When conducting webinars, it is crucial that you pause while speaking. This allows your attendees time to digest what you’ve said. Here is how you can implement pausing into your delivery style to create great webinars:

Have you ever been in the middle of a presentation when all of a sudden your mind goes completely blank? You’re delivering your content and next thing you know, you’re at a total loss for what to say next. When this happens, you may start to ramble or you may begin using non words like “um” or “ah.” You might even turn around and start reading your slides to the audience. Watch my explanation of what to do when this happens to you…

Learn to develop a compelling two-minute introduction that will position you as a confident speaker, engage your audience, and make them excited to hear more of what you have to say.

When presenting, vocal variety & intonation can help you be more engaging, create excitement for your topic and help your audience pay attention. Check out my YouTube video for effective presentation skills tips that you will be able to immediately implement into your presentation style:

Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons
Virtual Communications Coach

As a presentation skills coach, I’m frequently asked about how to reduce nervousness. My response is always, “eye contact!” It is by far the number one skill you can implement to reduce your nervousness. To learn how to best implement this skill, see live coaching, check out my YouTube video: Effective Presentation Skills: Use Eye Contact to Connect With Your Audience.

http://bit.ly/b2jGEh

Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons
Virtual Communications Coach

When you are in the middle of a presentation and suddenly forget what to say, what do you do? Do you ramble, turn around and read your slides, or starting saying “um” and “ah” while you try to get back on track? Here’s a helpful tip. Pause and breathe. It really can be that simple. Stop talking, take a breath and gather your thoughts. Remember that silence is okay! It gives your audience time to consider what you’ve said. They’ll likely never know that you struggled.

Even after you’ve given a great presentation, a tough Q & A session can deflate your confidence.  But when the questions get difficult, you can still keep your cool and come out looking more knowledgeable than ever if you follow these public speaking tips to conquer a tough question and answer session:

1. Listen.  Listen to the entire question before answering.  This shows you are courteous and care about the concerns of the people you’ve given your information to. 

2. Repeat or Rephrase the question.  This ensures that everyone in the room knows what the question was.  It also gives you a chance to get clarification or neutralize someone’s negative wording.

3. Engage the whole room.  If you direct your entire answer to the questioner, they could ask question after question, holding up the presentation and potentially trapping you.  Answering to the entire group gets other people involved and keeps you from getting stuck.

4. Be honest.  If you don’t know the answer, say so.  It’s better to find the answer later than to make a mistake.

5. Return to your conclusion.  After the Q & A section is done, go back to the conclusion of your presentation.  This lets you end on a positive note and gives you the last word.

To learn more, check out my video blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6niJtEZtuY

Make Every Presentation Great,

Sheri Jeavons

Virtual Communications Coach

You’ve always wanted to give a stellar presentation, but your fear of public speaking is making that goal difficult to achieve.  Never fear!  Behaving confidently is more important than actually feeling confident.  Keep the following tips in mind to appear more confident during your next presentation:

1. You are the expert.  When you feel nervous, remember that you are knowledgeable and capable in this area; otherwise you wouldn’t be giving a presentation on it!  Remembering that you’re the expert will help you feel and look more confident.
2. Use power words.  Make active word choices that tell your listeners you are decisive and motivating.  Instead of saying your company’s service is good, say it is unparalleled. 
3. Stand straight and tall.  Good posture is a simple way of making yourself look poised and confident.  It also helps open up your ribcage which allows you to take deeper breathes to calm you down.
4. Project your voice.  Speak to the person in the back row.  Slightly increasing your vocal volume will make you sound definite and self-assured.  If no one can hear you, they won’t think you are powerful or dynamic.

These tips will help you appear more confident to any audience.  

Tell me about your presentations. What do you do to appear confident… even if you have butterflies in your stomach.

Make Every Presentation Great,

Sheri Jeavons

Virtual Communications Coach

When you host webinars and web meetings, you want to look prepared and professional.  But nothing can ruin that desired image more than being unfamiliar with the technology you are using.  If you can’t figure out how to get attendees to see your slides or use interaction tools, your presentation will look unprofessional now matter how good your delivery and content are.  To make sure a technology snafu doesn’t ruin your online presentation, use these tips:

1. Practice beforehand.  Do a run-through of your presentation on the webinar technology you will be using.  Make sure you know how to advance your slides, share documents, and use interaction tools like video and chat.  If you don’t know how to use the software, take a tutorial. 
2. Do a sound-check.  Ask someone to get on the call early with you so they can help you make sure that your phone or headset is loud and clear enough. 
3. Have tech support.  Have someone on the call with you who knows the software and can help you if something goes wrong.  If you can’t get anyone like this, make sure you have quick access to a tech support phone number for the software.

Technological mishaps can still happen even if you’re prepared and knowledgeable about the software.  What have you experienced? Tell me about your technical trouble and how you handled it.

Make Every Presentation Great,

Sheri Jeavons
Virtual Communications Coach

Your goal is to conduct virtual communications that keep your attendees interested and informed.  But when people attend webinars and web meetings, they have shorter attention spans and feel less accountable.  So how do you keep your audience engaged instead of off checking their e-mail?

1. Provide guidelines for focused participation.  At the start of your session, tell your listeners to shut their office doors and close their e-mail.  Even if they don’t actually do this, at least you’ve established your expectations. 
2. Check in periodically.  Don’t just talk non-stop.  Every two or three slides, reach out to see if there are questions or comments.  Get people to type in the chat box.  Don’t ignore your attendees, or they will ignore you. 
3. Use people’s names.  This personalizes your message.  If someone hears their name, they will be more likely to pay attention and process what you are telling them. 

 These quick and easy tips will help your listeners stay enthralled! 

Make Every Presentation Great,

Sheri Jeavons

Virtual Communications Coach