How
To Improve Speaker Skills
By Dennis Sommer (www.dennissommer.com)
Guess what? Your boss has just asked you to give a short
presentation to top management next week. How you present
yourself at meetings can make a big difference in your
career, your professional status, and your self-esteem.
We offer tips for delivering an effective and dazzling
presentation at your next meeting.
1.
Speak Up.
Before it’s your turn to speak, make sure you contribute
something to the meeting. The feeling of having all eyes
on you can be overwhelming. Get that sensation out of
the way fast by asking a question or commenting on another
issue. Everyone will look at you, and you won’t
be such a curiosity when you get up to speak.
2. Stand Up.
Even if the presentation is to a group of peers who
don’t normally stand up, do it anyway. The formality
suggests you are serious about your message and you
consider it worthy of their attention. If you’re
the only presenter to stand up you’ll have the
advantage of being different and, therefore, more memorable.
It may feel awkward at first, but the increased attention
you command makes it worth the effort.
3. Stand Close.
When you’re nervous there’s a natural tendency
to step back away from the group or hide behind a table
or podium. Don’t do it. Physical barriers only
put distance between you and your audience. If you want
to have maximum impact, stand as close to your audience
as you might if you were talking one on one, 2 feet
away.
4. Keep it short.
Every good presentation has an agenda and a timeline.
Find out how much time has been put aside for you and
aim to be finished early.
5. Visualization.
Remember how fun it was to see what the other kids brought
to show and tell in kindergarten? That’s because
the visual element of a presentation usually is the
most memorable. Whether you use props, slides, or a
slick Power Point, people will remember things they
see. So don’t just stand up and talk about your
subject, show it.
6. Save Handouts for Last.
When handing everyone in the group a big stack of paper
before the presentation all eyes will go to the paper,
audience members will start reading ahead and tune out
the presenter. Remember, participants can read for themselves.
Present the highlights of your subject and distribute
your paperwork when you finish. You want to be the center
of attention during the meeting.
About The Author
- Dennis Sommer
 Dennis
Sommer is the founder and CEO of Executive Business Advisers,
a management consulting firm helping senior executives
maximize both sales and profit growth. Dennis specializes
in strategic planning, sales, marketing and operations
performance improvement.
Dennis is a highly
sought after author, keynote and seminar speaker on
sales, leadership and business best practices.
Contact Dennis at www.executivebusinessadvisers.com
or www.dennissommer.com
.
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