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Fun & Effective Presentations
By Liz Folger
You answer the phone and the friend on the other end basically
says...."Want some free advertising to say 25 - 50 people?"
"Free?", you say. Sounds good, but then this person, who
all of a sudden may be your worst enemy, says, "Yeah, we need
someone to give a speech at our club meeting. You have such a unique
home business that we'd love you to share how and why you started
it and how it's helping our local community."
Bad thoughts flash through your mind. Your hands get cold and clammy,
you start to stammer and say..."Uh.....when...when...is this
talk...uh...um...scheduled." This friend (with friends like
this, who needs enemies) on the other line gives you the time and
date and says, "GREAT, I'll schedule you in."
Oh dear, it's your worst nightmare -- public speaking. The thought
of it makes you want to, how do I say this, puke! Public speaking
can strike fear in even the most confident person. But don't let
this be a reason for NOT undertaking such a project.
Below are 5 ways to make your next presentation fun and successful.
USE PROPS
Don't hide behind the podium, read your speech and then sit down.
Boring!!!! Get up and move around. Wear a funny hat, throw things
around, make some noise. Get these people's attention. And get it
quickly. It's a fact that you have 90 seconds to convince the audience
that you're worth listening to or not.
TELL STORIES
Facts and figures are nice, but they aren't something that should
rule your presentation. I start, end and sprinkle throughout my
talks -- stories. People can always relate to a good story.
Take the Bible for example. I use this book because it's a best
seller. People usually have one or more copies of the Bible in their
homes at any given time. Find one of those copies and you'll see
LOTS of stories sprinkled with guidelines.
You might say, "But I don't know any stories." Oh please,
how long have you been living? It doesn't have to be a life changing
story, just one people can relate to. If you are looking for a life
changing story, look to the "Chicken Soup For the Soul"
books -- lots of great stories there!
LOOK IN THEIR EYES
I have a problem with this one, but have been getting better. When
you talk, look into your audience's eyes. Hold that contact until
you get some sort of response like a nod, a smile or something.
END EARLY
Don't ramble on. You know the saying, "Keep it short, stupid!"
Well, that might not be exactly the way that goes, but you get the
point here. When you see people start to walk out, look at their
watches, drift off to dreamland...your talk has either been a bore
from the start or has gone on way too long. You want to end so that
people are still interested in what you have to say and wouldn't
mind if you kept talking a bit longer.
HAVE A Q&A TIME
After you end -- a little early, ask if anyone has any questions.
Because no matter how prepared you are or how smart you are, you
still didn't answer all their questions. This is also a great way
to shorten your talk a little. Say you are slated for a 30-minute
talk. You can present for 15 minutes and have 15 minutes of discussions.
People are going to ask questions you never thought about adding
to your speech. This will make your talk very well rounded.
When using the above 5 ideas, make sure your speech is fun -- fun
for you to give and fun to listen to. People will remember your
talk (and your business) much better if it was a never-to-forget
presentation!
* BONUS TIP *
I know I said I'd only give you 5 tips, but I'm in a great mood
and thought I'd share one more way to make your presentation even
more fun for you. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! Find a family member
who will listen to you and can give you some much needed feedback.
The more comfortable you are with your presentation, the less fear
you'll have. Promise!
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