Body Language
Statistics have shown that people will be more predisposed to an idea if it is accompanied by positive body language. Negative body language will often mean that you get negative results. Being too aggressive can also work against you, too much energetic movement will become baffling and irritating to an audience. However a little positive body language in your presentation will go a long way, generally it is best to abide by the rule that if it feels unnatural don’t do it.
Tone
Tone plays a huge role in how we communicate to others. Tone is as, or even more important, than your word choice when it comes to how an audience will interpret your presentation. An inappropriate tone can lead to confusion and can undermine an audience’s understanding . You must differentiate from how you would speak casually and how you speak in your presentation. Choose your words carefully but choose how you say them even more so.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
Help the audience to understand what you mean by relating any of the more difficult topics in your presentation to something that is easily understandable to them. For instance make sure to rephrase and give examples whenever you feel necessary. To add gravitas to your presentation it can help to quote better known people who the audience will have heard of before and can more easily relate to.
Also try and summarise wherever possible as this will help the audience keep track. However don’t patronise or belittle your audience, it is up to you to decide where the balance lies depending on your audience. Also try and be confident and articulate, depending on the type and size of your audience some may find it difficult to hear, remember to address the whole of the audience not just the front row or a few select people.
Dealing with Anxiety
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to giving a presentation is to be too focused on what you see and not what the audience sees. Do not be afraid to be assertive, it is important to remember that the audience is not there to judge you, no more than you would a T.V personality; it is what you are saying that is what interests an audience – not your personality.
It is all too easy to get let your own paranoia and fear ruin what would otherwise have been a perfectly acceptable presentation. What you need to understand is that these feelings are natural and even the most experienced are affected too, where the skill lies though is in the mastery and utilisation of these fears – not pretending that they don’t exist. Take your time, a slow but well thought out and to-the-point presentation will come across far better than that of a hurried and rushed one. Don’t be afraid to take a short pause and a deep breath if it helps.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Any number of things can go wrong during a presentation, and often do.
If something should go wrong then it is important not to panic. Apologise to the audience and try and make the best of it, you could even joke with them about it if you feel that it would be well received.
If you understand your presentation well enough then your message still should come across and you will be able to recover. Part of giving a presentation is the ability to think on your feet and adapt, this is not just when something goes wrong but this is also in how you answer any questions put to you by your audience.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
No matter what the style or method you use when designing your presentation whether it fails or not will always be decided by how much you have practiced and how much self confidence and belief you have within yourself, as well as the quality of information you have been able to find.
It is important when preparing your presentation not to get too wrapped up in the style and aesthetics. Remember that what you have to say should always more impressive to an audience than how you say it. With this in mind it is still important to present yourself respectfully and appropriately, which does take consideration, however this should not overshadow the content of your presentation.
Organisation is also very important, for instance it would be wise to check that your equipment works and is properly set up a few times before you start. What you need is a solid base to work from and to yourself feel more at ease, which will no doubt be harder if you are worrying the whole time about the equipment not working.
No matter what your presentation, whether it be a business, sales or internal presentation, the basics remain the same, namely: practice makes perfect. I you don’t practice hard enough you are almost destined to fail. Through practice comes the rest of the attributes necessary to give a good presentation, like self confidence and being able to engage further with the audience. The skills to producing a good presentation are not a secret and anyone can do it. What are needed though are practice, self-confidence and dedication. It may take a while to learn but with the right training and proper guidance you’ll soon be wowing audiences.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Training on March 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
