You'd be amazed at how many people do not know how long their presentation takes. They guess at the length, often by multiplying the number of slides by some magic number. Or they divide the allotted time by some factor that makes sense to them, but bears no relation to reality.

You only know how long something takes if you do it "for real" in a dress rehearsal. You need to practice the presentation exactly as you will do it. Include all the slides, props, activities and audience participation. Once you know how long it takes, check it again. You need to be sure of the amount of time it really takes - your first rehearsal may have been too fast or too slow. Only be rehearsing again will you find out if your first attempt was right or not.

Once you know the time, make sure it is less than your allotted time. Generally it's best to try for five minutes less than your time for a typical half hour presentation. So time your presentation for just 25 minutes, for example. This five minutes lee-way means you can handle any extra questions, or have space for and difficulties that arise, such as the previous speaker over-running.

Audiences hate it when presenters run over time. Get them to like you by running slightly under.

Labels: performance

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

Some presenters are too confident - yes you can be overconfident as a presenter. You often hear these people say things like, "I'm much better when I'm spontaneous, so I don't need to practise", or "I love it when I can just make it up as I go along, I'm so much more natural". Well, they are wrong.

Being too confident means you do not put in any effort. And people who work at being good presenters are always the best ones at it. Presentations require hard work. They need careful planning and writing. Plus they need rehearsing, adapting to the specific environment and structuring for each particular audience.

Successful presenters are those who spend time and effort on their presentations. This then gives them the confidence that what they are doing is right. Those people who are over confident do not put in the effort required. They then think that what they have done is brilliant, but are never aware that they didn't succeed.

Labels: confidence

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

Many books and so-called "experts" on body language will tell you that touching your face is a "no-no". They explain that it means you are lying and people won't believe you.

There is little actual truth in much of what is written about body language. Vast amounts of the information are conjecture. There is research on the face touching "problem". But what it tells us is the fact that people will be more likely to touch their face when their skin has increased blood flow. Your skin blood flow rises when you are under stress; the skin heats up a bit, you get irritated a bit and you touch your face to reduce the irritation.

The "body language experts" then put two and two together to make five. They say that because you are under stress when you are lying, then you will "obviously" touch your face when you are lying and therefore people won't believe you. Well, for a start many people who lie are not under stress when they are lying. They lie deliberately and are under more stress when telling the truth. So, the face touching syndrome may well be when people are under pressure to tell the truth, rather than when they are lying. The body language "experts" could be telling us the reverse of what is actually happening because of their conjecture, rather than research.

Having said that, there are many body language specialists who have done research and they will tell you that in some situations a piece of body language means one thing, while in another instance, the same piece of body language means something else.

So what should you do if you are touching your face in a presentation? Best thing is to ignore it. You are probably stressed because of the presentation itself. Your audience will not automatically think you are lying. So just get on with your presentation and forget many of the so-called body language tips.

Labels: body language

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

The best way to write a presentation is to write your conclusion first. Work out what it is you want to tell your audience and what you want them to think about it. If you get the conclusion right, producing the rest of the presentation is so much easier.

Ideally your conclusion should be some kind of action you want your audience to take, or perhaps a change in thinking you want them to consider. If your conclusion is focused on something the audience has to do, it is much better.

Once you have your conclusion, then you need to work out what bits of "evidence" and factual material would support such a position. These elements will make up the middle of your presentation. Now that you have the middle and the end, you can write your introductory material.

By writing your introduction last, you will, in fact, have a much better presentation as that introduction will be so focused on the outcome of your conclusion.

Labels: writing

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

Brad McRae and David Brooks have put together a great book here by interviewing people they regard as "master presenters". There are 21 people interviewed in the book, with commentary from two leading speakers themselves. Indeed, David Brooks was the World Champion of Public Speaking. Brad McRae won the Platinum Speaker award from Meetings Professional International, so he too clearly knows a thing or two.

This book provides you with some real insights into effective presentations and you can learn from some real expert presenters.

Buy now for £8.57

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

Presenters sometimes practice in their bedroom or in their hotel room the night before an important presentation. Some even practice in front of the mirror. However, even though the practice can be helpful, it is not always going to boost your confidence.

One way to do this is practice in front of someone - a friend or a colleague. Get them to be your "audience". Then ask them for constructive, specific feedback, rather than a "that was great" kind of statement. Get them to say what was good about the presentation, in detail. But also ask them areas for improvement.

By practising in this way you will gain valuable feedback to help improve your presentation. Plus you will have confirmation that much of what you are doing is good. And that will boost your confidence much more than prancing around in front of the mirror!

Labels: confidence

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

Many presenters shift from foot to foot during their presentations. First they put the weight on their left foot, then they move it to the right foot and they continue to do this to and fro throughout their presentation.

The result is that they sway from side to side. They also appear uneasy and rather "shifty". This means the audience doesn't trust them as much and the swaying motion can also be a real distraction if it continues for any length of time.

If you find that you shift your weight from foot to foot it's a signal that your body wants to move. So, make a definite movement..! Either stand still, or move. But don't do the half-hearted, one foot to the other movement that many presenters do. There's a time and a place for standing still; there's also every reason to move. But the "halfway house" of shifting from foot to foot is definitely one to avoid!

Labels: body language

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends:  

It's amazing how many people try to write a presentation without having really listened to any other presenters. Not just having "heard" another presenter, but truly listened.

Going to see other presenters and speakers is one of the best ways of learning how to write your own presentations. Listen carefully to what these other presenters say, so that you can incorporate their techniques and ideas into your own talks.

By watching and listening to some great presenters and public speakers you can pick up ideas, hints and tips and learn new ways of structuring your presentations. Listen to what is being said and analyse how it has been put together. Look and listen too at the reaction of the audience. You will be able to match positive reactions to particular ways in which the presentation has been crafted.

Attending as many presentations as possible is a good idea for anyone who has to present themselves. But instead of learning the content of the presentation, go with an analytical frame of mind so you can study the way the presentation has been written. By doing that you will be able to improve the way you write your own presentations.

However, it all depends upon you making sure you attend as many conferences, seminars and meetings as possible.

Labels: writing

DIGG THIS STORY

Email this story to your friends: