Can you can become an exceptional presenter? I believe anyone can that is truly serious can become one.  So does Timothy Koegel author of The Exceptional Presenter.

Timothy takes a wider view of presenting than just those situations where you are presenting in a formal occasion such as a keynote speech. His view is that we are always presenting whether we are one to one, small groups, leaving a voice mail. The book is for the average person.

Being able to an effective communicator is one of the skills that organizations are looking for and is the number one skill needed for career advancement in any field.

Below is a video that discusses the first 3 chapters of the book and gives a brief insight to how practical the book is to use.

The book is more than just a good read, it is like a workshop that gives you the information and exercises you can use to implement in becoming an exceptional presenter.

Exceptional Presenter Characteristics

To help Timothy Koegel uses an acronym – OPEN UP to provide the 6 steps to be an exceptional presenter

O – Organized,

P – Passionate,

E – Engaging

N- Natural

U – Understand

P – Practice

In summary, I think this is a book for anyone who is anxious when presenting and wants to calm those fears and improve their communications skills so they can give winning presentations whatever the occasion from public speaking to one to one situations such as asking for a pay rise.

You can get the book here – The Exceptional Presenter by Timothy Koegel

In a previous post I showed how an illustration can be an effective way to begin a speech but:

Of course, using an illustration is not the only effective way to start a speech. A question which causes an audience to think will get attention.
For example, a student speaker started by asking this question, “Do you know how long it takes a fly to crawl from one end of a seven inch banana to the other?”
This was a simple question but it caused listeners to think and wonder. After asking the question the speaker paused for a few moments, giving listeners time to think. Then he answered his own question, “It takes a fly exactly thirty-six seconds to crawl from one end of a banana to the other, because I watched one do it last week in the L, and L Cafe.”
This was the beginning of a very interesting and helpful talk about keeping food clean.
A housewife started a speech called “How to Stretch the Kitchen Dollar,” by pushing a handful of coins from a table into a metal wastebasket and asking at the same time, “Is this hap¬pening in your kitchen?”
The audience willingly watched and listened. In addition to asking a thought stimulating question this speaker used a visual aid which usually gets undivided attention.
This was an interesting beginning, whereas a dull, trite way to start a speech on saving money in the kitchen could be as follows: “Every day, everywhere, people are wasting money in their kitchens. Considering the high cost of living, this, of course, makes staying on a budget very difficult. But I suppose this is not a new trend. According to psychologists, being careless may be a natural trait of humanity, although there are probably different opinions in this respect.” And so on.
This latter method merely presents general opinions. The ideas are not specific. Nothing happens. This approach is somewhat like the .one a college student actually made when he attempted to answer an examination question: “It is, well, on the other hand it could be, but perhaps usually in most cases, it is strictly an enigma.” What an indirect way to say, “I don’t know.”

Have you ever used a question to start your presentation or a speech? How did you get on? Did it make the audience think?

Have you used stories in your speaking? Here is a post on the benefits of using stories when giving a speech and a warning.

The story, anecdote, illustration, example, parable, or whatever it may be called, is very helpful not only at the beginning, but also at other places in a speech. It is so valuable that a series of posts on this blog will tell more about how to find and recognize interesting story material for speeches.
A speaker should use vivid illustrations freely and without apologizing for using them. Some speakers have a habit of saying, “If you will pardon a personal illustration …”
Why should any speaker have to ask an audience’s pardon for using something in his talk which may well be the most interesting part of his speech?
An audience will probably thank a speaker for a good human interest story. They appreciate word pictures, action and suspense instead of so many meaningless general statements.
Personal illustrations which picture the speaker as a big hero, however, should be avoided. Bragging is generally disliked. A speaker should use stories in which he plays a minor part, or at least his importance should not be emphasized.
Try starting your next speech with a lively human interest personal story. Instead of beginning with, “Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking . . . It’s good to see your bright shining faces . . . “We had a pleasant trip coming here this evening,” or any one of a dozen other trite ways you could start, plunge right into a story. Get something happening at once.
Able writers of short stories know they cannot hope to get and hold a reader’s attention unless they make something happen soon. A speaker who hopes to get attention must do likewise. Why waste precious words and audiences’ patience? Too many speakers have already complied with the jingle:
I love its gentle gurgle,
I love its even flow;
I love to wind my mouth up,
I love to let it go —

Without saying anything worthwhile.

Have you used stories when speaking in public or presenting? Do you have any experiences or information you would like to share?

What are the best ways to deliver a presentation or speech that is persuasive and gets the result you want?

Here are some points to consider when giving a speech:-

Obviously to persuade most effectively a speaker must select material (illustrations, quotations, facts, and figures of speech) suitable for the situation and audience, then present this material in an interesting, convincing, persuasive manner.
Will a speaker write his speech word for word and then read it to an audience? Heaven forbid! — unless he has to. Sometimes political, or highly controversial speeches, are read to keep the speaker from being misquoted or sued. Walter Winchell, for instance, has his radio scripts checked and double-checked by attorneys before he reads them to the public.. The average speaker, however, usually does not have to be so exacting.
Shall he memorize his talk then? Not unless he wants to sound like a machine giving a canned speech. Most people can’t memorize well enough to keep from reciting as they speak. Such speaking lacks a conversational tone. Instead of being real talk memorized speaking is more likely to sound like a child learning to read: “My— dog’s — name—is— Carlo. Carlo — can — run. Run — Carlo — run.”
Also, a memorized talk is too easily forgotten. It usually lacks warmth, and surely it does not have that informal, put-them-at-ease quality which is evident in lively conversation. A few professional speakers have successfully used memorized speeches, but most speakers simply do not have the time or patience to perfect a memorized talk. Fortunately there are better methods.
Speak from notes? If you need them;
A speaker may use notes to outline his speech. These notes should be phrases or short sentences to remind the speaker of his illustrations or other supporting material. Quotations may be written out in full and read for accuracy, unless the speaker can quote them from memory without hesitation. When a speaker can remember quotations and facts without the use of notes the effect upon an audience is probably more persuasive. But it is better to read them than to present them in a stumbling, uncertain manner.

What do you think about these points on deliverying a speech? What do you think about reading it or memorizing it? Do you have any experiences you would like to share?

What do you think about enthusiam? Can you use it in your next speech. Here are some real life examples how enthusiasm changed people’s lives:-

When a person finds a cause or subject that grips him to a point where it demands his energy, steals his time, and inspires his soul, then he has something upon which he can really speak enthusiastically. Such a cause or subject usually involves some useful service. Speaking about it will lift one to the heights of enthusiasm and give him the joy of knowing he has done some¬thing really worthwhile in life.
Enthusiasm is a joyous, commendable quality. An enthusiast finds a happiness in his work or service which transcends a dollar mark. He is not a clock-watcher, but works for “love of the game.” In his mind his work, purpose, or subject is the most important one in the world.
This attitude was evident in an uneducated, penniless emi¬grant who came to America from Poland.. He became vitally interested in selling life insurance, however, and educated him¬self as best he could. This young immigrant, according to Dar¬win P. Kingsley, sales manager for the New York Life Insurance Company, would rather sell insurance than eat. .
“I have known him to reserve a table for New Year’s Eve and then give up the party at the last minute to talk insurance to some prospect,” said Kingsley. “He believes in this company and its policies with a fierce intensity. Selling life insurance is the greatest thing in his life.” Because of his unlimited enthu¬siasm this salesman sold more insurance than all forty other men from the same office. Each year he earned more than a hundred thousand dollars in commissions alone. What kind of
speech.could he make on insurance?
Some years later Frank Bettger attributed his tremendous success in selling insurance to enthusiasm. When he spoke about selling, his listeners were persuaded largely because he was so highly enthusiastic about his subject. He advised, “Act enthusias¬tically and you’ll be enthusiastic.” Acting upon his own advice Bettger plunged into selling with all the fervor at his command. He arose from the ranks of failure to lead the entire field for several years. Frank Bettger put “heart” into his work and into his speeches. His acting was real. Enthusiasm became a part of him, not like a fancy coat he might have worn when he called on forty thousand prospects.

Can you use enthusiasm in your next speech? Or do you think enthusiasm is outdated and people do not respond to it today? Let me know what you think

A short post here on the power of enthusiasm to make your speaking more persuasive :-

Edward Everett, in his lecture on Daniel Webster, said that every time Daniel Webster spoke sparks of living fire were emit­ted from either eye. Marshal Foch said, “The human soul on fire is man’s greatest weapon.” And John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn!”

What is the fire those men spoke of? It is enthusiasm for a cause, purpose, or subject.

Enthusiasm was derived from two Greek terms, “En Theo,” meaning “In God.” It is a quality of man’s spirit, mind, and emo­tions rather than a physical element. Francis Collins Spellman compared it with electricity. He said, “Enthusiasm is in the spiri­tual realm what electricity is in the field of the material.”

Genuine enthusiasm does electrify a personality with a high­ly persuasive, contagious emotional influence. Enveloping the entire being, this fire of the spirit lifts speakers from the ranks of the commonplace to heights of eloquence. “No man can rise to the heights of oratory unless his soul is on fire,” said Altgeld.

“The feet of the orator must walk in the’ sun and every fiber in his body must speak to the audience, not in rant, or quaver, but in the simple fervor of the patriot.”

Why did sparks of fire seem to come from Webster’s eyes when he spoke? Why could Wesley speak with such fervor at five o’clock in the morning? Or why did William Jennings Bryan willingly sleep for only three hours a night and speak twenty hours a day during his presidential campaigns? Enthusiasm for a cause is the answer. It is the same spirit that caused Mary Lyon to say, when she felt such a great need to make a college education available for women, ..”Sometimes its seems as if there was a fire shut up in my bones.” Why could she speak so eloquently and persuasively? Because she had enthusiasm for a purpose which she. considered to be as great as life itself.

What did you think? Future post will discuss the power of enthusiasm to fire up your speech.

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

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

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

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 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:

1. Practice.
2. Having a robust inventory of slides and diagrams./li>
3. Button shortcuts. This is why I still prefer 2003, because it reduces the extra step of toggling among ribbons.
4. 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/.

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!

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!

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/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Guthrie

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.

Author Resource:-> Need an LCD projector rental for your next business presentation or after-hours get-together? Renting a projector is as easy as 1-2-3 at http://Projector123.com. Discover the fast, easy, affordable, hassle-free way to procure a professional grade rental projector today.

Article From Article Storehouse

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_F._James

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leon_Van_Der_Walt

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.

1. You bring pen and paper to meetings and take notes to show your interest and the importance of what is being said.
2. 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.
3. You sit up with your shoulders back, plant your feet firmly and make eye contact during meetings and discussions.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. You do not interrupt while others are talking.
7. 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.
8. Any disagreement you have with a person you take straight to him/her rather than gossip about it behind their back.
9. When listening to a person you make eye contact 70% of the time.
10. 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.