Download - Basics of Public Speaking & Presenting
THE COMMUNICATION GROUP
THE COMMUNICATION GROUP – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012
BASICS OF
PUBLIC SPEAKINGPRESENTING TO YOUR
AUDIENCE
MY STORY
I speak a lot and am always surprised when hear
thepresentation was of interest. I know Iam not
afraid ofpublic speaking, and I know Iam
passionate aboutsubjects other people are
curious about too. However, Inever for one
minute assume my presentations will be
‗powerful‘ – I always assume people are busy
and haveshort attention spans due to current
day-to-day culture.Therefore, I‘ve been thinking
quite a lot about how onegives a powerful
presentation.
What is the definition of a ‗powerful
presentation?‘
In my eyes, it‘s when a crowd gathers after the
presentation toask more questions. And you
are invitedto give the samespeech elsewhere
by someone in theaudience or the sponsorsof
the event.
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THE COMMUNICATION GROUP – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012
Most lecturers and ―gurus‖ on the subject wouldbecontent torattle off helpful directives on the topic, eachone being aderivation of the same theme.
―It is the synergy of 1) content, 2) design and 3) delivery that makes a presentation,‖ they would say. Yes, that‘s helpful… but it‘s vague and I feel does not answer the question in a way one can truly learn from.There is no checklist for you to follow that would prepare you for every situation. What will work in some instances will not work in others. But to truly deliver a powerful presentation I know I need to understand the following:
1. Design your presentation ‘tools‘-i.e. PowerPointor Keynote-well. There is no need to have dull slides.
2. Preface well. Tell your audience what you hope they will get out of it right up front.
3. Know your objectives. If you don‘t understand what you‘re talking about then it‘s doubtful anyone else will.
4. Be truthful. Grandiosity ends up being boring and not factual.
5. Know your audience. What sorts of people will
be attending the presentation? What are their
learning styles and levels of understanding on
the topic?
6. Know how you‘re planning on arriving from
point A to point D to avoid waffling.
Rehearsing helps a lot. Try it, and do this with
people you respect and who are able to give
you objective/constructive criticism. Time
yourself and edit your slides to the desired
time slot. This doesn‘t mean you should
become ‗staged‘ in your presentation.
7. Your content should be engaging and
interesting, certainly, but it‘s just as important
that the steps you take in communicating your
message be clear and unambiguous.
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THE COMMUNICATION GROUP – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012
8. Know your desired outcome. What do you
wish to parlay? And what is the desired take-
away? What do you want the attendees to
learn? A successful presentation always
leaves the audience wanting to know more.
9. Know your fellow presenters. What are their
areas of expertise, and in what ways could
they bolster your argument?
10. Anticipate the difficult questions. Make a list of
the most difficult, controversial questions that
could be asked of you. Make sure you can
answer them clearly and effectively.
11. Wear something you feel fabulous in. It helps.
Trust me.
12. Feel confident in being spontaneous.
13. Don‘t be pedantic. You have know idea how
many people in your audience already know
this subject and/or know it better than you.
You are merely a good communicator of
information.
14. And don‘t bang on too long. No-one is
interested in dullards.
15. And, have fun for goodnesssake. Life is short.
For all of us.Engaging the
audience, thatintangible fourth step
after―content, design, anddelivery,‖ is alot
easier to do if you understandthe above.
The readiness is all—well, at leastall you have
control over. The resthappens during the
presentationitself and unfolds differently each
time, depending on yourpersonality, your
confidence level,and your accessibility as a
publicspeaker.
Enjoy and good luck.
THE COMMUNICATION GROUP
THE COMMUNICATION GROUP – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012
THE COMMUNICATION GROUP – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012
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