Having delivered hundreds of presentation skills courses and assessments since 1999, written over 100 articles and a book on the topic, Trudi and I understand the most common pitfalls that most aspirant presenters plunge into regularly. Many of these pitfalls apply to experienced presenters too. Those who present regularly may think they’re fine, but those that haven’t bothered to critically hone their skills could also be falling short.
When you are asked to speak to an audience there’s an assumption that you know enough about the topic to do it justice. The audience will assume that you can at least strike an appropriate balance between confirming what they know and adding some juicy – and relevant bits that they don’t! The organiser should […]
The answer to this question is yes, but how do you do it and what, if any are the benefits? Slide shows are a modern innovation. Overhead projectors only went mainstream in the 1980’s, 35mm slides a few years later and data projectors after the turn of the century. One would think that these technological […]
[message_box color=”blue”]This blog is about preparation: how often you should rehearse, and how to use time to ensure that you are prepared for all presentation related eventualities.[/message_box] It’s true to say that professionals have their talks really well canned – but a sales or business presentation is a different matter. Usually one is speaking on […]
The main purpose of delivering a presentation is to achieve your desired outcome. Whatever it’s about, you want people to take action on your suggestions. Since it takes time and considerable effort to structure a presentation, you want to ensure that it is well received and achieves that desired result. So what are the key […]
[message_box color=”blue”]Target reader: advanced or experienced presenters/speakers[/message_box] It may seem obvious to the seasoned presenter that excellence develops as a result of consistent planning and ultimately by gaining experience. But with experience comes another tool for advanced presenters who have moved their focus beyond worrying about popularity. Presenters who focus keenly on desired results of a […]
Could you drive your car, speak on the phone, eat a pizza, read the newspaper and watch a movie all at the same time? Probably not, particularly if you’re male. But that’s what many audiences are expected to do all across the world, every day as presenters toil to prove how smart they are, missing […]
No matter how well you’ve prepared your presentation, there is a point at which your time has run out. When the minutes start counting down and you have just an hour before you’re due to go live, where exactly will you be? You can be in a relaxed state, well prepared, having just parked outside […]
The possibility of losing your voice before a speech or presentation rates right up there as one of the greatest fears facing presenters and facilitators. The voice is a powerful but fragile instrument capable of the finest and most subtle nuances. We should really be looking after it properly. Here are some simple but useful […]
Fear of public speaking stems from the very basic need to feel accepted. We want to be seen to be doing well and we fear making fools of ourselves. In order to overcome this fear, most presenters do indeed spend a good deal of time preparing for their presentations, but their time allocation is heavily […]
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