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Learn to understand the importance of Non-Verbal Communication on our Train the Trainer course.
When we talk we will almost undoubtedly be gesturing as we do so. This seems perfectly natural, and indeed it is, however the significance of these gestures is often vastly underestimated. Recent studies have shown that gestures can often reveal the subtle and unspoken emotions behind what a person is actually saying. From a training point of view proper untilisation of this fact can greatly help a trainer convey their message to their pupils, and help the students gain an easier understanding of that method or subject etc.
However there is also a downside, as improper or “mismatched” gestures will make the learning process difficult for the students, and they will be confused by any obscure or misleading gestures given to them by the teacher. This is perhaps more common than you would have thought as studies have shown that most teachers will use misleading or confusing hand gestures about 20% of the time when they are teaching.
Teachers on average will make some sort of non verbal communication, every ten to twelve seconds, and 50% of these will be gestures that illustrate a concept. So it is easy to see just how vital making proper use of these gestures can be to a teacher, and, on the reverse side, just how confusing and misleading it can be if used incorrectly. It is the recognition and utilisation of this fact that will really allow you to get through to your students.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on March 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »
GIVE YOUR DELEGATES TIPS ON HOW TO PREVENT FORGETTING
- Expect/intend/try to remember. It sounds obvious but the more you imagine or want to remember the less you will forget.
- Don’t overload the memory, this is important for trainers. Seven items is the most our memories can comfortably handle in one go. Your memory prefers to have only three, four, or five things to remember at one time. Therefore, if you need to remember more than four or five items, you need to break up the group into smaller bites.
- Understand before you try to remember. So make sure your delegates understand before you move on, ask questions. If you don’t understand something, your memory will have great difficulty storing it.
- You can’t expect to remember everything you read or hear. Select the most interesting points for yourself by looking for answers to your own questions. You can’t remember everything. If you try, you will probably end up not remembering much at all.
- Organise the material to be learned in your head. Trainers should follow a logical order. Memory works best when the information is organised.
- Relate the ideas to what you already know. Trainers should ask delegates questions about the material that will relate to the delegates experience. Your memory will find it easier to store new information if you relate it to old information. Make an association or create a picture in your head to relate unknown ideas to ideas you already have.
- Use mnemonic devices. Very useful for trainers to offer thier students. These memory devices aid memory, but should be simple, clear, vivid. It is easier to remember the unusual, the funny, or both.
Rhymes:
“I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in neighbor and weigh.”
Acronyms:
IRsoul
I —— Intend to remember
R —– Relate the information
S —– Select important ideas
O —– Organize the details
U —– Understand the ideas
L —– Limit the amount
Sentences:
“I Remember So Little Unless Organized.”-
from the first letter of each of the 6 strategies of memory (listed
previously).
- Apply what you have learned immediately. Use it or loose it!
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on March 27th, 2009 | No Comments »
Socrates
“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think”
Galileo Galilei
“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.”
D. Blocher
“Learning is not a spectator sport.”
Mark van Doren
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.”
Develop your training skills further on our Train the Trainer course.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Train the Trainer on May 11th, 2009 | No Comments »
Learning to behave assertively will greatly improve your life.
- You will gain self-respect and be respected by others.
- You will gain confidence and feel less anxious when facing conflict.
- You will be able to say no when you want to.
- You will be able to ask for what you want.
- You will be able to accept and give compliments and praise.
- You will have the courage to say difficult things
Imagine life without the resentment of not saying what you mean or getting consideration for your needs, having your opinions listened to. Remind yourself of the benefits of practising assertiveness skills.
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Posted by Heather Buckley in Assertiveness on March 6th, 2007 | No Comments »
The best way to learn Presentation Skills is to attend a tutor led presentation skills training course where you can practice your skills and receive feedback.
This free guide provides useful tips for planning, writing and preparing your presentation.
This free presentation resource can be used in its entirety as each section follows the last – however each section contains useful tips in its own right.
The fundamentals of presentation skills
The key to a effective presentation skills is confidence, a solid foundation of knowledge and clear aims. It can often be overwhelming to speak in front audiences, but thorough preparation can aleviate those fears. Everyone get’s nervous, and a low level of nerves can also focus your mind and help you perform. Bad presentations are usually the result of a lack of confidence, bad organisation and under preparation. These issues can be easily overcome with training and experience.
Presentations are an effective way to communicate to large numbers of people at the same time. However, it’s not only about the information - you should be able to engange your audience, create interest and excitement in your subject and foster trust in you, the presenter.
For many people presenting can be a daunting and unpleasant experience. It needn’t be so, and here we’ll give you some simple tips to help you deliver more effective presentation skills.
What our clients think:
I have just attended your presentation skills training course and I just finished the best presentation I have ever given. It went very well. I have been told it is was the best of all the general presentations at our conference. Thank you for all your help!!” Clive Brentwood – – GlaxoSmithKline
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on September 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »
Before you start on the content of your presentation it is important to have a clear cut structure planned. This can help you to really pinpoint what you want to get across to your audience. There are five simple questions that you should ask yourself when deciding on the structure of you presentation:
- What’s the aim of my presentation? This may seem obvious however it is surprisingly easy to loose track and deviate. The audience wants a precise and easy to follow presentation – don’t go off on tangents.
- What’s the title? This will be the first thing you audience sees and will set the tone for the rest of the presentation. Pick something striking that reflects the overall message you are trying to convey.
- What type of audience am I speaking to? Know your audience! Think about what aspects they’ll be interested in, what questions they may ask, what they know already, and what style they will be comfortable with. Change your approach accordingly. If your audience would have seen a lot of presentations before yours, think about how to make yours stand out. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to perform some grand gesture as it is often the little things that make a real difference such as proper organisation and a decisive line of thought.
- What are the main points that I need to make? Be direct and to the point with clear cut sections, this will help the audience to follow what you are saying and help you to keep track of where you are. Normally you will want to limit the number of main points in your presentation to two or three – keep things simple.
- What do I want the audience to take away from my presentation? Whatever the purpose of your presentation make sure that it comes across clearly at the end. It is often the conclusion of a presentation that most of your audience will remember and it is your chance to really make an impression. By the end of your presentation you should make sure that you and your audience have a clear understanding of your message.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on September 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »
Deciding what format your presentation will take will largely depend on what you feel your audience will most warm to. Again, consider the message you are trying to convey when you think about format. A more technical approach has its advantages if you are delivering to technically minded people, but don’t feel pressured into using equipment that you don’t understand. Often the simplest presentations can be the most effective. If you have a lot of technical information that is very dry, consider providing this in a handout that you can leave with the audience to read if they are interested. Don’t let it make your presentation boring, or interfere with your message.
Visual aids can be useful – studies have shown that the human brain is able to learn faster when aided with a visual stimulus. But don’t over-do it. We’ve all seen presentations that have been ruined through “death by PowerPoint” – people can become obsessed with fancy graphics and slide transitions. If you have put together a pretty PowerPoint show, you haven’t necessarily got a good presentation.
Structure:
The structure of your presentation will also depend on your message and your audience – however an age old adage is:
“Tell them what you are going to tell them – tell them – then tell them what you have told them”
A clear introduction which summarises the content of your presentation will let your audience know what to expect – they’re less likely to get bored if they know what’s coming. Make sure your key message is included in your introduction.
Then cover the main bulk of your presentation, which will include the information which supports your message.
Finally, provide a clear summary at the end – recap on what you have covered, and re-iterate how it supports your message.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
Once you have planned your presentation, collected all the data that supports your message, and organised it in to digestible chunks, the next step is to actually bring this material together and write your presentation.
The notes you write for yourself can be more detailed than the material you provide your audience, but try to avoid giving yourself a word-perfect script and forcing yourself to follow it, as this will come across as forced and unnatural. The presentation you eventually deliver will be honed by repeated practice and adjustment.
Once you’ve ordered the material sensibly and written the content, re-read it and make sure the transitions between sections are logical, as these are often when you presentation can become bogged down or confused.
Tip: Write content on cards or post-it notes that you can re-order and experiment with.
After you are satisfied with the order and structure the only thing that remains is to practice it until you feel ready and confident enough to give the presentation. Remember that not all presentations have to be complicated and that it is the flow and organisation which counts.
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Posted by Faye Binfield in Presentation Skills Resources on March 5th, 2009 | No Comments »
