The closer you are physically to a “speaker in action” the easier it is to tell whether or not he or she is nervous. The tell-tale signs present vocally and/or physically, are numerous and occur individually or in “clusters”. Some examples are shallowness or shortness of breath, a quivering or high pitched voice, rushing, repetition […]
Speaking to live audiences comes in many forms – as host, speaker, presenter, lecturer or preacher to name a few. Each has it’s own subtle differences. For instance the purpose of a speech could be to educate, entertain, motivate or inform. But the purpose of a presentation is almost always to persuade. With a good […]
In presenting terms, this is often the key difference between experience and inexperience. Our initial attempts at speaking to any audience are so focused on content that we focus on little else. Most of us don’t rehearse – it’s too much like hard work, and besides, there’s always one last slide to touch up. Those […]
As an author on the subject of presenting and speaking, I’m frequently asked how one goes about becoming a professional speaker.* Sometimes the word “motivational” is used in place of professional, which usually indicates that this is merely a wish rather than a dream with any substance. This may seem harsh, but allow me to explain. […]
The biggest enemy of successful presentations in any form – be they business presentations, lectures or keynote speeches is not an inattentive audience. Surprisingly, it’s self imposed by the presenter: a fanatical focus on the content. This may seem like a rather strange comment, but if your content is so dynamic, why not put it […]
A business presentation is the physical manifestation of a written proposal. You are in effect delivering your proposal in the flesh. Instead of a PDF document, the client gets you, in person with an array of paraphernalia in tow – your voice, visuals, charts, pictures, text, thirst, hunger, bladder and other logistical requirements, whilst demanding […]
Whether or not you use presentations to persuade, sell, market, or showcase, consider this simple question: If you’re presenting to a group of people, surely it’s because you ultimately want them to do something, right? Even if you’re not selling a product or service, at least you want to persuade them to the merits of […]