Presentation Skills Success

Strategy and tips for you to prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your next presentation
based on the experience of the Speech Coach for Executives George Torok. You can
speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when you polish your presentation skills. The
power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate will take you
farther than any other skill set. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and
communicate your message so that others listen, understand and act. This article can be a
career enhancing opportunity for you. Study this article and watch your presentation skills
achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you polish your
presentation skills to deliver your message with impact.


Fear of Public Speaking Practical Speaking Tips Presentation Sins
PowerPoint Sins

First thoughts on your presentation

Why you?
How can you get more done? By being a superior communicator. The secret of managing
people is to master the art and science of communication. Superior communication skills are
a combination of listening, negotiating and speaking.


Public Speaking, Presentation or Speech?
Deliver your message with impact. It is not just a speech or presentation. I use the words
speech, public speaking and presentation interchangeably in this article. It is your message
that is important. Your presentation is the vehicle for delivering your message and to create
results. A successful presentation is one that moves people to action. You know it was a
success if after you speak, they buy, work or follow. To do that requires skill. Devour this
article. You will capture the essence of superior presentation skills.


First Rule of Great Presentations
A great presentation does not just happen. It is planned, rehearsed then delivered with flair.
A good presenter is one who learns the skills of presentations - not one who hopes for
talent to carry them. Public speaking is a set of skills not a talent. You can be a good
presenter if you learn the skills for presentation success. You will be a great speaker if you
learn from every presentation you deliver. Great presenters start as poor speakers then
they get better.


Learn from other Great Speech Makers
Who are the public speakers you admire? Ask yourself why you admire them. What
techniques do they use in their speeches that you can use? What principles can you adapt to
your presentations? It could be a great political leader, business executive or innovator.
Whether it is a Churchill, Henry Ford or Einstein ask yourself, Why does their delivery
work so well? How can I use that technique or principle in my speech? Look for the skills
they used and make them your own.



Preparing your Presentation

Purpose of your presentation
Imagine that you have been scheduled to speak to a group. An important question for you
to review is Why am I delivering this presentation? Dont answer, Because I was asked.
Instead ask why does this group need to hear from you? What message is so important that
you must take their time to speak to them? You must be clear on the purpose of your
speech before you can write it. Please dont give a speech just because you are the boss.
Dont waste their time and embarrass yourself. Have something worthwhile to say. If you
start by knowing what you want to happen then you will begin to create an effective
speech.


Your audience is the reason you are there
Understand your audience. What do they want? Why would they listen to you? If you want
to reach them with your presentation you must reach them through their needs. While you
are talking they are asking themselves, Whats in it for us? If you have not spoken to this
group before, interview a few of them before your presentation. Mention the names of
some audience members during your presentation. It will help you connect with the group.

Read Establishing Rapport with your Audience

Design your presentation backwards
The most common way to write your speech is to start at the beginning and write to the
end. That is not an effective way to write a speech. Instead write the speech backwards.
Start with the destination and work back to the opening. You will write your speech faster
and clearer if you start with the end in mind. Know your purpose. Write the closing line that
hammers home your message. Then write the points to support that close. Then write your
opening that launches you into that presentation. Designing your speech is also a set of
communication skills.

Read Write Your Speech in Five Minutes
Presentation Structure
There are many presentation structures that you can choose from. When you speak to a
business group the most effective approach is to state your conclusions first, the actions
required then follow with supporting information. That would be an effective business
speech.

The most boring and ineffectual presentation style to use with a business group is the
scientific method that many of us learned in school. The scientific method starts with a
problem, followed by a hypothesis, a method, results and conclusion. That sounds logical
but most people in business today do not have the patience to listen to that litany. We want
the answer first. Speak dont lecture.


Q&A structure
Another simple presentation structure that works is to tell your audience that you will
answer the most common questions you have heard. Then you state the question and
answer it. This is one of the easiest ways to give a speech. It sounds like a conversation and
you will find it easier to remember. All you need to remember are the questions because
you already know the answers. The best speech feels like a conversation.


Pain and Relief
An effective sales technique is to first reveal or describe their pain, fear or problem. Then
you offer the relief to the pain. The relief from pain and desire for pleasure are powerful
motivators. Just dont dwell on the pain too long. Think plop, plop fizz, fizz.


Illustrating your main points
We need images to understand. A good image for the accountant and numbers type is a
chart. Bankers, financial planners and money folk love charts and graphs. Use pie charts, bar
graphs and piles of coins to illustrate and emphasize your points when talking to financial
types. Images can contribute more to the success of your presentation then words.


Telling Stories
Tell stories. Paint word pictures that create images in the listeners minds. If they can see it
they are more likely to understand and remember your message. The best public speakers
are storytellers. Use stories and anecdotes to illustrate and reinforce the main points of
your presentation. Learn to master the skill of storytelling. Listen to newscasters,
entertainers and other speakers.

The best stories are personal. Because they are yours - they are easier to remember and
they make your presentation unique. We listen to stories. We hate lectures. If you forgot
that lesson - just ask your kids. The way to find personal stories that can be used in your
presentations is to write them down. Make a list of significant things that happened to you
and those around you; the first time the best, the worst, the biggest mistake, the best
break, the greatest ah-ha, the funniest moment, the most frustrating incident, the dumbest
thing you did, the most embarrassing moment

The things that hurt you the most make the best stories to tell in your presentations.
Rehearse your stories to edit them down into a short story that is easy to listen to. The
hardest thing for you might be to leave out details. The hardest thing for your audience is
listening to you describe unnecessary details. Just make the point.


Researching your presentation
Get your facts straight. Dont stand there saying, I think so or Im not sure. Dont lie and
pretend to know something you do not. So spend time collecting and confirming your
information. Too many public speakers are quick to present their opinions without providing
clear substance. Avoid that trap.

Be careful of presenting hearsay as evidence unless you preface it as that. You might
interview customers for their comments or check with the front lines for their unofficial
feedback. That is ok but present it honestly. Do a quick search on one or a few of the
Internet search engines to find some new insights on the topic of your presentation. These
Internet facts might not be confirmable so present them as what you found Stuff from
the Internet.


Test for relevance
Review your speech for relevance to your audience. After every statement that you plan to
make ask yourself, So what? Because that is what your audience will be asking. If you
cannot answer this question clearly and succinctly then rework it or remove it from your
speech. What do you want them thinking, Yeah right on! or So what?


Remembering your speech
The best public speakers do not memorize their presentation. Instead know your topic and
the issues. Then make notes for yourself. But dont read your speech. That is so boring.
Instead write key words that remind you of your messages. Write your speech notes on
index cards. That is much easier to handle instead of fumbling with a sheet of paper.


Rehearsing your presentation
Rehearse your speech on your feet at least three times. It is okay to rehearse parts of it in
your car or sitting at your desk. But because you will deliver in on your feet you rehearse
the speech on your feet. It feels different when you speak on your feet. Get used to the feel
of delivering your presentation. The best way to reinforce a set of skills is by repeating the
pattern the way you plan to deliver. Golfers and musicians rehearse their patterns so the
skills of the big day are natural to them.


The fear of public speaking
Studies show that our number one fear is the fear of public speaking. Hard to believe but it
is more prevalent than the fear of death. If you have a fear of public speaking or feel some
anxiety you are not alone. Even great speakers like Churchill experienced this fear. But he
worked on his delivery skills so he could deliver even when he was nervous. I am a
professional speaker who has spoken to audiences all over North America yet I also
experience speech anxiety. The fear of public speaking might be with you forever. But your
audience does not need to know.


Overcoming the fear of public speaking
In most cases the symptoms of the fear are not noticeable to your audience. You might feel
terrified but your audience doesnt know. There are several ways to get past speech anxiety.
Focus on the success of your presentation. Before you step up to speak take a couple of
slow deep breaths. Speak slowly. Dont let it run away from you.





Delivering your Presentation

Last minute details before you begin speaking
Get into the room before your audience arrives to check the setup and get the feel of the
room. This helps to make it your room. Walk around the room and sit in a few different
chairs to take in the feel of your room and how your audience will see you. Check your
equipment and put on your busiest slide to check for readability. Drink one or two glasses of
warm water to both lubricate your vocal cords and hydrate yourself. Public speaking
dehydrates you.

Emergency preparation
Check the exit doors and paths from the building. If an emergency occurs the audience will
look to you, the speaker, for leadership and maybe their lives. Be prepared to tell people
how to leave the room and building. If it becomes necessary - do it in a calm, commanding
and confident voice. Public speaking carries the responsibility of leadership. Everything you
do while speaking will be better if you prepare the skills to deliver.


Your confederate
Always have at least one confederate. This is a simple yet important secret to presentation
success. Your confederate should sit near the back of the room so they can survey the room,
help late arrivers and do things without disturbing the audience. They will take care of the
lights, handouts, ushering people to their seats and even asking a planted question. It is
their job to head off problems before they erupt. They should know how to work the lights
and who to call when problems arise.


Eye Contact
Talk directly to people. The best presentation is delivered as a conversation to every person
in your audience one person at a time. If you want to be believed talk to every individual
looking him or her in the eye. Dont make the big mistake committed by many novice public
speakers - staring at the spot on the back wall. This one technique is a powerful element of
successful presentation skills.


Emphasizing key points
If you want people to remember something repeat it at least three times during your
speech. The first time they might hear it. The second time they might mull it over. The third
time it might stick. I have a dream. Do you know how many times Martin Luthur King
repeated that phrase in his famous speech?

Read Emphasizing Key Points
Establishing rapport
Talk about things to which your audience can relate. Dont talk down and dont baby them.
To build rapport with your audience they must relate to you. Dont pretend to be something
you are not. But show how you are like them. Be human. Expose a flaw. Show that you are
not perfect. If you pretend to be perfect they will hate you and not listen.

Read Establishing Rapport

Stay on time
Start your presentation on time and finish on time. If you start all your meetings and
presentations on time people will learn to show up on time. Do not repeat yourself for
latecomers. If there is a small group at starting time then be prepared to start with a
discussion instead of your speech. Those that are there will believe that you started on time
and those arriving late will seat themselves quickly feeling a bit guilty for being late.

Finish on time even if it means leaving something out. For that reason always get your
important message out early. Never keep the key message till the end of your speech. They
might be asleep by that time. Position a small clock where you can see it so you know where
you are in your presentation. Dont commit the sin of asking, How are we doing for time?
You should know you are the speaker.


Deliver your speech with credibility
If you are the CEO, President or the boss you have credibility by position. You might lose
your credibility by committing presentation sins. You can enhance your credibility by the
sources of information you quote. You can quote from a publication they read and respect.
You can quote from a well-known and respected person. You can quote from some member
of your audience remember your research?

You can also imply credibility by waving a source document or book as you speak. Notice
how preachers use this technique by holding the bible.

Read Introducing Your Speaker


Help your audience remember the important parts
Repeat the points you want them to remember. Use an anecdote or story to illustrate the
point. Pause just before and after you state the key points.

We find it easier to remember images and feelings. If you want your audience to remember
the key points of your presentation attach those points to images or emotions. Men tend to
connect visuals with memory while women tend to connect emotions for memory. Be sure
to address both needs in your presentations.

Read Power of the Pause

Look your best
Smile. You look your best when you smile. You look most trustworthy, friendly and
confident when you smile. We do not want to listen to a speaker who is frowning. Dont grin
like a fool all the way through your speech. Instead smile before you start. Smile when you
say something important. Smile when you end. Make it a warm friendly smile. When you
smile you look confident and help to improve the confidence of your audience. Smile.



Sounding your best
Drinking water before you speak will lubricate your vocal chords. Breathing deeply and
slowly will allow you to project your voice and pause when you want to not when you
need to. Speak slower that you normally speak. The audience needs to hear you, think
about it and internalize it.

Try these simple exercises to get your voice in shape before you speak. Yawn. Yes, yawning
relaxes your vocal chords and opens the voice channel. The second trick is to hum.
Humming seems to set up a resonance within your vocal cavity.


Using equipment and technology
If you are using a computer projector and PowerPoint in your presentation then avoid the
mistakes committed by many presenters. Ensure that your slides enhance your points. Dont
make the common mistake of designing your presentation around the slides. Instead, first
create your presentation then decide how to illustrate your points. You might have sat
through some horrible PowerPoint Presentations. That happens when speakers with poor
presenters attempt to hide their lack of skills behind a PowerPoint presentation.

Read Power Tips for Presentations with Computer Projectors
Read Tips on Presenting with Overhead Projectors
Read PowerPoint Sins

Ensuring success in your presentation
Your audience does not know your script. Be ready to adapt your presentation to the
audience and conditions. Be prepared to leave something out. It might be tough on you but
your audience does not know what you left out or forgot. Instead focus on them and your
message. If they get it then forget the rest of your speech.


Correcting things that go wrong
If you look and sound calm the audience does not know that anything is wrong. They might
even think that you planned the interruption. When things go wrong, smile, pause, breathe
and sound confident. Adapt your presentation. Never appear to panic. Instead focus on
your message and what you want them to do.


Handling Q&A
At some point during your presentation you might offer to answer questions from the
audience. Never do this as an afterthought. Dont make the mistake of delivering and
finishing a spectacular speech then opening to questions. That is a weak way to close.
Instead before you finish your speech, announce that you will take questions for x minutes.
Then close off the questions and finish with your closing statement. That way you get the
strong close you planned not the answer to a lame question.

Read Handling Questions with Authority

Tame the Hecklers
How do you handle hecklers? Prepare yourself for the worst questions. Write down all the
possible objections and your answer to each. Rehearse the answers when you rehearse your
speech. Answering questions well is a crucial part of your presentation skills. No matter
what happens remain calm. The worst thing for you to do is to react. Instead, respond and
guide the audience back to your message. If you have established rapport with your
audience they will be on side with you. Dont alienate your audience by appearing angry or
out of control.

If a heckler makes a negative comment you can respond with, Thank you for your opinion
and move on. Dont let yourself get dragged into a dirty argument. Dont give the heckler
credibility.


Finish Your Presentation Strong
End your presentation with a strong message. You can choose from several techniques. A
call to action is one of the best endings to get your audience into action immediately after
your speech. Other endings you can use include a rhetorical question; a positive statement;
or a famous quotation. But never end with, Well thats all folks. That is an extremely weak
ending. Instead end on a positive action-generating note.

Post Presentation

Review your presentation and grow
Ask a trusted colleague to attend your presentation and give you constructive feedback. Be
specific in what you ask from them; e.g. How well was my point illustrated? Did my humor
work well? Did I connect with them? When you ask specific questions you will get specific
answers. The most important question you can ask yourself is, Did I make happen what I
wanted to happen? If the answer is yes it was a successful presentation. Did they buy,
were they convinced, did they march in the direction you pointed? That is the measure of a
successful speech. That is the purpose of your presentation skills in action. Also look at
where you might still improve your skills. And plan to work on this before your next
presentation.

When someone compliments you on the presentation be gracious and ask him or her,
What was the best idea or strongest message that you will take away and use? You might
be surprised at what they heard versus what you said. The fastest way to improve your
presentation skills is to review every presentation you deliver. What worked well? What
could you change?


Leverage your presentation
Make your presentation more than an event and part of the process. Summarize key points
and questions from the presentation in your newsletter and send a note to everyone.
Perhaps the speech would make a good article with some editing. Speaking is only one part
of your overall set of communication and leadership skills. These skills are meant to help
you get done what you need to get done by you and by others.


Your next presentation
File your notes from the presentation so you can refer to them next time you present.
Include in the file your comments about what you thought worked well and what you need
to improve. Include suggestions to yourself on what to try differently next time. Remember
the great masters of golf and music are continually improving their skills. They never sit back
on rely on talent alone.


Presentation Resources for you

To become a powerful presenter work with a speech coach.
http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/
To learn the fundamentals of public speaking join Toastmasters. It is a none-profit
association that teaches public speaking skills.
http://www.toastmasters.org/
For an easy-to-use reference for public speaking read the bestseller Secrets of Power
Presentations by Peter Urs Bender
http://www.peterursbender.com/


Final Words of Encouragement for you

Public Speaking is a set of skills. It is not about talent. It is a set of techniques practiced,
rehearsed and delivered. You will never deliver the perfect speech. But you might deliver a
powerful and effective speech. I know many wonderful presenters but I do not know one
who has ever delivered a perfect presentation. The skill of public speaking is both an art and
a science. The more you learn and practice the science the easier the art will work for you.
You can be a powerful and skillful presenter. But it will take time, practice and energy. And
those are the elements of greatness.

For success with your presentations:
Speak well;
Speak effectively;
Speak with confidence;
Speak to make things happen;
Speak imperfectly and speak again.


George Torok is the Speech Coach for Executives. He is a professional speaker, trainer and
consultant. He is the creator and host of the weekly radio show, Business in Motion. He is
the co-author of the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing the first guide to
personal marketing for the non-marketer. He works with executives, business professionals
and managers to help them present their messages with power and results. You can contact
him to arrange an executive Speech Coaching session or Presentations Skills group-training
program at 800-304-1861 For more information about how he can work with you and your
organization visit http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/

For more information about George Torok and the programs he delivers visit these
websites.
http://www.torok.com/
http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/
http://www.promotebrandyou.com/



Presentation Skills Success concluded
How you can prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your speech, presentation or public speaking program from
the Speech Coach for Executives George Torok. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when
you polish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to
communicate will take you farther than any other skill. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and
communicate your message so that others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing
opportunity for you. Read this article and watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be
amazed at what you can do when you hone your presentation skills and you present your message with
impact.





Epilogue



Presentation Skills Success ongoing
It never really concludes. To be a better public speaker you must commit to be an ongoing
learner. Communications is a set of skills that can be learned, honed and taught. The ability
to communicate is one of the most sought after success skills. As human beings we process
a unique ability to communicate with each other. And after thousands of years of trying to
communicate we have an incredible knack for miscommunication. We make mistakes when
we speak and when we listen. So the brave keep trying to hone that essence of delivering
the perfect speech or amazing presentation.

Remember you will never deliver the prefect presentation. Never.

With study and practice you can deliver some amazing presentations.

As a public speaker you will grow as long as you seek to grow.


I suggest that you print this article, and mark it up with a highlighter, pen and post-it notes.
It is a long article and packed with helpful tips for you. Refer to it before your presentations
to remind you of powerful speaking techniques. Read it between your public speaking
assignments to reinforce your presentation style. And most importantly plan to be a better
speaker.


My wish to you
Best of public speaking success to you.
May you continue to grow as a skilled presenter.
May you one day deliver a presentation that has
your audience saying Wow how do we get
some of that?


George Torok www.Torok.com
Professional speaker
Executive Speech Coach
Radio Show Host



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