Since effective speaking and presentation skills are one key to success, there’s no reason not to bump up your abilities with these simple tips & bits.
Nine Ways to Elevate Your Presentation and Speaking Skills to Black Belt Level
- Don’t rely on technology.
Talk to and with your audience and only use technology to occasionally support what you’re saying.
- Avoid needing live Internet connections
Consider instead embedding a video or a screenshot.
- Don’t switch screens
Flip flopping between your presentation and media player kills momentum.
- Use a remote
Don’t spend all your time at the keyboard. A remote allows you to roam and connect.
- Trust your remote
Don’t point your remote when you click it as that only draws attention to it, and away from you.
- Put issues aside
The audience won’t care what issues you had getting there, either technically or otherwise, so focus on your listeners and what you have to say.
- Stand your ground
Start by standing at center stage for the first five minutes.
- Avoid notes if you can
This can be a challenge so if you need an inner prompt fall back on the basic – who, what, when, where, why, and how, and answer those questions for the audience.
- Go hands free if you can
It’s hard to hold a mic well so get a clip-on mic if you can.
Five Ways to Create More Value in Your Presentations
- Don’t sell, solve
Aim to position yourself as a resource, not a vendor. Incorporate research when and where you can.
- Provide value-based marketing materials
Consider providing whitepapers, reports, checklists, and tip booklets rather than the usual handouts which are often just thrown away.
- Get your talk accredited for continuing education credits
Lots of organizations require continuing education for professional designations. Partner with one of them to meet those requirements in your presentation.
- Give a freebie
For instance, giving complimentary consultations to attendees adds value to your talk.
- Form partnerships with noncompeting professionals
This allows you to share expenses, combine knowledge, and offer different perspectives on a shared topic.
Presentation Tips for Public Speaking
- Speak with conviction
- Maintain eye contact
- Speak to your audience, not at them
- Listen to questions
- Change direction as needed – if you’re losing your audience, change direction.
- Pause so audience can reflect
- Humor is good
- Know when to stop talking
Here’s a Great Public Speaking blog