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Quotes can often reassure an audience that the presentation you are giving is both reliable and verified. They can give gravitas to a presentation and are often used to add weight to an argument. Quotes can be direct or indirect:
A direct quote is when the quote is taken directly from what that person said. These are always included in quotation marks, i.e. “ ”, and are normally introduced or concluded by giving the name of the person you’re quoting.
With indirect quotes, you can summarise or paraphrase what was said. Indirect quotes are useful for summarising and condensing information so it is easy to understand, but should still be credited to the original source.
The main reason for using quotes is to add weight or credibility to your argument. Quoting someone who is famous or acknowledged as an expert in the field that agrees with your point makes it more persuasive.
Avoid quotes that doesn’t mean anything. You should always make sure that the quotation is warranted and that you refer it back to your argument.
Next Step: A Business Presentation
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on April 27th, 2009 | No Comments »
A presentation can be used for an almost limitless range of purposes – business, sales, academic, entertainment…
There’s no room to cover all of the different types of presentations here, however here are some tips on a couple of the main types:
Internal Business Presentations
Business presentations are often summaries of recent business activity, or of a business plan moving forward. Either way, they tend to be delivered to colleagues or peers (rather than to external clients like sales presentations) and often include stats or reports
Tips:
- Don’t under prepare just because you’re delivering to people you know – you’ll be wasting a lot of man-hours if you don’t have the information you need to hand.
- Use stats where they are needed to support a point, don’t just reel off a lot of graphs of the last quarter’s figures just because you’ve got them on your PC!
Sales Presentations
When you’re trying to sell to one of your clients it’s important to remember that you are representing your organisation. The client’s opinion of the whole company will be based on you as an individual. It’s therefore much more important to build rapport and trust than when presenting to your colleagues. You also need to think as much about the messages about your organisation that you are trying to put across as the facts.
Tips:
- Have a clear message about your company and your USP’s (Unique Selling Points). Make sure that these are emphasised througout your presentation
- Build rapport with the audience – make eye contact, engage them with questions and build trust. Remember people buy from people.
- Make sure your presentation stands out from the competition’s – you’ll often be one of many presentations they’re seeing that day. Think about what your competitors might be doing and make sure you do something different.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
A telephone presentation is unique in many ways and many people will never have the need to give one. However if the situation occurs when you have to give a telephone presentation then you will be glad to have been prepared.
Preparing a Telephone Presentation:
One of the fundamentals of a telephone presentation is to be prepared for the worst. For instance if the connection was bad or there was some kind of interference it is a good idea to have the person’s telephone’s number at hand in case the line goes dead as it won’t look good if you are unable to phone them back.
Some find this added dimension to be more relaxing, as they can no longer see their audience. However in this climate your choice of words and voice tone become imperative. It is still important to prepare as usual, and to have some form of cards or notes at the ready for guidance to help you not lose track.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
When it comes to the day to present, don’t forget about the practicalities. There’s nothing worse than preparing a brilliant presentation, only to have it ruined by simple problems you could have forseen.
For instance, consider:
- Where exactly is the training taking place?
- Where is the nearest parking or train station?
- Where will you stand?
- Do they have the correct equipment or will you have to bring your own?
- What length of presentation is the audience expecting?
- Will you be able to have access to the room before people arrive?
- Will my laptop be compatible with the projector?
- Could I still give the presentation if the projector failed?
It’s best to assume that if it can go wrong it will go wrong, and to prepare accordingly!
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
What you wear is also important; make sure that you know your audience and know what is expected.
Studies have shown that over 90% of a first impression comes from non verbal communication. Appearing either too casual and too formal can be off-putting to your presentation’s audience.
To get a better idea of how what you should wear you should list five adjectives that describe how you want your presentation to be perceived and then try to dress accordingly.
Here are some examples:
- Creative: means being more original and imaginative
- Efficient: means paying attention to grooming
- Innovative: means modern and with the times
- Friendly or approachable: means avoid looking too severe
It is important that before you give your presentation that you pay close attention to every aspect of your appearance.
When choosing what to wear take into consideration how comfortable you will feel in it, a tight and unflattering outfit will only serve to distract an audience and make giving your presentation harder. Something you will also want to take into account is the colour of the stage and whether or not this will complement what you are wearing, if possible try and make sure that this is the case.
Before you give your presentation take everything out of your pockets so as to remove any awkward angles that may emerge (and to stop you from fiddling with things in your pockets). If you’re wearing smart shoes make sure they’re polished – tattered and dirty shoes can often be very visible to an audience. One important thing to remember is to never travel long distances in the outfit that you will give your presentation in as you’ll turn up looking disheveled.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Giving a presentation is, for many people, a nerve wracking experience. However you would be surprised how just a few simple changes in your technique and perspective on giving a presentation can help. Here a few such changes:
Don’t expect too much of yourself
People often have unrealistic expectations of what they can achieve in a presentation. The reality is you need to be more grounded in your estimations, the reaction you will get is probably be not going to be the whirlwind of fist pumping enthusiasm you may have expected, probably. Set yourself realistic targets.
Act naturally
There is always going to be an element pandering to the audience in a presentation, but know when to draw the line. Something like laughing at a joke that isn’t funny, which will probably be the case, is fine however it doesn’t take much for an audience to realise that you are being fake and, if they do realise this, then in many ways your ship has been sunk. Acting natural will also be picked up and has the added advantage that the less you force it, the easier it will come.
Don’t memorise every word
Although it is generally a good idea to not use too many notes it is not such good idea to learn your entire presentation word for word. This will only be putting more pressure on yourself and if you get lost or forget something it will not only have a negative effect on the flow of your presentation but will probably end up making you even more nervous. Instead have a few short and simple trigger notes that point you in the right direction. They should be more reminders than notes. This will help you find your feet and your confidence to grow.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on April 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »
Practice, Practice, Practice!
We can’t emphasise this enough: To help your presentation run smoothly and to avoid any mishaps or freezing up on stage it is important to practice your speech beforehand as many times as possible. You may find it helpful to do this in front of a mirror or to film yourself so as to get a better idea of what the audience sees. Better still – find a willing audience – your wife, husband, kids, colleagues – anyone who’ll lend a critical ear. It’s easy to get so caught up in a presentation that you can’t see the wood for the trees.
As a guide to how much is enough – you should have practiced your speech enough times that you know it completely. If you find that you have to be constantly buried in your notes and have to read straight off of them then you’re not ready. Not only will being prepared help you keep track and get through your presentation more easily it will help you engage with the audience and help them to follow what you are saying in your presentation.
This is especially important if, at the end of your presentation, you want to ask the audience for any questions as there is nothing worse than being stumped by a question that, if you had practiced your presentation, you would have been able to answer.
In short – to give a presentation you need confidence in your knowledge and abilities on the subject at hand, and this will only come from practice.
Address the Audience
Don’t just dive straight in! When first addressing the audience introduce yourself, give them your name and any relevant information about yourself that could reflect well on your presentation and help you to establish your authority on the matter. Although also bear in mind not to make this too long and make sure that it is only relevant information about yourself you are giving, one sentence should be enough.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
A great presentation will grasp your audience’s attention within the first 30 seconds. If you don’t you could lose them. There does need to be a balance though, over dramatic starts to presentations and speeches can backfire. Your audience may remember the sudden drama, but often cannot recall what the speaker actually said. You need openings that will make the audience want to listen to the rest of what you have to say. In other words, the stunning start to the speech or presentation has to be something you say, rather than a dramatic device.
Research shows that the most effective attention grabbing start is an anecdote; a personal story, you could make them laugh, but be careful not to bee too cheesy or make a joke, try it out on your colleagues first. Trying to be too serious, or setting the agenda right at the start is a sure way to lose attention. Personal anecdotes are a great way to start a business presentation – even serious ones.
If an anecdote isn’t appropriate try starting with a question or a quotation, a surprising statistic or controversial statement about the the subject.
Things to avoid to open your presentation or speech include, role plays or anything where you are trying to be ‘clever’.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on May 11th, 2009 | No Comments »
