7 top tips for a
stunning talk or presentation
Whether you’re preparing a PowerPoint presentation
or giving a talk, with these free tips you’ll be speaking
in public with greater confidence in no time!
1. Plan
Make sure your audience can easily follow the structure of your
talk. This will make them more comfortable and attentive.
Grab attention at the start, develop your theme
and then wrap things up at the end with a challenge or a question
– something to keep people’s minds on your talk. Vary
your voice in pitch and volume. Animate with gestures and facial
expression. Show your audience what you really feel about what you’re
saying. Live your talk!
2. Prepare
Buying a house is all about location. Giving a talk is all about
preparation. There are no short-cuts! And remember, the shorter
the length of your talk, the longer it will take to prepare.
Have you ever sat through a talk and noticed
people nodding off around you? It’s a presenter’s worst
nightmare. You can make sure that doesn’t happen to you by
planning carefully what you’re going to say, how you’re
going to say it and how long it will take. And is there time for
questions afterwards?
Video or tape yourself, or at least run through
your talk in front of another human being before you actually do
it. It’s a great way of picking up on any parts where your
voice becomes monotone or squeaky or where you need to adjust your
content.
3. Break the ice
At the beginning, you could use a relevant anecdote to engage the
audience. Or, why not read an interesting quote to get them thinking
about the subject? And maybe get them involved in some way by asking
them a relevant question, and getting them to raise their hands.
It’s a great way of making them feel involved. Alternatively,
why not ask the audience a probing question, or a rhetorical one,
to fire their imaginations and set the scene for your presentation?
4. Keep it memorable
Everyone is different, but we are generally very visual creatures.
That doesn’t mean you can simply list lots and lots of bullet
points on a slide! During a presentation, we remember text the least,
so give your audience a mental picture of the point you’re
making, but avoid littering your talk with too many visual aids.
Make sure your voice is interesting and lively, and use language
that conjures up the sights, sounds, aromas and feelings connected
with the things you’re talking about. Use pictures, graphs,
visual aids and other props, as necessary.
5. Use the phenomenal power of ‘3’
Have you ever listened to a market trader selling his wares? When
talking about price, he’s likely to say, “Not ten pounds!
Not even seven pounds! Today you can have it for just FIVE pounds!”
The number ‘3’ is an interesting one. Politicians will
use three points in their speeches and taglines. Advertisers do
the same thing. Estate agents talk about “Location, location,
location.” The brain finds it relatively easy to grasp three
things, so remember that in your presentation.
6. Prepare yourself
Take care of your voice by drinking lots of water and getting a
good night’s sleep. Avoid dairy foods, chocolate, alcohol
and other acidic foods before you talk. If you’re nervous,
breathe out and then let the breath come back in naturally. Do that
3 times as it will make you feel calmer. Make friends with the adrenalin
and the space you occupy. Your audience wants you to do well.
The only way to improve and to overcome fear is
to just do it. We will help you find your courage, get out there
and be you. And most of all… enjoy it!
For additional help with your talks, presentations
and using your voice for maximum impact, contact Cheryl Hawkins
today and find out more about her voice tuition programmes.
click
here to email
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