Presentation & Public Speaking Skills Archives - Page 3 of 5

Your living room stories belong in your presentation – here’s why.

If I asked you to recall the most memorable speaker you’ve seen, who springs to mind? Some of my favourites include the late Sir Ken Robinson, Brene Brown, and Margaret Heffernan. What makes them, and likely the ones you have enjoyed too, so compelling is that they are also great story-tellers.

The thing that stands between you and where you’re going

You’re up there with all eyes on you for one reason: to get your audience to that golden destination where they’re compelled to act or adopt your big idea. I call it point B and it’s the purpose of your presentation.

Point B: The Destination – aka ‘Where are you going with this?’

You know the well-worn phrase; ‘it’s the journey that matters, not the destination’. While it’s a good mantra for life, when it comes to presentations, the destination – your prime objective – is king. Without precise coordinates, presentations have no direction, and waste the audiences fuel on waffle, leading them down the road to nowhere.

A is for Audience

When we’re worried about presenting, it’s common to focus on ourselves – our worries, how we’re feeling. But the most important element in any presentation is your audience. You’re there to connect your ideas to them in a way that elicits some form of action. Your presentation is for them, not for you.

We may be back in the office, but we need to avoid the old traps

Now that we’re back in the office – and presenting in person more again, hooray! – many of the old bad habits are popping up again. Already, many of us are suffering from ‘Death by PowerPoint’. You may even have been guilty of perpetrating it.

Practice makes near perfect

How many times do you typically practice a presentation before you deliver it? Be honest. If your answer is “I’m lucky to practice once” then you’ll be joining the majority of those who filled out my course pre-attendee survey. Yep, most others practice only once, or not at all, before a big presentation. And frankly, it can show.

May I have your attention please?

Early on in my career, I took it personally when someone would yawn, fidget, or glaze over while I was presenting. Never mind how much animation and enthusiasm I was bringing to the room, or how well I’d prepared my content to be compelling, I’d see this sometimes. And it really bummed me out.

Presenting is unique from other forms of public speaking

Whatever your level, great presenting skills are an essential part of leadership. Those who can communicate effectively and demonstrate solid persuasive speaking skills go further. They’re able to engage others with their ideas and, in today’s increasingly critical knowledge economy, they’re better recognised and rewarded as a result

Loose briefs cause grief – getting super clear on what you’re there for

Numbers for the leadership team, quarterly update, employee induction welcome or conference slot… you’ve been asked to deliver a presentation. Woohoo.

What’s wrong with the shadows anyway?

Come on – admit it. You love the unthreatening nature of your comfort zone. It’s warm, it’s safe. It’s like the cosy slipper of life experiences. That’s the shadows. It’s the opposite of being in the spotlight. And it’s tempting, right?

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