Presentation Skills
“Presentation skills are the killer skill
we take into the marketplace.
it’s almost an unfair advantage.”
- Ethan Rasiel
Crafting Your Presentation
1. Develop a Purpose Statement
Decide what you want the audience to do, feel, or know. This gives you clarity. Build everything around your purpose and leave out anything that does not contribute to the purpose.
2. Research Your Content
The more you know about your subject matter, the more confident you will be.
3. Outline Your Content
Package your content in a clear and logical way so that it is easy for the audience to follow.
4. Enhance Your Content
The outline is the skeleton, but this is the flesh and muscles. This could be quotes, stories, real life examples, statistics, etc. This is one of the most important parts of the presentation. This is where you make the content memorable.
5. Construct a Big Idea
The big idea will be related to your purpose statement but here you will make it a little more ‘catchy.’ This is the ‘phrase that pays.’ You will use this phrase several times in your presentation to drive home the big idea.
Delivery
Handouts
Notes
Audience Centered
Stage Fright
I am not big on delivery ‘techniques.’ Simply insure that you are conversational. Don’t be a performer on stage. Be yourself, but be at your best: energetic, passionate and enthusiastic.
Remember, everything is a reflection on you. Make your handouts very professional. If you must make copies, use first generation copies only.
Remember, connection comes before content. Do not be tied to your notes or read off your slides. Have some bullet points as notes and use them sparingly. It is better to miss a point and an engage the audience than to cover every point but fail to connect.
There are 3 types of speakers:
Speaker Centered: This is the presenter who is consumed with making a good impression. This speaker are overly concerned about themselves and what the audience thinks of the them.
Content Centered: This is the speaker who dispenses piles of content. They just want to get through their content with little concern with whether the audience is absorbing it. Information overload.
Audience Centered: This is the best type of speaker. They want to make the audience the hero. They are concerned that the audience ‘gets it’ and leaves confident with a new skill or knowledge.
Anxiety and nervousness are a natural part of public speaking. This is normal and healthy. Use this energy to your advantage. Here are some tips combat stage fright:
- Be prepared. There is no substitute for having done your homework.
- Arrive early. Make sure everything is in working order and be ready to greet people as they enter the room.
- Focus on the message. Tell yourself it isn’t about you but about the important message you are about to convey.
- Positive visualization. Great athletes like Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan see themselves thriving even before the actual event.
© 2016 Del Gilbert. All Rights Reserved.
