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February 2011
Newsletter
February certainly flew by, but not without some tips on improving your presentation and management skills. Read on to learn how to spice up that presentation that you give all the time and listen to a podcast on improving your management skills with the author of the new book, "Suddenly in Charge," Roberta Matuson.
10 Ways to Add Punch to Your Presentation
Do you have a presentation that you'd like to improve? Perhaps it's a sales presentation, an internal presentation you give at work, or a talk about one of your hobbies. If you have a speech that you know could be better, but you're not sure where to start, use these 10 techniques to add punch to your presentation:
1. Replace "I" with "You":
One of the easiest ways to make your presentation better is to change your language to focus on the audience by replacing the word "I" with "you" as often as possible. It will make your language clearer and your audience will be more engaged with your talk. It's never, "I want to tell you," but rather, "You will learn" or "You will hear."
2. Replace explanations with stories.
Review your key points and replace any long explanations of a process or an idea with a story that illustrates your point. When my clients want to establish credibility, I coach them to tell client success stories instead of just listing their services. You can also alternate stories that make the same point to add variety to your presentation.
3. Add characters.
Does your presentation have any characters besides you? When you include other people, you break monotony and your audience relates to your presentation better. Make sure you use names to make your story more believable and memorable.
4. Add conversations.
Create a conversation any time you recount something someone told you. You could say, "My mother always told me that it was important to work hard." But it's more effective to say, "My mother always said, 'Chakisse, if you want to get ahead in life, you've got to work hard.'"
5. Say Less.
Nothing takes the place of good editing. Always look for ways to convey your points in as little time as possible. You'll have a greater impact by using more precise language. Unless you've spent a great deal of time honing your words, you can almost always cut your prepared remarks.
6. Edit in chunks.
When you tackle editing your presentation, don't look at the presentation as a whole. Instead, focus on one element at a time. You may choose only to work on improving your opening, your speech structure or one of your stories. Working on just one part at a time will make the editing process less overwhelming and your speech will benefit from your focus.
7. Create Pictures.
Review your presentation and see if you create any vivid images that your audience can keep with them. Then, try to add more. Images remain with your audience long after you're done speaking. In one of my signature speeches, I reference "the South Carolina state bird ... the mosquito" and use a gesture for swatting a mosquito on my arm. Creating a picture took that line from getting a chuckle to receiving thunderous laughter when I present.
8. Quote Yourself.
Do you have stories or examples that you can borrow them from another presentation? Use it again.. I often regale my friends with stories about how my children try to influence me. When appropriate, I incorporate those stories into business presentations. The audience laughs, they remember my points, and I'm using material that has been proven to work.
9. Involve the audience.
Look for ways to involve the audience. You can ask rhetorical questions, do a group exercise, or provide a Q&A period. However you do it, try to make your audience active participants in your presentation instead of just passive listeners.
10.Vary your pace.
Make sure that your pace of your presentation varies in volume, energy and speed. I once heard a high-energy speaker who was bursting with enthusiasm. It was great for the first three minutes. Fifteen minutes later, I felt like I'd been bludgeoned by her message. You will have the biggest impact when you vary your pace from time to time.
Just because you give a presentation so often that you could do it in your sleep doesn't mean that there aren't opportunities to improve it. Try these techniques to look at your presentation with new eyes. You'll improve your talk, have more fun presenting and captivate your audience. Both you and your audience will be glad you did.
Be an Influential Manager: Check out my Latest Podcast
Would you like specific tips on being a more influential manager? Check out the podcast on my blog where I interview Roberta Matuson, author of "Suddenly In Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around."
Learn:
- How managers can communicate effectively in the workplace.
- Inter-generational leadership tips for significantly older or younger direct reports.
- How to create an environment where people want to get things done.
- How to influence people you work with (up, down and laterally).
- How to make specific requests that get results. (Hear the role-play!)
Listen to the podcast now.
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© 2011 Chakisse Newton. All Rights Reserved.
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