Becoming a Better Speaker

In this insightful presentation, Jeff Davidson discusses how to persuasively impact audiences, in meetings large and small. To diminish the "fear of public speaking" he will focus on the basics of effective public speaking, and then include advanced topics such as how to avoid excessive perspiration while speaking, and what to do if you "blank out" in mid-presentation.

         Reinforcing what you say to an audience with participant packets, formally known as handouts. They could be distributed before, during, or after your presentation, based on your method of delivery, how you want audience members to interact, and what you want them to retain.

         Spoon feeding your audience at every opportunity. The old saying,"tell them what you are going to tell them and then tell them what you told them"has never been more important. However, you need to do this in a creative way.

         Recognizing the listeners' pain throughout your presentation. If they are in customer service, acknowledge the kinds of ordeals that they experience on a daily basis. If they are in sales, find out the burning issues that confront them, and keep acknowledging them throughout your presentation. Nothing will endear you to your audience faster and help maintain that precious relationship more than a keen display of your knowledge of their hardships and predicaments.

         There are many ways to successfully deliver a presentation and many more to fail at it. Three common mistakes, for example, that speakers make include:

        Failing to Know Your Audience: Beyond understanding the setting and why you are invited to speak, knowing the audience is itself an art and a science.

•  Who are they?
•  What is their age range?
•  What is their educational background?
•  How long have they been with the organization?
•  What is this particular meeting designed to do?

        Probe even further. How far have they come? Do they know each other or are they assembling for the first time? What will they hear before and after the presentation? What did they hear last year or at a similar meeting? How would they like to feel and what would they like to"get"as a result of your presentation-when they leave the room, how will they be changed? Unless you find answers to these types of questions, and there isn't much more that you could know, don't accept the presentation. Without this information, your presentation may hit the mark if you are incredibly lucky, but chances are that you will simply dance around the periphery of what you need to do and say to be successful.

        Not Arriving With Sufficient Clearance Time: Whether your presentation is across the world, across the country, or across town, increase your probability of success by arriving in plenty of time. This may require coming in the night before you're scheduled to present. When you arrive early, you gain a considerable advantage which can often be the make-or-break factor in the success of your presentation. You get to settle in, calm down, check out the facilities, walk the room, talk to people, check out equipment, and arrange things. In doing so, you give yourself the edge over the speaker who arrives"just in time."

•  The value of "knowing your audience"
•  Ideas on how to rapidly improve in at public speaking
•  Ways to organize for a smoother delivery
•  Keeping your content fresh
•  Pacing yourself to ensure that your delivery well-received