What is one of the worst things that can happen while delivering a presentation?  Forgetting what to say!  We’ve all been there.  You’ll be going through your presentation, everything seems to be fine, then BAM!  You have no idea what to say next.  What do you do?  You may start to ramble or begin using non-words like “um” or “ah.” You might even turn around and start reading your slides to the audience.

If you do any of the above, it is no doubt embarrassing for you, but more importantly it becomes difficult for your audience to pay attention. If you start behaving in a distracting way, chances are they’ll miss out on the information you’re trying to deliver.

To help ensure this never happens to you again, I’d like to introduce a new skill that will save the day. All you have to do is PAUSE. One of the best times to pause is at the end of a sentence. Remember to pause and breathe after every important sentence or when looking back to the slide. Pausing will help you remember your next thought. It indicates that you are considering the needs of your audience. Pausing allows the audience to keep up with you and helps you relax.

Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons

If you’ve conducted or have been a part of webinars or web meetings, chances are you were less than impressed.  While it’s tempting to blame the technology, the real issue is with the presenter. When communicating during these meetings, the presenter absolutely must adjust their voice to keep their audience engaged.

Because your voice is your client’s only contact with you, you must transform your voice. Learning to be more enthusiastic, insert more dramatic pauses and emphasize key words and phrases requires practice. You will need to adjust the way you speak… and believe me it is harder than you think! The number one way to do this is to avoid talking to your computer screen. Either have someone in your office with you or pretend to speak to someone far away. During one training program, one attendee even told me he was speaking to a picture of his family. When he did this, the difference in the enthusiasm in his voice was noticeable.

Another tip is to practice. Try recording yourself and listen to it to really understand what other people are hearing. It does take practice, but the first step in transforming your face-to-face communications into web-based communications is to make sure you sound engaging. Check out our Webinars that Wow Public Program for help on how to do this! 

Make every presentation great!

Sheri Jeavons

It is likely that Tuesday’s inauguration will be one of the most-viewed inaugurations of all time.  There were plenty of amazing, emotional moments along the way.  However, now that the dust settled, what’s still in the headlines?  Chief Justice John Roberts’ error while reciting the oath.  It was recently reported that he was working without a copy of the oath in front of him.

While I teach in my classes never to read your speech from a script, there are exceptions to the rule.  For example, if for legal reasons you need to recite something verbatim, it is a good idea to read it from a script.  It is very difficult to memorize something word for word and when you have information that absolutely must be delivered using very specific terms, always have the text available to read from in case you need it.

However, when you do NOT have to recite something verbatim, you should NOT memorize your speech or use a script.  When you do this, your voice becomes flat, you seem unnatural and your audience will tune you out.  That’s why I recommend using PowerPoint slides with bullet points. Use the bullet points to help you remember what to say, then speak from the heart.  This will help ensure that you convey confidence, enthusiasm and your audience will surely pay attention.

Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “What’s in it for me?”. And you realize that when you listen to a presentation, you pay attention to the parts that have value for you. So… when you develop a presentation, do you think about your audience and what information is most beneficial to them? Or do you delve right into what you want to tell them? 

The fastest way to lose an audience is to ignore their needs. That’s why I recommend that before you even start on your content, spend a few minutes thinking about your audience. Answer the following questions:

1.       What titles are represented?
2.       Why are they attending your presentation?
3.       What information do they want from you?
4.       How will they benefit from the information that you have to offer?

By spending just a few minutes getting focused on your audience, you are sure to keep your content on track and your audience engaged. 

Make Every Presentation Great!

Sheri Jeavons

I can’t count the number of times I’ve met people who are so terrified to give presentations that it actually holds them back in their careers. They may miss out on a promotion, not apply for a new position, or avoid jobs all together because a small part of the responsibilities includes giving presentations. 

If this describes you, it’s not too late to add one more resolution to your list for 2009. You can overcome your fear of presenting. I’ll start you off with the number one skill I teach in my live classes: Eye contact. If you can master eye contact, you will remember what to say, speak at a normal pace and feel MUCH more relaxed. Here’s how you do it:

Start by picking a friendly face in the audience, make eye contact, and talk to that person for a complete thought (approximately 3-5 seconds). Then, pick someone nearby and talk to them for a complete thought.  Repeat this exercise with small clusters of people around the room and you will be well on your way to mastering your presentation skills.    

Need a little more help? My TOP Mastery Programs and Products will help you overcome your fears and get that promotion you’ve been looking for.

Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons

As I listen to the news and hear about all the layoffs, I can’t help but think about how important job interview skills are.  With such a tight job market, the way you present yourself during an interview is what will make you stand out from the pack.

Here are a few tips that you can incorporate right away:

1. Look the part. If you are interviewing for a promotion, start dressing for the job you want months before the interview. If you are interviewing for a new job, dress conservatively. Avoid looks that are too trendy.
2. Maintain eye contact. Slow, decisive eye contact communicates confidence. Avoid looking down at your hands or notes while you are talking.  Make sure you have sustained eye contact with everyone at the meeting, not just the key interviewer.  
3. Speak with power.  Prior to your interview, write down three positive attributes about yourself and three accomplishments from your previous job. Focus on items that aren’t on your resume that will bring additional value to the job.

With the current economic situation, I’ve heard a lot from managers and team leaders about how their team is distracted by all the negative news. They’re looking for ways to help manage the fear and to keep their team focused on the work at hand.

 I tell these individuals that the number one thing they can do is to communicate honestly. An open line of communication goes a long way in keeping your people focused. If there are rumors that something bad is going to happen, the level of distraction is significantly higher than if you were to tell them exactly how your business is doing and what it means to them. Remember, if you don’t tell them what’s happening, they’ll make it up themselves. Chances are the rumors will be much worse than reality.

 What have you experienced?  Do you have examples to share regarding how poor communication adversely affected your team or how keeping open lines of communication helped to stop rumors?

Question submitted from one of our members:

In a previous post, you talked about practicing a presentation. I always tell myself I’m going to practice and prepare, but end up reading my speech. How can I motivate myself to practice out loud?

Sheri’s Response: Plan to give yourself a tangible reward for practicing. As silly as it sounds, we like rewards. You will particularly like the reward of being less nervous when it’s time to present. PRACTICE is the single most valuable tool in reducing nervousness.

Give yourself positive affirmations after each practice. Even if you think that you had a bad practice, affirm that you are improving. Pick out the areas you will concentrate on for your next practice and affirm that you are making progress. Telling yourself you are good begins the subconscious process of delivering a compelling presentation.

Question submitted from one of our members:

I have to give a presentation and I’m really nervous! Do you have any tips about the best way to practice?

Sheri’s Response: You should make a goal of having at least three complete practice sessions. Practice with your visual aids, not your notes. Do not memorize your speech. When practicing, expect to deliver the information in a slightly different way each time. Be sure to stand and speak out loud. Practice in 30-minute segments. It is better to practice 2-3 times for short intervals than one time for 2-3 hours. Ask friends or colleagues to attend your practice session. This will commit you to practicing and create a more realistic environment.

Depending on the time available, you should allow at least three days prior to a major talk to practice and to make any changes. Go through key points of the presentation at least once a day. Schedule more practice time than you think you need. It is one of the best guarantees against being nervous!

Question Submitted from one of our members:

I always hear that the best way to be successful is to visualize your own success. I think it sounds a little odd, but I’m not sure how to go about doing this. Do you have any pointers?

Sheri’s Response: It’s true that visualizing your own success is a very powerful tool. The best time to visualize is right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. This is when your subconscious mind is most open and relaxed. Being in a relaxed state is the key.

To relax your body, breathe deeply and slowly concentrate on each part of your body until you feel the tension release. Once you feel like you’re in a relaxed state, you can begin the visualization process.

Visualization is a conversation with yourself. Write out positive statements and read them out loud. Concentrate on these statements for ten uninterrupted minutes. Re-training your subconscious mind is not always immediate, but it is easy. Your state of mind does control your actions!