Presentation

Projector Hire – DLP Vs. LCD

2005-10-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

By James Hunter

When you’re hiring a data projector for your presentation you will often come across a decision to be made – that is DLP or LCD projector. The differences are in many cases extremely technical, and the layman may end up more confused than ever! We have put together a very brief summary of what you need to know when hiring a projector.

DLP or Digital Light Processor is a new technology which allows a much smaller projector to be made. So if portability is important, for example if you are going on a plane with the projector, then it may pay to look at DLP. The DLP chips themselves are made by US company Texas Instruments, and they have been aggressively marketing the concept for some years. This gives them a perceived advantage over the LCD manufacturers who are all competing against each other.

The new breed of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projectors is however fighting back on the size front with the introduction of a new smaller panel, allowing manufacturers to create higher resolution portable projectors.

Both camps claim issues occur with the opposition:

DLP sometimes suffers from the 'rainbow effect' where the picture appears as a rainbow briefly noticeable when changing focus from one part of the screen to another. It appears as a secondary image that appears at the viewer's peripheral vision and is generally noticeable when shifting focus from a high contrast area or bright object. This does not appear in “3 chip” DLP projectors, but these tend to be very high end projectors in terms of price.

LCD sometimes suffers from what is called “screen door” effect, meaning the picture is pixilated and appears as if you're watching TV through a screen door. Again the newer LCD projectors have improved the aperture ratio to address this and it is much less of an issue than before. Similarly DLP projectors used to claim a much higher contrast ratio – i.e. blacks were much blacker than LCD; but some of the latest LCD models achieve a 6000:1 ratio, matching the best DLP ones.

Both types are going through constant changes and improvements, to the point where one cannot be said to have an overwhelming advantage over the other. So, unless you have a very specialized need for your presentation, go with the projector model that fits in terms of weight, size, brightness and price.

James Hunter works for Edric Audio Visual, a leading provider of projector hire in the UK.

Presenting Your Product

2005-10-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

By Jay Conners

We all know the expression “you only get one chance to make a first impression,” well it holds true when it comes to presenting your product to your customer.

For starters, the last thing you want to do when a customer walks into your office is present the first product that pops into your head.

Before you present a product to your customer, you must first find out exactly what it is your customer wants and needs.

The first thing you want to do is introduce yourself to your customer. Offer them a seat and make them feel as comfortable as possible.

Get to know your customer, talk about non-business subjects, this will take some of the pressure off of the both of you and make it easier to talk to one another.

Once you believe that you and your customer have found a comfort level, begin to evaluate your customer’s needs.

Start by asking questions to find out his reasons for coming in to see you. Find out what products he currently has and uses. And how much he pays for them. Find out all you can about the company he obtained his products from, and what he thought of the customer service he was provided with.

It is important to know these things for reasons of comparison.

Once you have evaluated your customer and have a pretty good idea of what his needs are, get ready to present the products you have, that you believe to be an ideal match to his needs.

But before you make your presentation, make sure that you are prepared. Have all the materials you need to make your presentation a solid one at your finger tips. Such materials would include, brochures and literature, not only to give to your customer, but to go over with your customer. Unfold the brochure in front of him as you discuss the product. Literature is also a good way to be prepared in case you are hit with a question you can’t answer, this will be a good resource for reference.

The point that I am trying to make is; Present to your customer a product you believe they will need. Your presentation should be based on the information that you have gathered from your customer during your sales session.

You could be the greatest presenter of products in the world, but if you are presenting products that customers don’t need, you’ll never sell a thing.

So be sure to evaluate your customers before you start presenting your products.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Influencing Your Audience With Your Presentation

2005-10-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

By Graham Young

Styles of Influence

Different people influence and are influenced in different ways. Most people will usually try to influence others in the way that most influences themselves. So if you are convinced through logical argument based on facts, you will usually try to convince others based on the use of logic and facts. The problem with this is that it is not always the best approach. There are four main influencing styles, each of which will appeal to a different type of person.

Common Vision

Common Vision aims to identify a shared objective for the future of a group and to strengthen the group members' belief that through their collective and individual efforts, that vision can become reality. It involves appealing to people's hopes, values and aspirations and by so doing, animating them. It also aims to makes participants feel a part of a group, which shares a common purpose. This gives the group added purpose, strength and confidence.

To be successful with the Common Vision approach, you need to be able to share the bigger picture with a degree of enthusiasm and commitment to carry people with you.

There are two aspects of Common Vision:

• Articulating Exciting Possibilities,

• Generating a Shared Identity.

People who use Common Vision tend to be able to see and articulate exciting project possibilities and are able to appeal to the emotions of others. People who are most influenced by this style will become bored with lots of detail and will only be interested in the overview.

Assertive Persuasion

Assertive Persuasion is an evidence-based approach. It uses the power of logic, facts and opinions to persuade others. The basis for agreement and approval is the soundness of the other person’s reasoning. In other words, for every point you make, you should provide supporting evidence.

It is a "push" style (like R&P below) because you "force" others to accept your view or conclusion by the logic of your arguments.

Assertive Persuasion has two aspects:

• Proposing Solutions

• Reasoning For and Against.

The focus is on logical argument versus appealing to the emotions.

People who use Assertive Persuasion tend to be highly verbal and articulate, persistent and energetic and usual come forward with ideas and suggestions. People who like this style will often ask for examples or the evidence to support your claims. This style is a favourite of many scientists and technical staff.

Reward and Punishment

Reward and Punishment uses pressure and incentives to control others' behaviour. It is the classic carrot and stick approach to influencing. This style involves outlining the positives and negatives of a problem. It involves showing what the group will get by complying with the suggested changes and highlighting the potential threats if they do not.

Naked power may be used, or more indirect and veiled pressures may be exerted through the use of status, prestige, and formal authority. Liberal use of praise and criticism is common, although it is most effective when it involves the heavier use of praise than of criticism. e.g. if we make the change we meet the standard, but if we do not change we will be sub-standard.

There are three aspects comprising the Reward and Punishment style:

• Evaluating

• Prescribing Goals and Expectations

• Incentives and Pressures

People who use Reward and Punishment tend to be very specific and detailed in their communication and are often more critical than balanced in their use of reward/praise. People influenced in this way will often look for problems with the plans.

Participation and Trust

Participation and Trust pulls others toward what is desired or required by involving them in the decision making process. By actively listening and involving others, the influencer increases the commitment to the task, with follow-up and supervision becoming less critical. To be successful, people should feel that they have something to offer and that the group appreciates their contribution. An atmosphere of mutual trust and co-operation is conducive to participation. You can achieve this by asking them their opinion during your presentation. e.g. "What do you think about the proposed changes?" or "How could you help this project?"

There are three aspects to Participation and Trust:

• Personal Disclosure

• Recognizing and Involving Others

• Testing and Expressing Understanding

This style makes others feel that their contributions are valued but you must leave yourself open to influence in order to influence others.

People who use Participation and Trust tend to be active listeners who seek other people's contributions and are willing to give freedom and responsibility. Those who are influenced in this manner like to get involved with what you are saying.

Which styles do you normally use?

From the above descriptions, it may be obvious to yourself which styles you tend to favour. If not or if you would like to confirm your normal style(s) run the quiz that is available from our web site www.businesspresentation.biz This questionnaire is written in Excel. It provides an analysis of your default styles. It is probably more important to recognise the styles that you favour least. This will highlight areas where you can improve.

The next time you talk to a group of people, that you communicate with regularly, try using the style with your lowest score. You may be surprised by their reaction.

Which style to use when?

Prior to giving any presentation, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to determine the preferred influencing styles used by your audience. The best approach is to ensure you use a variety of different influencing styles through the course of your presentation. By using the questionnaire, you will find out which style(s) you use most often and which style(s) you rarely use. You can then make a conscious effort to include the influencing styles that you usually ignore, in future presentations.

The most persuasive approach to use in a presentation to a group is a mixture of all four styles. The best order to use these styles in is:

• Common vision

• Assertive persuasion

• Rewards and punishment

• Participation and trust

• Common vision

This allows you to set the scene, defining what you want to achieve at a high level. Then you can put across the arguments for the change, identifying the benefits of making the change as well as the downside if they do not change. A call to unite everyone in a common action is then followed up by restating the vision of how the change will improve the current situation. This helps people to take away from the meeting the reason why they are going to have to change.

I wish you every success in influencing your audience at your next presentation.

Graham Young has held senior marketing management roles in multi-national software and high technology organisations. During his career, Graham has given countless successful presentations to audiences both large and small. He has also developed and run a wide variety of technology and soft skills training courses.

Graham now runs Young Markets (http://www.youngmarkets.co.uk) a niche marketing consultancy that works in the areas of Marketing, Presentations and Copywriting.

Giving Great Formal Presentations

2005-10-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

By Gary Lavine

For scientists who want to move ahead in their careers, the ability to give a truly great formal science presentation is a vital skill. Being able to give an outstanding presentation is important in all phases of your career. When you are interviewing for a new job, the presentation is almost always a major part of the interview process; often it is the first chance that your prospective coworkers get to see what you can offer. Even when you are comfortable in a stable position, you still need to be able to give a great presentation at a moment’s notice in order to advance your career.
In talking with scientists I have found that this ability can be a highly effective way to get noticed by management in an organization.

In addition, taking the time to prepare formal presentations can help your career in another way. As you take the time to organize your thoughts for a presentation you will find your overall understanding of the material improving. Most people aren’t born with the ability to consistently deliver a great presentation, but learning some basic skills and continuous practice can dramatically improve your presentations.

In any presentation you give, the primary goal is to communicate some idea or concept to your audience. The easiest way to really communicate with your audience is to capture their attention and really engage them in the material. One surefire way to do this is to display an appropriate amount of enthusiasm for your subject matter. If you present with too little energy, your audience will have no reason to pay attention to you. On the other hand, if you bounce around like a motivational speaker after 20 cups of coffee, you will not be taken seriously. The ideal balance is to let yourself express a sincere interest in your material. A second way to get the audience’s attention is to use overheads or slides that are useful and easy to read. Again, balance is the key; your overheads should not be too cluttered with information and graphics or be full of empty spaces. It is important to put time and thought into developing interesting and visually appealing overheads or slides, with each individual overhead communicating a distinct point.

Once you have captured the audience’s attention, you can really engage them in the material. Perhaps the single biggest key to keeping your audience engaged is to aim a little low in terms of the knowledge that you expect the audience to have. In most situations you will not just be presenting to experts in your field, but also to scientists who have only partial knowledge of the details of your field. As soon as you launch into heavy jargon, you run the risk of losing a good chunk of your audience. This method of breaking down your presentation into easy to understand pieces has the added benefit of increasing your own understanding of the material.
Another useful technique for engaging an audience is to organize your presentation into a story. Having a narrative to follow throughout the course of your talk can really help the listener to keep up, even if they are not familiar with the exact field that you are speaking on. On a related note, the more that you can illustrate the technical details with cartoons and other visual representations, the more successful your presentations will be. One well-designed figure that explains a concept or technique can be used in many different presentations, so it is worth your time to develop a distinctive and informative figure.

There are also a number of tricks and techniques that you can use to help your audience stay engaged with what you are saying. The most important aspect of your presentation style is your pacing; your goal is to find a pace of speaking and presenting that does not bore anyone or leave anyone behind. The best way to find this pace is to know your audience and adjust to any feedback you get from the audience during the early part of the talk. One good way to periodically slow down the pace of your presentation and make sure your audience can keep up is to explain what the axes are in the graphs that you are presenting. Graphs can be a wonderful way to illustrate important results or ideas, but they can also be a real barrier to understanding a talk that is a little outside of your area of expertise. Everyone who works in the field automatically knows what the graph is telling them, while those who are less familiar can easily get lost. Taking a moment to define the axes gets everyone on the same page and has the added bonus of helping you maintain a reasonable pace of presentation.

It is also crucial that you look at your audience as much as possible during your talk. When you are facing your audience, not only can they hear you better, but they will also be more motivated to pay attention if they know that you can see them losing focus. Of course, it is also much easier to get feedback from your audience when you are actually looking at them! One little trick to get yourself to look out at the audience is to think of yourself as Vanna White on the Wheel of Fortune. When you are pointing at something on screen, you don’t need to stare at it. Instead you can point like Vanna while facing the audience, allowing your audience can see and hear you.

Incorporating a joke into a presentation can be another way to keep your audience engaged. However, there are some caveats to consider when you are injecting humor into your presentation. The best jokes are delivered with a light touch. If your audience gets it, that’s great, wait a moment and then move on. If the audience doesn’t acknowledge the joke, you need to be able to move ahead with the talk rather than waiting for a laugh that probably won’t come. It goes without saying that you should also be careful not to use jokes with offensive content.

By using these techniques to capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged, you will be able to deliver outstanding scientific presentations. Of course, the only way to develop the skills you need is to practice giving presentations as much as you can. Only through repeated practice and feedback can you master the art of giving great science presentations.

Gary Lavine, PhD
“How This Scientist Discovered Strategies to take his career to the next level
And Why They Will Work For Anyone! Guaranteed!”
Warning: You Won’t Find This In Any Educational Institution!
FREE Professional Career Guide Shows You How…

PowerPoint to Flash – A New Trend in Business Presentation

2005-10-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

By Susan Yang

Business presentation is a key part of commercial life. How to present your products or even yourself in the best shape to the promising purchasers or employers is absolutely an art. Today you can find some many tips and tricks on the Internet preparing you how to give a successful presentation, analyzing almost from every aspect possibly involved. I’m not going to repeat those tips, as a PowerPoint presentation Instructor, It’s the developmental trend of PowerPoint that I am concern about.

The new trend is Convert-PowerPoint-PowerPoint-to-Flash, many people may question about its novelty, after all, it’s not a new emerging idea but take off just in last two year. The way why it’s in fashion now is due to Flash incomparable unique streaming technology. We can summarize the reasons as follows:

1. Reduce Size and Email Ready

If you are using PowerPoint presentation frequently in your work, you must feel to be hindered by its bulky size every now and then, which holds you back from any distribution. Now with PowerPoint to Flash, that kind of problem will be eliminated automatically. The converted flash presentation is absolutely a better option for emailing due to its smaller size; it will not clog your partner inbox.

2. Greater and Easier Accessibility for Viewers

The converted Flash presentations can be easily viewed in any Internet Browsers. For most of Browsers have already had Flash Plug-ins installed, so you can email the convert Flash file to your friends directly without worrying whether they have PowerPoint Software installed on their computers. And thanks to its smaller, streaming media format you can just post it on websites or Intranets to share with other people.

3. Keep all original effects in PowerPoint presentation

Convert PowerPoint to Flash will keep all original effects in your PowerPoint presentation without any distortion. After converting your PowerPoint presentation to flash files, you will be surprised to find that the result is amazing; all the original effects are remain unchanged. With this knowledge in mind, you can just go ahead and enjoy it!

4. Secure

PowerPoint files are editable by anyone else who has PowerPoint installed on their machine. Not so for Flash files which allow you to maintain a higher degree of control on your content if you wish to.

5. Firewall Friendliness

Flash-based content has no problem going through firewalls as it behaves just like standard Web content.

There are two ways to convert PowerPoint to Flash, manually or automatically. Doing it manually could be a real toil and the quality can’t be guaranteed. There are some popular software on the markets can help you through the whole conversion procession easily

SameShow PowerPoint to Flash Converter

http://www.sameshow.com

Quickly converts your presentations to the Macromedia Flash format with two conversion modes: Standalone Mode and PowerPoint Plug-in Mode. This is one of the highest quality converters out there with most affordable price. The converted Flash file is smaller, secure, and in a streaming media format that's ideal for posting presentations to Web sites, intranets or self-running CD-ROMs.you can take that same converted presentation and embed it in emails and/or deliver it online through a Web conference.
More Info: http://www.sameshow.com/other/powerpoint-to-flash-good.html
Free Trial: http://www.download.com/SameShow/3000-2075_4-10432924.html
Price: USD $ 49.95 ( Personal License) $ 99.95 (Business License)

Articulate Presenter

http://www.ArticulateGlobal.com

Reduce time, complexity and cost of creating custom Flash presentations and e-learning courses. Articulate Presenter lets non-technical users create rich-media presentations by integrating narration and interactivity with a standard PowerPoint® file. With the press of the button, your presentation transforms into a compelling Flash experience. No need to rely on expensive Flash programmers. With Articulate Presenter, anyone can get professional-quality results in minutes.
http://www.articulateglobal.com/presenter.html
Free trial: http://www.articulateglobal.com/store/trial_form.html
Price: USD $ 499 (standard) and $699 (pro)
PointeCast Publisher (formerly Wanadu)
http://www.pointecast.com/

An increasingly popular and cost-effective alternative to Breeze, Wanadu is a Turns PowerPoint presentations into high quality and interactive Flash presentations. It works with PowerPoint 2000 and later versions. The software (depending on the edition) allows you to record narration, add background audio, edit audio, playback tools, view notes from the PowerPoint presentation, time tracking and various e-learning tools.
15-day Trial: http://tinyurl.com/cul5m
Price: USD $ 99 (lite), $299 (regular), and $499 (professional)

SusanZheng writes, teaches, trains and consults on business and professional presentations and eCommerce related matters.

Presentation Skill Training: The Law of Performance

2005-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

By Paul Evans

Not your performance, their performance. The audience must go out and apply the information you have given or they wasted their time. Even worse, YOU wasted their time. As speakers it’s our obligation to supply practical methods for the crowd to make our words and ideas reality in their lives.

1. Design an Easy to Remember Outline. Some people will take notes, others will not. Create your presentation so that the main points are unforgettable. You’ll need to limit those points to five or less and tie them directly to the purpose of your talk. (This is covered thoroughly in the Instant Speaking Success System.)

2. Furnish Handouts When Appropriate. When the setting allows use handouts that let the audience follow along. Some feel that fill in the blank type handouts are elementary. That’s possible for elite business meetings. The average audience member likes handouts because they feel involved in the message.

3. Provide Leave Behinds. Set up a table in the back of the room with extra materials that will help people apply the message. This can be a sheet with all your major points and sayings. A couple of pages that pinpoint some specific ways to take the talk to a higher level. Books and tapes that encourage deeper development. Make sure your contact information is on all resources, so you can be called for questions or future engagements.

4. Brainstorm Ideas. In smaller crowds you may be able to interact with the audience and create ideas on the spot. Say, “Before we leave it’s critical that we come up with five ways to make the information real in our daily lives. Let’s quickly brainstorm five ways to take this information and use it for transformation.”

5. Challenge the Group as You Close. One of the easiest ways to foster application is to tell the crowd exactly what to do. “Before you walk out of this room you need to commit to one of the following ways to apply this message. Write down the next fours concepts. After you finish writing them down, circle one or two that you will begin working on tonight.”

6. Encourage Follow Up. Ask the people to write you their success stories after they have applied the information. This will do two things. First it will allow the individual and you to see how powerful the principles are that you present. Second, the letter can be used as a testimonial. There is nothing more powerful in your marketing arsenal than a letter that tells the story of a changed life.

Paul Evans is the executive creator of http://www.InstantSpeakingSuccess.com and http://www.PresentationPowerSecrets.com His 20 years of public speaking experience help over 24,000 speakers around the work each week through his free public speaking ezine.

Five Secrets to Thinking on Your Feet

2005-10-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

By Ed Sykes

Many times we are put into situations where we are asked a
question and need to give an answer on the spot, or “think
on your feet.” It could be a sales or customer service
situation, your manager asking you for a progress report, a
request for your ideas on a new community project, or a job
interview.

During these times we can feel the pressure. Our heart
begins to race, we start to sweat, we feel our knees knocking,
or we want to hide under a rock. This is because sometimes
the answer we give could mean that big sale, the customer
being satisfied, a promotion or raise, or that dream job.

The following are five secrets to help you master your “thinking on your feet” skills:

1. Listen

Many times when we are in a high pressure situation where
we are so nervous we really don’t hear the actual question.
Been there, done that. To make sure we understand the
question and give the right answer do the following:

• Breathe slower (Benefit: Relaxes body and mind).

• Look directly at the questioner. (Benefit: Increases comprehension.)

• Ask questions (Benefit: increases clarity and shows you are listening).

2. Pause to Organize

It is okay to pause. Pause to gather your thoughts. When you pause you look and sound poised and in control.Remember, there is power in silence.

3. Repeat the Question

This has several benefits:

* Buys you time to think.

* Communicates a complete piece of information.

* Allows you to take control of the question by rephrasing
the question to a more positive light if needed.

* Enables everyone, if in a public setting, to hear the question.

4. Focus on One Main Point and Support It

The number one reason why we sometimes freeze up when
asked to think on our feet is because we have so many ideas
running around in our minds. We don’t know which idea to
mention.

Here’s the solution: Go with the first idea that comes to mind
and say it. By sticking with that one point you can focus on
two or three supporting points. You sound more direct and
confident when giving your answer.

5. Summarize and Stop (SAS)

End your answer with some SAS (Summarize and Stop). Give
your answer, summarize, and stop. Don’t apologize and
don’t ramble on beyond the finish. Try this trick: repeat the
essence of the question. For example, you may be asked,
“Why did you stop the project?” In your summary you
might say, “And that‘s why we decided to start another
project.” Then stop.

Give your answer, let them know the end is near by saying:

“In summary…”

“In conclusion…”

Then simply stop. Remember SAS.

Apply these techniques so that you can become a master at
“thinking on your feet” and give great answers. You can
practice these skills by joining Toastmasters. In their
meetings they have an exercise called “table topics,” in
which you can practice this skill in a supportive
environment.

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success
coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress
management, customer service, and team building. You can
e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at
(757) 427-7032. Go to his web site,
http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter,
OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and
Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."

Using The Imagination To Create A Great Presentation!

2005-10-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

By Olivia Stefanino

Alistair clearly knew his subject – but what was frightening him was the thought of the major presentation that he was going to be making in a month’s time.

Sheepishly, he acknowledged that he had managed to avoid making presentations in the past – choosing instead to delegate the task to his assistant manager.

But on this occasion, his assistant was working on a two month contract abroad – leaving Alistair with little choice but to get to grips with his fear of standing up in front of two hundred people for an hour.

Firstly, I asked Alistair to describe the emotions he was feeling regarding the prospect of making the presentation. Not surprisingly, he said that he felt overwhelming fear – particularly at the thought of making a fool of himself.

I spoke briefly with Alistair about the sub-conscious mind – and pointed out that its role as a “slave” meant that it would tend to deliver whatever Alistair spent his time thinking about.

By focusing on fear and the thought of making a fool of himself, Alistair was actually asking his sub-conscious mind to make this a reality for him. I cited the example of a client of mine who insisted that every Christmas he would come down with a cold.

Alistair’s eyes lit up with dawning comprehension when I pointed out that my client actually had no need for a cold each Christmas, but that because he believed he would have one, he was effectively programming his mind to produce a cold for him.

What Alistair needed was more than just positive thinking. I asked him to describe how he physically knew that he was experiencing fear. He explained that he felt his throat constricting and his stomach had “butterflies”.

I enquired whether he enjoyed roller coaster rides at fun fairs – and Alistair vigorously nodded and smiled. He acknowledged that before a ride he felt a great sense of anticipation and excitement.

“And how do you physically experience anticipation and excitement?” I asked. Again, Alistair replied that he experienced both emotions physically as throat constriction and butterflies in his stomach.

It wasn’t hard for Alistair to make the connection between the physical sensations that he was experiencing and the labels that he was giving them. After employing a few Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques with him, Alistair was soon able to envisage his forthcoming presentation with a sense of anticipation and excitement.

Finally, I asked him to spend ten minutes each morning and evening focusing on his giving a brilliant presentation – and to imagine the elation he would experience when everyone started clapping at the end of the event, perhaps even giving him a standing ovation!

Olivia Stefanino is a leadership development consultant and excecutive coach, who works with blue chip organisations, SMEs and individuals. To find out more – and to download your free e-booklet “128 ways to harness your personal power”, visit http://www.beyourownguru.com

The Ten Essential Tips On Writing A Powerful And Persuasive Presentation

2005-08-31T03:49:00.000-07:00

By Thomas Murrell

Have you ever had to give a speech?

Do you remember that feeling? A knot in the stomach, sweaty palms and a panic attack!

Not a very pleasant experience. And yet, I'm sure your speech was a success because 90 % of a typical audience want the speaker to succeed.

Yet according to the Book of Lists, speaking in public is one of our greatest fears.

Much of this anxiety is due to a lack of confidence in writing and preparing a speech rather than in the delivery.

Giving a presentation can be a great way to build your business, influence public opinion or share information with AFSA members.

It is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd and make a real difference in people's lives.

What are the secrets of writing a powerful and persuasive speech for
any occasion?

Here are 10 tips for turning a good speech into a great one!

1. Have a plan and set some objectives & outcomes.
There is nothing worse than not knowing what you want to achieve. Do you want to educate the audience, inform, inspire, motivate or touch their emotions. Before anything work out what you want to achieve.

2. Have a formal structure - beginning, middle and end.
Audiences love structure and the best speeches stick to this tried and true rule. As they say: "tell them what you're going to say, tell them and then tell them again".

3. Avoid having too much content.
Hands up those that are guilty of this sin. I know I am. I have lost count the number of technical presentations given by CEO's, managers, scientists,engineers, geologists and other professionals who have just put too much content into their presentations. Far too much for an audience to absorb - remember even the best audiences face information overload after 20 minutes.How do you overcome the content crisis? See Tip # 8.

4. Define who your audience is and use the most appropriate communication channels to reach them.
Analyse how your audience likes to take in information - do they like to be visually stimulated or do they enjoy just sitting back and listening. Or do they like to get involved to touch and feel in a kinaesthetic way. Work out the best mix of visual, audio and kinaesthetic and use this in your speechwriting.

5. Research your speech using a range of sources.
Be a keen observer of the trends your audience is likely to be interested in and keep of file of interesting articles and information. If you are time poor- a few quick questions when meeting an audience just prior to a speech,
such as "what are the issues facing your business/industry/association at
the moment?" can really help target your presentation and build rapport.

6. Use personal stories, examples and metaphors to make intangible concepts
tangible.
In many cases you are trying to sell ideas and concepts in a speech. These are intangible and often difficult for the audience to grasp. Personal
stories, examples and metaphors make the invisible visible.

7. Have a strong opening and closing.
People remember the opening - first impressions count! The closing is important as it should reinforce the key message you want the audience to go away with in their head after they have heard the presentation. Ending with a 'call to action' can be a powerful way to get your audience to act on your message.

8. Add value and extra detail through a handout.
Here's a tip: if you want to provide detail - put it in a handout! You can get far more content across in the written form than in a speech. Always
refer to this in your presentation but hand it out after your speech so the
audience is not distracted reading through it while you talk. There is
nothing more soul destroying for a presenter to see the audience leafing
through written notes rather than looking at you!

9. Use short words and plain English.
The short words are always the best words. Avoid jargon. Use active words instead of passive. This has far more impact in the minds of your listeners.

10. Evaluate and review on a regular basis.

There's nothing more powerful than to hear back a speech you've written. If you are writing a speech for someone else always try and hear the speech or at least get some feedback. Recording and listening back to a presentation
is the fastest way to improve your skills.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

If You Want Business - Throw a Seminar!

2005-06-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

By Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

Why is throwing a seminar good for business?

If you want to clean your house, you should throw a garage sale, and if you want to increase business, throw a seminar. A seminar is a way for you to contact many people all at once. It will pull in an audience that is interested in what you have to say. When you put on a seminar you generally go to mailing lists and contacts through organizations, plus past and present customers. The seminar will draw interest from the subject matter you are presenting. If you have a difficult time getting attendees, then perhaps a look at the topic is essential. No one will attend a seminar that does not have some impact on their business.

The mailing lists you choose to promote the seminar is also important. I recently put on a seminar called "The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling". I was new to the area and was not sure what kind of draw I would get. I had 5 weeks to get an audience. The first thing I did was to make sure I provided food in the way of a continental breakfast. Next I sent the invitation to the members of two Chambers of Commerce, my Rotary Club and other Rotarians with whom I was acquainted. I also asked people I knew if they had suggestions for inviting people they knew; in total I invited 400 people and got 117 reservations. The attendance at the event was 87. I was very pleased.

Through the seminar, I was able to launch my consulting business in the area of “Sales Process Consulting”. The leads I obtained through feedback forms were all qualified leads and when I called, they were all receptive to setting up a meeting with me.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.

Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in June 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com

Audience-Friendly Presentation Style Habits in Three Easy Steps

2005-06-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

By Susan Trivers

You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you are speaking in public. Where did these habits come from? Most likely you picked them up from watching other people give presentations, or they are carry-overs from your own conversational style. They tend to be so automatic that you aren’t really aware of them.

Many presentation habits are not audience-friendly. They prevent you from connecting with the audience; they bore the audience, or they make it hard for the audience to pay attention to you. If the audience feels remote and bored, it calculates a low Return on Investment for attending the presentation and will not follow your call-to-action.

The list below describes the poor habit and the audience-friendly habit you can use instead. These are habits my coaching clients frequently need to replace with better habits.

Poor presentation habits Audience-friendly presentation habits
Talking towards screen or slide Talking about media while facing the audience
Lack of eye contact with the audience Connecting with individual audience members for 2-3 seconds at a time
Reading bullets Explaining the information in your own words
Announcing or reading slide titles Opening each topic with an interesting and attention-getting statement
Boring transitions between presenters Value-add transitions between presenters that keep the story flowing
Audible "next slide, please" Hand gesture or nodding to indicate you're ready for the next slide
“Uhs" and "ums" between every thought Silent pauses while you're thinking

The best speakers analyze their presentation habits and make a plan to change their poor habits, one by one. How can you do the same?

Once you know your content fluently you can begin the analysis of your presentation style habits. Have a colleague video tape your presentation. Your helper should record your opening and 5 minutes following it, then about 5 minutes in the middle, and then the last 5 minutes. Short stretches spread out over the whole presentation will give you enough material to work with, but you won’t be overwhelmed with trying to analyze the whole thing.

Use these three techniques to add audience-friendly habits to your presentations:

1. Look at the video clips. Identify which of these poor habits you have. Be specific. The worst thing you can do to yourself is to make a general evaluation such as “I look terrible.”

2. Create an affirmative plan for change. Select one habit to improve. In order of importance, 1) start with habits that ignore the audience, such as lack of eye contact, and facing the slide/screen as you speak; 2) improve your oral content, so you say things in your own words; 3) work on substituting silent pauses for "uhs" and "ums" and using gestures/nods instead of "next slide, please.”

Your plan to improve eye contact could be to select two different people to look at during your next practice. Exaggerate at first, perhaps by actually counting to 3 or 4 while making eye contact, so you really get a feel for it. Ask your audience if they could tell who you were looking at. Practice again with other people.

The goal is to look at each individual in a group for 2-3 seconds several times throughout your presentation. When you’re speaking to a large group, you will want to make eye contact with a number of different people throughout the room.

3. Once you have added one audience-friendly habit to your presentation style, move on to another one. Taking your habits one at a time and creating a strategy for change for each one is more effective than trying to change many things at the same time.

When you Put the Audience first, and focus on how to increase the Return on Investment of every audience member, every time, you will find it easy to replace your poor speaking habits with audience-friendly ones.

Susan's expertise is coaching speakers from all industries, in all types of companies, and for every reason, so their presentations provide high value to the audience, and the presenter's standing is elevated. Call 703-790-1424 for your coaching appointment today.

Susan G. Trivers has helped hundreds of people learn great presentation habits, and coached them to use their new habits to replace poor ones. In fact, people she has helped have won over $7 billion worth of new business, giving them an extraordinary return on their invenstment.

Learn more about Susan's communication consulting and coaching at http://www.susantrivers.com. Sign up for her monthly newsletter, Create Magic in a Minute, download complimentary samples of her ebooks, and log on to Trivers Communications Group's Resources and Tips at http://blog.susantrivers.com

Copyright©2005 Susan G. Trivers

Presentation Skills: Be More Productive Using a Facilitator Mode

2005-06-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

By Neen James

There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there are also many different modes you can focus on. Are you a facilitator or an educator? The mode of facilitator is often misused in the corporate world and interchanged with words like trainer and educator. Facilitation is an exceptional skill, once you learn this skill you can boost your productivity and it can make you a better presenter.

A true facilitator is all about creating an environment where people feel safe and able to share their ideas freely. I believe the facilitator’s role is to act as a conduit. The first process a facilitator will undertake is to create operating agreements with their audience. It is the facilitator's role to remove any blockages and conflicts within the group. They allow the thought processes of the group to be processed and expressed. They are responsible for establishing an environment that does that.

If this is a mode you are interested in developing yourself, the main proficiencies for this mode include:

Removing personal agenda - a facilitator's role is to set the agenda with the group, not be running their own personal agenda. It is more powerful to seek to fill the agenda of the team and you will be more engaging to your audience.

Creating trust - this can be established in many ways for a presenter. It can occur before the presentation with communications circulated to the attendees, it can be built into the introduction for the facilitator and it can also be established when the agenda is set.

Respecting diversity - valuing each person's input and recognising the variety of expertise and experience within the audience is the sign of a great facilitator.

Having active listening skills - one of the most important skill for any facilitator is the need to be able to listen and process what the audience is saying ... and quickly. Listening intently will assist this.

A good facilitator may take several hours or days to create an environment where all the work may finally come together in the last hour. Don’t be fooled ... some may think a facilitator comes into a presentation or meeting unprepared but that is not the case. An exceptional facilitator spends time preparing by taking a comprehensive brief from the client, researching the group/audience they will be working with and determining the questions that need to be asked to facilitate the best environment.

A quick note: Many organisations choose to bring in external facilitators to work with teams to achieve objectives. An external facilitator is neutral, doesn’t participate in office politics and is not influenced by the management hierarchy. If you team is grid locked or not co-operating, an external facilitator can be a great solution for you.

In a true facilitation style you may not even have the first question for your audience! Every discussion is a question i.e. does this feel right for you? Every facilitator should have an arsenal of great questions in their tool kit. Those questions include:

How is that working for you?
How do you feel about that?
I’m having trouble understanding that?
Does anyone want to add anything to that?
What’s that a part of?
If you knew the answer to that, what would it be?
In your experience, is that correct?
Does that ring true for you?
What do you need to get more out of this?
So what else is coming up?
If you had more time, what would the answer be?
If you knew the answer, what would it look like?
What is the biggest problem with the world?
What is the biggest issue with the world?

Facilitators are able to hold the space in tension to understand. They don’t try to fill the silence. They are able to capture conversations, check people’s understanding and expose all opinions. Learning questioning techniques will increase your mastery of this mode.

Here is a Facilitation checklist for you to help build your skills in this mode ask yourself the following questions:

Do you have an arsenal of questions?
Are you an active listener?
Can you “hold the space” in the tension?
Can you continually ask questions rather than try and find solutions to the discussions?

When you master this facilitation mode you will become a more powerful and engaging presenter. This skill can assist you when you have a tough audience, when you need to change the environment and when you are helping a client find a solution.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

Grand Opening: The Key To Great Presentations

2005-06-20T01:44:00.000-07:00

By Ty Boyd

Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group or making a sales presentation, your opening can make or break the deal. Unless you grab the audience at the beginning, they’ll be sleeping through your most important information.

You must craft an opening that cannot be ignored. Great openings have three things in common:

– they grab the audience’s attention away from whatever else they’re thinking

– they maintain the audience’s interest

– they are colorful, not black and white

So, you might be wondering how to create an opening that will do all those things. Let’s look at my top three tips that will help you create your own grabber openings.

#1. Make a startling statement.

There is nothing like a statement that startles, either because it is so counterintuitive or so amazing, that it gets an audience to sit up and take notice. Here’s one friend Harry Hoover used recently in a talk about how to think like Leonardo da Vinci. “95 percent of what we know about the brain we have learned in the past 20 years.” Now, that got my attention.

#2. Use a powerful quotation.

You can find quotes from famous and not-so-famous people that are applicable either to the speech topic itself, to the audience or best of all to both. For instance, if you were speaking at a Democratic event on the subject of achievement, you might pull out this one from Rose Kennedy. “Superior achievement, or making the most of one’s capabilities, is to a very considerable degree a matter of habit.”

#3. Use historic events.

Historic events provide much fodder for openings. If you are giving a speech on perseverance on April 16th, see what happened on that day in history. For example: What do the mimeograph machine and the airplane have in common? Their inventors, A.B. Dick and Wilbur Wright were both born on April 16th, and they both toiled for years before their inventions were perfected.

Here’s a bonus tip for creating a grabber opening for a speech in a strange city. Check out the telephone directory. Toward the front, they have great information on local history, as well as more contemporary facts. It’s a great resource to help you connect with your audience. There you have my top tips for helping you craft grand openings. Now, go grab your next audience.

Ty Boyd, CEO of Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems
(http://www.tyboyd.com), is in the Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Speakers Hall of Fame. He has taught presentation skills to Fortune 1000 executives in more than 34 countries. His Excellence In Speaking Institute celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2005.

PowerPoint Presentations: How to Use This Tool More Effectively

2005-06-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

By Neen James

Many of us use PowerPoint to convey a message to both small and large groups. Too often we see “death by powerpoint” in the corporate environment where people don’t use it effectively. Get clever when using your PowerPoint – this article has 20 tips for becoming a more engaging presenter when you use this tool.

Only use a maximum of six (6) words on each line. Too many words is too much clutter and hard for your audience to read.

Only use a maximum of six (6) lines of text on each slide. If you have too many lines of text your audience will spend their time reading your slides and not listening to you speak.

Keep slides clear and uncluttered. Avoid using many graphics or too busy with information - make your message clear.

Use animation where relevant but don’t overdo it. This feature can really highlight a key message... or distract your audience if not done correctly.

Use sound effects and movie clips to enhance your presentation. This is a great technique when it works! Be sure to test your presentation in the live environment before you show your audience. Just because it worked at home or your office... doesn't always mean it will work when your audience appears.

Don’t talk to your Powerpoint … remember you have an audience that can read. Don't insult the intelligence of your audience and assume they can't read your slides. Use different words to the ones on your slides.

Keep your slides to a minimum – people want to hear your message not be distracted by too many slides. They have come to hear a real person, not an electronic presenter. Only use slides to enhance and reinforce your message.

Don’t use dark coloured backgrounds - this makes it hard to read from the back of the room. Be aware of the effects of different background colours.

Use large font only as small font is too hard to read from a distance.

Change the font size of words on the same slide to emphasize key words. Don't make every word the same font - if you want to make words stand out, use different colours and fonts.

Don’t rely on your PowerPoint – technology can sometimes fail us – know your content and also have a hard copy of your presentation with you at all times.

Get creative with photos and images <- use your own photos rather than existing clipart. Most people are aware of the clipart available, show them something they haven't seen before.

Don’t use Italic font - it is too hard to read.

Avoid using all capital letters as it is also difficult to read. In email etiquette this is seen as shouting, PowerPoint could be interpreted the same way.

Test the colours on a large screen as some may change from your laptop to the large projection.

Create a master slide - this might include your logo and in your corporate colours to reinforce your brand.

Use a remote controlled mouse or plan your movement and slide design so that you are not bound to your keyboard location.

Know how to navigate Powerpoint - in the event you press your mouse incorrectly or your system falters it is important to look like you know how to use this tool.

Learn how to insert tables, graphs, graphics and photos to enhance your presentation – rather than just using text.

Attend a course to increase your Powerpoint skills and learn creative ways to use this tool.

Don't kill your audience with 'death by PowerPoint' - find creative ways to use this tool and you will become a more engaging and on-purpose presenter.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com/

How To Make Your Best Ever Presentation

2005-06-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

By Graham Jones

The most important tip...EVER!

Make sure that you always think of your audience - when preparing your talk, writing it and presenting it. Put yourself in the audience's position at all times and your presentation will go with a swing. Remember your audience does not want to know how marvellous you are, or how brilliant your product is. What they do want to know is something that will help them. Find out what your audience needs to know first and your presentation will be bound to succeed.

The second most important tip...EVER!

When you prepare your presentation do not include any bullet points or text whatsoever. All your slides should be pictures, illustrations, charts, cartoons etc. That way your audience does not have to read anything and can concentrate on what you are saying. Equally, if you lose your way in your presentation it is not obvious - with text, the audience knows you've made a mistake!

The third most important tip...EVER!

MOVE! Whenever you are presenting make sure you move. Animation helps your audience and it helps you. Movement stops your muscles from tensing and also puts extra air into your lungs. When you move you relax. When you relax you perform better. So don't be static, get moving!

Use flow charts

If you need to demonstrate the way a project is proceeding or how you plan to achieve something, use a flow chart rather than a list of bullet points. This way you can make the flow chart visual, using icons and symbols.

Avoid too much colour

Try not to make your slides loo like an explosion in a paint factory! Too much colour will be distracting. Try to use 'complementary' colours which you'll find opposite each other on the 'colour wheel' found in most software packages that can produce slides. For instance, you'll find that yellow is opposite red on the wheel. Never use colours that are next to each other on a colour wheel as they will clash.

Prepare different handouts

Many people give printed copies of slides as their handouts. This is next to useless as the slides rarely make sense without the accompanying spoken words. So, the best handouts are those which are a written version of your talk - simply write a summary article with plenty of subheadings and bullet points. That way your audience will be able to review what you said more easily. True it takes more time to do this, but it is considerably more effective. Top presenters never give handouts of their slides.

About The Author

Graham Jones B.Sc.(Hons) B.A. (Hons)(Psychol) is one of Britain's leading public speakers and presentation educators. He is a member of the Professional Speakers Association and runs The Presentation Business
(http://www.presentationbiz.co.uk)

info@presentationbiz.co.uk

Present for Success: Simple Strategies to Add Confidence and Credibility to Your Next Presentation

2005-06-10T01:45:00.000-07:00

By Dana Bristol-Smith

Tomorrow’s the day and you’re dreading it. You’re scheduled to give a presentation to the senior management team about the new program you’re proposing. You’re excited and enthusiastic about the program but nervous and anxious about the presentation. You don’t know how you’ll manage to sleep tonight. These thoughts keep running through your mind; What if I stumble? What if I talk too fast? What if they get bored? What if they ask questions and my mind goes blank?

Do any of these sound familiar? If you answered yes, don’t worry! Try some of these simple strategies for your next presentation to help you build confidence and credibility with your audiences.

Developing your presentation

Change the paradigm: Think from your listeners’ perspective.

If you can change your focus from, "What do I want to communicate?" to, "What does the audience need to hear and understand?" you can be a more relevant and engaging presenter. By focusing on your listeners’ needs, rather than on yourself, you can relax and let that focus guide you through the development and delivery of your presentation.

Here are the essential questions that will help you stay on track:

Who is your audience?

What is most important to them?

What is their current level of knowledge on your topic?

What do they want or need to know about this topic?

If you can’t answer the above questions, it’s important that you do some research to find the answers. If your presentation is an educational or training session, you might want to send out a pre-class questionnaire or survey to learn the current knowledge level of your audience. This can be a simple 5 to 10-question, one-page document that you email or fax. If your presentation is more informational or persuasive, you might want to make some phone calls to learn what you can about your audience.

What’s your objective?

Every presentation you give should have an objective or purpose. Why? Because your objective will help ensure that you stay focused on the topic. And, by defining your objective in the beginning of the development process, you’ll save time.

Structure

Utilize a presentation structure that consists of a beginning, middle and end. In presentation language these components are called the opening, body and close. The purpose of the opening is to introduce yourself and your topic. The opening gives a short preview of the information you plan to cover. You may also want to include some startling data or a quotation. The main purpose of the opening is to get your audiences’ attention. The body of the presentation contains the main ideas and details you want to convey, while the close is the ending. During the close, you may wish to provide a summary of your main points to help the audience remember them. Also, any action items of follow-up information should be in the close.

Delivering your presentation

About nervousness

Most people feel nervous and anxious before giving a presentation. This fear and anxiety can start the minute they’ve been given the assignment and can last until the presentation is over. It’s important that we accept the fact that we’re going to be nervous and learn how to work with it. Try this three-step process developed by Lee Glickstein of Speaking Circles International to ease your nerves:

1. Feel your feet on the ground.

This will help to set a firm foundation for you and has a calming effect.

2. Breathe. And, most importantly, notice that you are breathing.

Most of us when we are nervous or anxious tend to hold our breath and that only makes us feel worse.

3. Speak every word to the eyes and heart of another human being.

Every time you stand in front of any audience, you are building a relationship. If you want people to listen and pay attention to you, you have to listen and pay attention to them. By having a more personal connection with your audience you will develop rapport faster. By looking at people individually, not seeing a group, you can be more relaxed and at ease. Try to have a one-on-one conversation with everyone in the room.

Five strategies to project confidence

1. Reduce your usage of filler words.

Filler words are words that we say unconsciously that add no meaning to our communications. Examples of filler words are um, uh, ah, okay, so, you know, well, but, like, etc. The big problem with filler words is that if you use them frequently, they tend to chip away at your credibility and can make you sound unsure and unprepared. To start reducing usage, you first have to become aware of when and how frequently you use them. The best way to do this is to either audiotape or videotape yourself giving a presentation. Then listen, or better yet, have someone else listen to the tape for filler words. Provide a checklist of filler words and ask the reviewer them count how many you use. It’s fine to use one here and there—using them repeatedly is the problem. Once you have an awareness of which filler words you use, you can start trying to reduce them. Substitute a pause where the filler words would normally occur and your listeners will thank you.

2. Be aware of body language and posture.

Just as mother used to say, stand up straight. Posture is important. Walk with erect posture and confident strides. Also have an awareness of your body language. Show confidence with an open body position. This means hands at your sides not crossed in front of you or hidden in pockets. Keep your hands where the audience can see them and use gestures for emphasis.

3. Remember that you are the expert.

You probably know more than your audience does about your topic. That puts you at an advantage and should instill confidence. Remember, though, to be relevant. You need to know your audience’s level of knowledge on your topic so you can start where they are.

4. Keep your cool when things get hot.

No matter what happens, keep your composure. If you are using technology, be warned: It is bound to malfunction just when you need it most. For peace of mind, have a Plan B ready just in case. If you can think in advance about what might go wrong, and have a contingency plan ready, you can continue and keep your cool. Every presenter has a personal horror story of how the laptop or projector crashed in the middle of their presentation. Be prepared.

5. Have a good time.

If you are having a good time, chances are, so is your audience. Put a smile on your face and be excited and enthusiastic in your delivery. You will breathe life even into dull subjects and help your listeners be engaged in your talk.

The close

I hope you’ll practice some of the strategies listed here. Don’t feel that you have to do all of them during your next presentation. You might want to think about what your biggest presentation challenge is and pick one improvement that you’d like to make. I can guarantee that you’ll feel more confident as you incorporate and practice these suggestions. And remember: Do what you can to enjoy your time at the front of the room and your audiences will enjoy you.

About The Author

Dana is the author of the interactive manual Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking. Please visit her website http://www.speakforsuccess.net

Dana Bristol-Smith is the founder of Speak for Success, an organization that works with companies that want their people to communicate with confidence and credibility. Companies hire Dana to give skill-building workshops and to provide coaching. She has delivered presentations and training to more than 100,000 people since 1992.

You can reach Dana via email at mail to: dana@speakforsuccess.net

Cell Phone Do's And Don't During A Meeting

2005-06-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

By Scott Ginsberg

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there’s a scary question. It’s hard to imagine a world without them. But cell phones, connected as they may keep us, seem to have an amazing power to disturb and trump face to face interaction. For example, why is it that during a meal or a meeting, people insist on taking every call? Even worse, just let the phone ring? They forget all about the person across the table as if they were invisible!

This violates the golden rule of interpersonal communication, which is to make the other person feel like the most important person in the world.

The following is a list of cell phone do’s and don’ts that will help you avoid embarrassing yourself while still honoring the person across the table. (This information is NOT found in the 147 page Sprint PCS handbook.) Whether you’re at lunch or in a one-on-one meeting, use these etiquette tips to combat even the most enticing barriers that stand in your way of being an effective communicator.

DO…Be Subtle Yet Accessible
The three possible locations to keep your phone are: bag, belt or pocket. Many people chose to keep cell phones in their bags because of pocket-less wardrobes. If this is the case for you, be sure to choose a vibrating or single beep ring that is audible, yet minimal so it doesn’t ring seven times while you search through your bag.

Pockets and belt clips are the most efficient places to keep your phone because you are able to answer the ringer right away. Also you can silence the ringer right away. Remember, the last thing your friend or colleague wants to hear during the meeting is an annoying MIDI version of Beethoven’s 9th piercing his ears.

DO NOT…Lay Your Phone on the Table
The moment you sit down to lunch with someone, what’s the first thing you do? Check out the menu? Take a sip of water? Unfold your napkin? If you’re like me, you succumb to the power of the almighty carbohydrate and go to town on the rolls.

But imagine this: you sit down to eat only to watch the person across the table reach into her pocket, grab her cell phone, and smack it right down next to the salt shaker. Ouch.

Does that mean she has an emergency call coming in? Probably not. It sounds more like, as Jerry Seinfeld says, “I have 62 other people on speed dial that I could call if I wanted to; so you better be interesting.” That is not the way to make someone feel important.

DO…Take Emergencies
If you know ahead of time that an incoming call is a business or personal emergency, answer it. This is what cell phones are for. But other than an emergency message or a call that directly affects all people the conversation at hand, there’s nobody calling you that can’t wait an hour for you to call him back. In the history of cell phones, nobody has ever said, “You were in a meeting?! And THEN you called me back?! How rude!”

DO NOT…Wear Phone Accessories During the Meeting
If you sit through an entire meeting wearing an earpiece, headset or any other hands-free-time-saving-quick-answer-annoying-accessory, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s like taking your spouse to a singles bar!

Nonverbal communication speaks before you do. It accounts for 93% of your communication. So, along with eye contact, smiling and open body language – involvement shields like cell phone headsets can nonverbally send the wrong message, for example: “Please anticipate our meeting being interrupted by somebody more important than you.”

DO NOT…Let Your Phone Ring Twelve Times
Especially if your cell phone ring is audible from Jupiter, always silence the ringer after three beeps - or in some cases, symphonies. Odds are you’re annoying the heck out of someone else in the room, namely, the person sitting two feet across the table. Most cell phones have buttons on the outside that double as ring silencers. Use ‘em. Consult your manual and learn how to quickly silence your phone while it’s still in your pocket. If you happen to sport the Clint Eastwood Quick Draw Cell Phone Holster, great! Silencing should be even easier. No excuses.

DO…Turn It Off
A fool-proof solution to cell phone interruption is best personified by the words of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid II. He said, “The best way to block a punch is to not be there.” In other words, just turn your phone off. This is a great way to avoid incoming calls or the temptation to make outgoing calls.

DO NOT…Insult the Absent
Some people answer their phones during a meeting or meal and try to compensate for their rudeness by insulting the person on the other line – as if this makes up for it. They roll their eyes. They give you the “just a minute” index finger. They impatiently bob their head back and forth to the rhythm of their boring conversation while forming their non-phone hand into the “Quack Quack” gesture which symbolizes someone on the other line who won’t shut up. Meanwhile you’re sitting there like an idiot, feeling bad for the person on the other end of the phone, deciding whether or not you should have another roll.

DO…Wait for the Right Time
The best time to check missed calls that you politely silenced is when you or your colleague is away from the table. This will give you enough time to see what you missed, and if need be – return an emergency call. And if you must return the call immediately, don’t do it at the table. Politely say, “Please excuse me for a minute, but I have to take this call.”

Some sneaky people – my last date for example - pretend to use the bathroom for the sole purpose of making a phone call. This is an effective technique, but be careful. If you’ve had a few glasses of water, ten minutes later when you really do have to go, you’ll turn into “The Boy Who Cried Hello.”

DO NOT…Debate the Caller ID
Nothing is more frustrating than to be on the other end of the “Caller ID Debate.” If you’re not familiar with this atrocity, here are the four steps. (1) They give you the “just a minute” index finger, (2) They check their caller ID, (3) They tilt their head and stare at the phone for 2-5 seconds, and (4) They make a decision to answer the call or return to your conversation. This is terribly uncomfortable. You actually watch your friend (?) decide whether or not there’s someone else she’d rather talk to. Ouch.

The Bottom Line
Cell phones have become a primary form of communication. In fact, manufacturers will ship 585 million phones in 2004, according to a study from market watcher Strategy Analytics. But with every phone shipped comes a coefficient of frustration caused by improper etiquette. Show consideration for the person joining you and be mindful of ringers, accessories and incoming calls. And if you use your cell phone at the right time for the right reason, you will honor your company as an effective communicator.

Remember: don’t incur the opportunity cost of cell phone convenience at the expense of someone sitting right across the table. You’re sitting down with him. Talk to HIM!

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "the world's foremost field expert on nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He works with people and organizations who want to become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

Presentation Skill Mistakes

2005-06-10T01:12:00.000-07:00

By Patricia Weber

Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4 day work conference! I decided to sit in on both days of business presentations hoping there would be a nugget or two I could share with you.

Presenting to an audience of 100 to 300 top producers were executives of a large company. While overall the presentations were good, three pet peeves of mine were running wild at times. I bring them to your attention in hopes that you won't hold your audiences of any size, whether 3 or 3,000, hostage to these presentation blunders, my top pet peeves.

First - annoying fillers like "um," "uh," or even phrases like "you know." If you previously downloaded and read my Top 52 Presentation Tips, this is one of the plagues affecting many of us who present ideas or products in any setting! Using fillers is one certain way to bore your audience and set people to doodling on any piece of paper in front of them or staring blankly into the air. Start to assess your use of fillers and if you find them in your speech - begin to put a silent pause in their place. With enough practice, you'll eliminate them altogether!

Second - read off bullet points directly from the slides! As children we huddle around our teacher as he or she holds up the book being read so we can see the pictures and the words. As children we are learning! As adults, a speaker's slide presentation supports and can guide them through their presentation. When I listen to a speaker I want to hear their mind, their heart and their style. I can read points on a slide on my own so please, don't be like a child's teacher; be someone who adds value, life and personality to your presentation.

Third - spending long lengths looking at one part of the audience. Have you ever noticed how some speakers limit the movement of their head and eyes? How sometimes speakers avoid eye contact or attention with where you are sitting? It's annoying and insulting.

To stay out of trouble with audience blunders: don't annoy and don't insult.

Copyright© Patricia Weber, http://www.prostrategies.com

Pat Weber is a coach, certified telelcass leader, and corporate trainer She is most noted for dauntless energy and provocative motivation. Clients appreciate her incisive, effective communication skills. With personal coaching, a teleclass, an online email course or on-site workshop, you can rid yourself of frustration, deal with your overwhelm, and discover how you can get what you want, more easily and more often.

Visit her website at http://www.prostrategies.com, sign up for a free Newsletter Subscription to Crux of the Matter and get the free report 52 Presentation Tips Without PowerPoint.

Speech in Business

2005-06-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

By Lance Winslow

The social skills of a small businessperson, franchisee, independent contractor or manager are all important. Speech and body language are first impressions and weigh heavily on the decision making process of a potential prospect or customer. As the old adage goes, ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ We’ve talked about image and along with your marketing, your sale is halfway done. You’re half way home. Please don’t blow it by saying the wrong things such as “That’s a damn nice car” or “Those stains by the carpet and furniture ain’t comin’ off, cuz.”

SO THEN WHAT DO I SAY?

You can order and receive a sales tapes to listen to, which can help you. They might have ice breaker ideas for greeting customers and teach you how to say what you mean in a most professional manner. Learn them, adapt them and make them work for you.

Each person, every individual has a different displacement, a different energy level, a different set of experiences, which good or bad, have led them to where they are. This is true for everyone, even you. We don’t expect each sales line to work for everyone. If they all work for you, you are probably a very shallow person. Some you won’t feel comfortable hearing. While all these lines have worked for one or more individuals, they might not work for you. Variations of these lines will work when you put on the spin that fits your personality. Listen to the tapes while working in your small business.

Practice using roll playing techniques and most of all be yourself, Think about it.

Lance Winslow