Fellow speaker,
During your Q&A (question and answer) session, repeatedly make your speech's point.
Repeating,
Tim
July 31, 2009
Fix-it person
Fellow speaker,
If your presentation doesn't go as well as you would have liked and you have a question and answer session, use the question and answer session as an opportunity to better explain your points.
Redoing,
Tim
If your presentation doesn't go as well as you would have liked and you have a question and answer session, use the question and answer session as an opportunity to better explain your points.
Redoing,
Tim
July 29, 2009
Eyes front!
Fellow speaker,
When using a flip chart, write so that you face the audience.
Facing,
Tim
When using a flip chart, write so that you face the audience.
Facing,
Tim
Getting lettered
Fellow speaker,
When using flip charts, make sure the letters are at leatst 2 inches tall and have a separation of at least 3 inches between lines.
Between the lines,
Tim
When using flip charts, make sure the letters are at leatst 2 inches tall and have a separation of at least 3 inches between lines.
Between the lines,
Tim
July 27, 2009
July 26, 2009
Flipping out
Fellow speaker,
Prepare flip charts in advance of your speech, and then flip through it in the same way you would a slide presentation.
Flipping,
Tim
Prepare flip charts in advance of your speech, and then flip through it in the same way you would a slide presentation.
Flipping,
Tim
30 feet
Fellow speaker,
Make sure the letters on your slide are big enough to be read from 30 feet away.
Bigly,
Tim
Make sure the letters on your slide are big enough to be read from 30 feet away.
Bigly,
Tim
July 24, 2009
Theme park
Fellow speaker,
When giving slide presentations, always remember to keep your theme "front and center" in the audience's mind. So after you show a slide, reinforce the theme. For example, if your theme is "this company needs globalization", after you show a slide, say something like, "...and that's why globalization will position our company ahead of our competitors."
Theming,
Tim
When giving slide presentations, always remember to keep your theme "front and center" in the audience's mind. So after you show a slide, reinforce the theme. For example, if your theme is "this company needs globalization", after you show a slide, say something like, "...and that's why globalization will position our company ahead of our competitors."
Theming,
Tim
July 23, 2009
Cueing up
Fellow speaker,
When you are about to present the next slide in your presentation "cue up" the slide with:
Tim
When you are about to present the next slide in your presentation "cue up" the slide with:
- Take a look at this...
- Here's a picture of what I'm talking about...
- This is how it breaks down...
- As you can see here...
Tim
July 22, 2009
Shut up!
Fellow speaker,
After you have talked about a point and then shown the slide to illustrate your point...be quiet. Let the audience focus in on the slide and understand for themselves how this slide makes your point. Then you can blank the screen (press the "b" key) and continue your talk.
Quietly,
Tim
After you have talked about a point and then shown the slide to illustrate your point...be quiet. Let the audience focus in on the slide and understand for themselves how this slide makes your point. Then you can blank the screen (press the "b" key) and continue your talk.
Quietly,
Tim
July 21, 2009
Tell then show
Fellow speaker,
When doing a slide presentation, first blank the screen (by hitting the "b" key) talking about what people are going to see, and then present the slide for it onscreen. This will make sure that people pay attention to what you say, and that they don't "split their focus" by focusing on both you and the slide at once (in this contest, the slide always wins!).
Telling,
Tim
When doing a slide presentation, first blank the screen (by hitting the "b" key) talking about what people are going to see, and then present the slide for it onscreen. This will make sure that people pay attention to what you say, and that they don't "split their focus" by focusing on both you and the slide at once (in this contest, the slide always wins!).
Telling,
Tim
July 20, 2009
Book 'em!
Fellow speaker,
Make two sets of presentation books of your slides for your audience. One book you hand out to your audience at the beginning of your presentation and contains graphics only. The second book you hand out at the end of your presentation and contains all the information and graphics from your presentation.
Double booking,
Tim
Make two sets of presentation books of your slides for your audience. One book you hand out to your audience at the beginning of your presentation and contains graphics only. The second book you hand out at the end of your presentation and contains all the information and graphics from your presentation.
Double booking,
Tim
Graphic types
Fellow speaker,
Some basic graphic types for use with your business slides:
Tim
Some basic graphic types for use with your business slides:
- Trend lines
- Bar charts
- Step charts
- Pie charts
Tim
Questionable graphics
Fellow speaker,
When using graphics with your slides, ask yourself:
Tim
When using graphics with your slides, ask yourself:
- Does this picture reveal a business change?
- Does this picture reflect a believable new, existing, or future situation?
- Are those situations well represented by graphics?
- Do these graphics connect in with the presentation's message?
Tim
July 17, 2009
May I have the next color please?
Fellow speaker,
When using colors in your slides make each color stand for a concept or point in your presentation. Consistently use that color to represent that concept or point.
Consistently,
Tim
When using colors in your slides make each color stand for a concept or point in your presentation. Consistently use that color to represent that concept or point.
Consistently,
Tim
July 16, 2009
Simply graphical
Fellow speaker,
When using diagrams in your slides such as tables, pie charts, etc., try to keep them as simple as possible. Ask yourself, "What is the least amount of information I need to make this point?" For example, let's say your point is sales have increased from $10 million last year to $25 million this year. Create a graph of this change. Now take out all the numbers in the graph and on both axes. Put the words "$10 million" next to the first sales figure and the words "$25 million" on the last sales figure.
Simply,
Tim
When using diagrams in your slides such as tables, pie charts, etc., try to keep them as simple as possible. Ask yourself, "What is the least amount of information I need to make this point?" For example, let's say your point is sales have increased from $10 million last year to $25 million this year. Create a graph of this change. Now take out all the numbers in the graph and on both axes. Put the words "$10 million" next to the first sales figure and the words "$25 million" on the last sales figure.
Simply,
Tim
July 15, 2009
Graphics good, Tables bad
Fellow speaker,
When using slides reporting good news use graphics. When using slides reporting bad news use tables. The good news graphics will "pop out" at the audience, while the bad news tables will be less obvious.
Goodly,
Tim
When using slides reporting good news use graphics. When using slides reporting bad news use tables. The good news graphics will "pop out" at the audience, while the bad news tables will be less obvious.
Goodly,
Tim
One image per customer
Fellow speaker,
Make sure to use one image on each slide for each concept. This way each concept gets its own focus and important concepts are not lost an overcrowded slide.
Oneing,
Tim
Make sure to use one image on each slide for each concept. This way each concept gets its own focus and important concepts are not lost an overcrowded slide.
Oneing,
Tim
July 14, 2009
Get to the point
Fellow speaker,
Make only one point per slide. If you have multiple points to make, make a slide for each point.
Keeping it simple,
Tim
Make only one point per slide. If you have multiple points to make, make a slide for each point.
Keeping it simple,
Tim
July 13, 2009
That mission thing
Fellow speaker,
The "mission statement" of your speech is you want the audience to do after our speech. Make sure your audience walks away from your speech understanding their mission and the next steps they need to take.
Missioning,
Tim
The "mission statement" of your speech is you want the audience to do after our speech. Make sure your audience walks away from your speech understanding their mission and the next steps they need to take.
Missioning,
Tim
July 12, 2009
Slow down!
Fellow speaker,
To help yourself slow down and be more deliberate in your presentation, read your speech out loud and:
Practicing pauses,
Tim
To help yourself slow down and be more deliberate in your presentation, read your speech out loud and:
- Pause one second at a comma
- Pause two seconds at the end of a sentence
- Pause three seconds after a paragraph
Practicing pauses,
Tim
What's your vision?
Fellow speaker,
When you get out there onstage you have to have a vision, a powerful picture in your head of what you want your audience to get out of your speech. This vision guides you in your speech and your goal as a speaker is to make the audience see this vision as clearly as you see it.
Doing the vision thing,
Tim
When you get out there onstage you have to have a vision, a powerful picture in your head of what you want your audience to get out of your speech. This vision guides you in your speech and your goal as a speaker is to make the audience see this vision as clearly as you see it.
Doing the vision thing,
Tim
July 10, 2009
Word word word
Fellow speaker,
When giving a slide presentation that has "word slides" (slides with only text on it), put in a "non-word" slide between each word slide.
Breaking the pattern,
Tim
When giving a slide presentation that has "word slides" (slides with only text on it), put in a "non-word" slide between each word slide.
Breaking the pattern,
Tim
July 9, 2009
Lights out!
Fellow speaker,
When giving a slide presentation, keep the lights around the projector off and leave the rest of the lights on. If you can't do that, leave all the lights on. This will make sure no one dozes off during your speech.
Wide awake,
Tim
When giving a slide presentation, keep the lights around the projector off and leave the rest of the lights on. If you can't do that, leave all the lights on. This will make sure no one dozes off during your speech.
Wide awake,
Tim
July 8, 2009
Don't rock the boat!
Fellow speaker,
Stand upright and still when giving your speech, only moving when you need to take a different place onstage.
Upright,
Tim
Stand upright and still when giving your speech, only moving when you need to take a different place onstage.
Upright,
Tim
July 7, 2009
Step aside!
Fellow speaker,
When reading text from a lectern, stand slightly back from the lectern. This allows your eyes both to easily look at the audience while still easily seeing your speech.
Looking,
Tim
When reading text from a lectern, stand slightly back from the lectern. This allows your eyes both to easily look at the audience while still easily seeing your speech.
Looking,
Tim
Eyes up
Fellow speaker,
When reading a prepared text to the audience, begin by looking directly at the audience and make sure to be looking at the audience all the time you are speaking. Memorize the next line in the pauses between saying each line.
Keeping focused,
Tim
When reading a prepared text to the audience, begin by looking directly at the audience and make sure to be looking at the audience all the time you are speaking. Memorize the next line in the pauses between saying each line.
Keeping focused,
Tim
July 5, 2009
Countdown
Fellow speaker,
To make long pauses in your speech, count slowly to three in your head after your pause. This will make sure that your pause is long enough for your audience to notice.
Counting off,
Tim
To make long pauses in your speech, count slowly to three in your head after your pause. This will make sure that your pause is long enough for your audience to notice.
Counting off,
Tim
July 4, 2009
Short of a shout
Fellow speaker,
When speaking without a microphone project your voice so it is a little less loud than shouting and is still easily heard in the back row.
Projecting,
Tim
When speaking without a microphone project your voice so it is a little less loud than shouting and is still easily heard in the back row.
Projecting,
Tim
The Sound of Silence
Fellow speaker,
Before you begin your speech, take some "silent time" to look around at your audience, focusing in on everyone, making sure everyone is ready to hear your speech.
Silently,
Tim
Before you begin your speech, take some "silent time" to look around at your audience, focusing in on everyone, making sure everyone is ready to hear your speech.
Silently,
Tim
July 2, 2009
The danger zone
Fellow speaker,
Some common reasons a speech doesn't go well are:
Tim
Some common reasons a speech doesn't go well are:
- Poorly designed presentation
- Presenter becomes bored with their own speech
- Loses energy after the half-way point in the speech
- Nervousness
Tim
July 1, 2009
Break it down
Fellow speaker,
To practice focusing and targeting your speeches, first talk about a specific, important business topic for exactly 3 minutes. Next, speak about the same topic, including all the relevant information, and only talk for 2 minutes. Next for 1 minute. Then 30 seconds. 20 seconds. 10 seconds. 8 seconds. Each time you give the speech make sure you only include the most important information.
Focusing,
Tim
To practice focusing and targeting your speeches, first talk about a specific, important business topic for exactly 3 minutes. Next, speak about the same topic, including all the relevant information, and only talk for 2 minutes. Next for 1 minute. Then 30 seconds. 20 seconds. 10 seconds. 8 seconds. Each time you give the speech make sure you only include the most important information.
Focusing,
Tim
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