the back of the room, a window, someone in the audience or even the podium. If you lose you place or find yourself stumbling a bit, pause and lock in on your focal point. This helps you collect your thoughts without going into a panic.
*Look people in the eye while speaking, if you can, but don’t stare! If this is difficult for you, one trick is to look at their forehead. From a distance the audience will never know the difference and the effect is still the same.
*Plan what you are going to say but do not memorize it. Try writing down keywords or key subjects on paper in outline form in case you need to look at it. This ensures you do not forget what you want to say and also allows opportunity to ad lib which always sounds more natural.
*I always like to start off a talk or presentation with some humor, sort of an ice breaker. I participated in a presentation years ago at Virginia Tech University. We were proposing to construct an addition to their football field. My job was to present the price. My opening comment was, ‘I won’t keep you in suspense. Let’s get the price out on the table right now!’ upon which I proceeded to pull the estimate out of my pocket and, upon examination, and while putting my glasses on, said, ‘Whoa, this price is SO LOW I have to get my glasses out to read it!’ It was not much of a joke however a couple of people did laugh and it gave me a huge confidence boost.
*Finally, I advise you to talk a bit slower than normal. Often times, because you are nervous, words tend to come out of your mouth entirely too fast. I hope this article helps you to deliver a quality public speech.
Allen Jossim is a freelance writer and blog master of Public Speaking – You Can Do It
Allen Jossim has sold stamps and collectibles on ebay for 12 years. He also is a successful
freelance writer. Allen is a retired executive from a major international commercial
construction firm who enjoys living in rural north Georgia with his wife, dogs and cats!
Public Speaking Skills – Tips To Make Your Next Presentation Your Best One
As we know, Public Speaking causes more worry, fear and sleepless nights than almost anything else. And remember, Public Speaking is performing and you are only as good as your last show. The actual talking is only a small part of the problem. You have to wrestle with visual aids, get the tone of your voice correct, ensure you have impacting body language and handle that dreaded question you have not prepared for. Yet getting it right can be easy…if you ignore all the Public Speaking Rules When you Publicly Present, what are you actually trying to do? Simply communicate clearly with some passion and commitment. That’s it. Something you probably achieve every time you open your mouth. When you present you are using skills you have been using since you were a child. Your real fear is embedded in your own mind. Here are a few ideas that will help tremendously: Have you attended and completed a Public Speaking course? Yes? Now, forget and throw away every thing that you learned. Why? Because being a great Public Speaker means breaking some of the rules. And on courses you are normally only taught the rules. So, if you want to put your hands in your pockets, do it. If you have those little bits of cards you are holding on to for comfort, throw them away. If you are stuck behind the podium, get out front; we want to see all of you, top to toe.
So what should you do to make your presentations stand-out? Walk onto the stage with keenness. Add an extra bit of energy in your step. As you are walking, it’s OK to talk as well – if it feels natural for you. And what about eye contact, I hear you say. Have eye contact – look around the room, at the whole audience. Just don’t stare at the audience like some mad axe murderer. Do mad axe murderers stare? Maybe they don’t, but you know what I mean. PowerPoint – a great tool for insomniacs I have very rarely seen PowerPoint used well. People either just use text (which can hardly be seen), have things flying in, out and all over the place or have the same old boring images others have used – all of which is very distracting and can turn off your audience or actually send them to sleep. Can you be scruffy or in disarray when you Public Speak? No! Well I don’t think so. If you look shabby, the audience will think your presentation is also shabby. Cartoon Ties Make A Huge Difference… If your pockets are bulging with rubbish or your tie is down by your navel (or your tie is meticulously tied but it’s a cartoon one!) or your trousers are too short or your shoes are muddy, it will distract the audience. And that means they are not listening to you. Do your best to look well dressed and well groomed. Use these two most important points…and NOTHING will stop you getting on the stage and Publicly Speaking 1 .Don’t be perfect. Perfect presentations are D-U-L-L, dull. Making a small mistake and laughing along with the audience makes you come across as human and further engages you with the audience. 2. Put passion into your message. That way you will rarely go wrong. The best presenters do not use slides or glossy visual aids. The best presenters enthuse and all that enthusiasm has to come from you. So throw away the Public Speaking rulebook, get on that stage and wow the audience. What are you waiting for? Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover How to Maximize Your Income and Minimize Your Effort by receiving Andrew’s free e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/
The Benefits Of Presentation Skills Training
In today’s economy, most professionals are aware of the need to perform well on the job. It’s a tough market and in times of trouble you want to be noticed for your ability, not only to do your job, but to shine in all situations.
What can you do to improve your retainability? How about setting a bold new direction?
Participating in Presentation Skills Training is a surefire strategy to improve your impact at work. Here are three reasons why it pays to invest in your ability to present to groups – both large and small:
1. Increase Your Confidence
Presentation Skills Training takes you through a learning process which includes videotaping your performance and reviewing specific feedback on how to improve. Look for a program that allows you to get taped several times so that you can see your progress over time. By giving presentations to a small audience and being taped, you gain the experience of “just doing it” which automatically increases your confidence. And we all know that a confident presenter speaks volumes over someone who is tentative or uncomfortable at the podium.
2. Increase Your Impact
Once you’re comfortable in front of a group you can work on your impact by playing with several dynamics including vocals, visuals, and verbal content. A polished presenter knows the importance of using their voice to engage the audience. They do this by varying their pitch, their volume and even their pace. Moreover, a seasoned presenter knows how to use visual aids and structure their remarks in a way that maximizes audience involvement. Ultimately, these skills show up in formal presentations as well as day to day discussions and meetings. Making the investment in presentations skills training enhances your ability to make an impact in the boardroom, the client meeting, and in everyday discussions.
3. Stand Out from the Pack
When it comes right down to it, management notices those who stand out from the pack. In today’s hectic environment, the professional who is comfortable giving an impromtpu presentation distinguishes him or herself from others. Increased comfort and confidence in presentation skills allows one to display leadership in meetings….without worrying about words, gestures, or nervousness. Stand out from your peers by demonstrating that you are an accomplished presenter who is comfortable in front of a crowd. You’ll be glad you did when you get that next promotion!
Suzanne Guthrie is co-founder of Bold New Directions, a transformational learning company that works with companies to transform people and performance through training solutions including seminars, webinars, coaching and keynote events. Bold New Directions specializes in training solutions that build leadership skills, communication skills and resilience at work. You can learn more about Suzanne Guthrie and her work at Bold New Directions by visiting the company web site at http://www.boldnewdirections.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Guthrie
How To Put Together A Great Presentation
Article Storehouse | How to Build a Powerful Presentation from Scratch – Part 1 of 2
How to Build a Powerful Presentation from Scratch – Part 1 of 2
By: Andy Grant
In this two-part series, we’ll explore the finer points of crafting a powerful presentation. During part one, we cover the basics – but don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these tips! All the best presentations have these characteristics in common.
1. Less is more.
Let’s face it – we live in the age of Twitter communication, where anything longer than a sentence starts to lose our interest. We’re constantly being bombarded with information at every turn, so it pays to keep things brief. Sound bites rule! Of course you’ll want to have supporting information to back up any bold declarations you make, but there is something to be said for brevity. Don’t be afraid to end early…nail this presentation and you just might get invited back to speak in more detail on your chosen topic!
2. Keep it relevant.
The lecture format is passe’. Keep the mood fresh and engaging, invite questions and audience participation, and if you have a longer presentation, incorporate an activity or exercise that gets people involved while driving home a key point. Use current references and analogies, don’t be afraid to weave in pop culture references if you can make it relate to your key point (assuming this is a match for your audience).
3. Be enthusiastic.
Odds are, you can fondly remember a teacher from your grade school days and you may remember things that he or she taught you – even if you didn’t particularly like the subject itself! Likeable people keep us interested and engaged, and enthusiasm is contagious. Bring your own passion into your presentation and your audience will sit up and take notice — even if the very same material would have bored them on paper.
4. Know when to hold ‘em
It is positively baffling how many speakers and presenters don’t know how to simply and effectively use audiovisuals. Used properly, these tools can enhance a presentation, drive home key points, and keep the focus where it belongs: on the speaker. Anything else becomes a distraction that leads to boredom. Look around – there are plenty of articles here on this blog that demystify the proper use of rental projectors and audiovisual support. Read up on the subject matter and you can master this quickly and easily!
5. Meat and potatoes
Be sure to structure your presentation so that it has plenty of meat (valuable subject matter, new information, useful tips, etc.) as well as potatoes (such as supporting explanations, demonstrations, hands-on experiences, and exercises or material designed to reinforce the key points). A presentation that’s “all-meat” often gives too much new material without allowing for integration, which may result in a much lower retention of the information by the audience. Similarly, an “all-potato” presentation lets the participant walk away feeling as though they learned nothing new or useful. As a presenter, it’s up to you to strike a balance.
By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your presentation packs a punch and keeps your audience engaged.
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