Have you ever been put on the spot to deliver a business presentation? I often hear from people who have been given no time to prepare, no time to present and too much information to cover. For example, you may have ten things to discuss in only fifteen minutes. Many people make the mistake of trying to cover too much information in the allotted time. In order to get through all of the material, they talk too fast, rush through the information and leave the audience overwhelmed, confused and downright bored. That’s hardly the result you want!

When preparing for a presentation or meeting, take a few moments to really think about your audience’s goals and what you want your audience to get from the meeting. Be decisive about these points. The following four tips can help you better organize your content so your presentation inspires and informs.

1. Who is attending? Before you write anything, first determine what your audience wants from you as it relates to the topic. To do this, list two to four goals you know your listeners would like to accomplish as a result of your meeting or presentation. Ask yourself: Why do they care about your topic? What problem are you going to solve for them. Give them a good reason for being there.

2. Be concise. Most communications, whether they’re 30 minutes or three hours, should have an outlined agenda. We recommend you discuss from three to five key topics. Most people walk away from a presentation or meeting and are able to recall only two to three key points. In other words, if you try to cover a lot of different topics, you’re not going to be able to focus on anything important and you’ll lose your listeners. You’re better off to have shorter meetings with fewer points then one long meeting covering everything.

3. State your goals. In the first minute of your presentation or communication, state the two or three goals you’ve identified for your audience. Make it clear why they should listen to you and how you’re going to help them accomplish what they want to do. Don’t go into detail yet; just state their goals.

4. Be repetitive. At the conclusion of each slide or key point of your presentation, you will want to restate one of the goals back to the audience. Yes, this is repetitive, but your listeners need repetition for the information to sink in. Remember, they don’t know the topic as well as you, so they need to hear the key points and goals often to get the full impact of your message and to remember why it’s important to them.

Ever wonder how to cover a tough question and answer session? Use these tips from my video blog to improve your public speaking skills:

Whether you loathe or look forward to delivering presentations, your goal is the same. You want your audience to walk away with important information. The phrase “actions speak louder than words” applies to your presentations more than you may realize. How you behave has as much to do with how people perceive you as what you say. If your body language does not match your content, your audience may question what you are saying, or possibly dismiss your message entirely. For example, if you stand in front of a group and talk about how excited you are about a new initiative, but you look down, read your notes and don’t smile, your audience likely won’t be very excited about the news and may miss the point entirely.

It isn’t enough to say the right thing; you must be able to confidently deliver your message. In our live programs, we teach the six key physical skills that will help you look and sound confident and dynamic. Even if you’ve heard this information before, it is important to keep it in mind while presenting. Following a few guidelines will put you on track for a successful presentation.

1. Eye Contact:  Eye contact is the number one skill to help you look and sound dynamic. To really connect with your audience, look at one person for a complete thought. Avoid looking to the ceiling or to the floor. Instead, look at an individual for three to five seconds. Once you have connected with one person, slowly move your eyes to another person and repeat the process. Take your time moving your eyes from one person to the next. Slow, decisive eye contact communicates confidence, helps you think clearly, slows your speaking pace and allows your body to gesture naturally.

2. Square Up & Stand Tall:  As you’re looking at someone, physically address that person. This means that your toes, hips and shoulders should all be facing the person you are looking at. You want your body to be in total alignment with the person you are addressing. When you first attempt to square up, it may feel a little robotic and stiff, but as you practice this new skill it will become more natural and will enhance your overall physical presence. This stance sends the message that you are confident, strong and in control. When you are squared up to the person you’re looking at, it also make it easier to gesture naturally.

3. Pause & Breathe:  Slow, deep, diaphragmatic breathing is the best way to control your heart rate and minimize excess adrenaline. Remember to pause and breathe after every important sentence or when looking back at your slides to remember what to say. Pausing will help you remember your next thought. It indicates that you are considering the needs of the audience and not racing through your material. It will relax you and conserve your energy.

Demonstrating strong body language indicates confidence in your content. Practice these guidelines and watch your audience’s perception of you improve dramatically. Once people see that your body language is confident, your message will have a higher impact and move your listeners to action more quickly than ever before.

Sheri Jeavons
President

Have you ever struggled to get through a tough question and answer session? Use the tips in my video blog to improve your public speaking skills:

Have you ever been in the middle of a presentation and suddenly lose your train of thought? It’s not uncommon. People tell me all the time that they’ll be going through their content, then BOOM! They have no idea what to say next. Check out my video below to learn what you can do to get yourself back on track…

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.

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Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons
Virtual Communications Coach