Presenters, do you fear waves of animosity coming from your audience? Or have you ever believed your audience to be friendly and accepting, only to receive a terrible shock? One of the best “Presenter Tricks” I know is to present as if everyone in your audience is “uncommitted”. Doing so allows you to effectively deal …
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Articles Tagged ‘Speaking skills’
Focus on the Uncommitted in Your Audience
FEAR, Revisited: Manage Your Presentation Nerves!
Do your hands sweat at the mere idea of public speaking? Does your stomach flip-flop, your mind go blank? Four guidelines from professional speaking coaches will help. 1. Don’t hate your nerves. Remember that your goal is NOT to overcome fear. Your goal is to deliver an effective message. When you invest yourself fully in …
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3 Rules for Excellent Presentations
I was excited to find John Medina’s great book, Brain Rules, in the San Francisco airport bookstore in 2009. The book is incredibly readable and valuable to trainers and presenters. I was thrilled most of all to see that Medina provides research to support 3 rules I’ve shared in my Train the Trainer classes for …
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Perfect Presentations: What Not to Wear
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com How to dress for credibility, while remaining true to yourself. What to wear for a perfect presentation? As you design and polish your speech, developing visual aids and handouts, this question may fall into the background until dangerously close to the presentation. Suddenly, you look up: “Yikes! What am I going …
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3 Words to Weaken Your Presentation
I’m here with some good news for most presenters—along with some cautions you’ve probably never thought about. The Good News: “Ums” Won’t Kill You Speakers, don’t worry so much about using fillers like “um” and “uh. ” These only become problematic when other distracting factors are in play. Your audience will only notice your “ums” …
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Can You Hear Me Now? Three Tips to Rise Above the Crowd
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com WOW, the pressure on public speakers is great. Speakers and audiences realize that PowerPoint won’t save anyone anymore. The focus now shines on YOU more than ever before. How can you be heard above the crowd? 1. Do your homework. What are your audience’s needs, wants, anxieties, biases, “personality?” What history …
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The “Intensified You:” Key to Giving a Great Presentation
by Guila Muir “An ounce of energy is worth a pound of technique”. (Anonymous) When people describe the best speaker they’ve ever seen, the word “energy” always comes up. What are the secrets of exuding energy, vitality, the life force, as a speaker? Be Big Regardless of what size you are, take up more room. …
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All Presenting is Persuasive
Don’t Do a Data Dump! After stumbling a bit, most presenters are able to name the purpose of any presentation they might give. However, most really stumble when asked if their presentations are meant to persuade anyone of anything.The answer, 99% of the time, is YES. And yet most presenters don’t realize it. As a …
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Five Tips to Present Like a Pro
How to Rise Above the Crowd Over the last five years, I’ve noticed a dramatic change in the field of presentation skills. Increasingly, experts support the idea that being a “good enough” speaker is no longer “good enough.” Mere competency as a speaker is no longer enough to sell your ideas, bring communities together, or …
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So You’ve Been Selected
6 Tips for Conference Presenters “Someone’s got to do something, and it’s just incredibly pitiful that it has to be us.” — Jerry Garcia Some are chosen, some are forced…but in the end, most business professionals present at industry conferences, annual meetings, or other events during the course of their careers. Please allow me to …
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Speakers’ Top 3 Fears… and How to Prevent Them!
Avoid the worst-feared pitfalls of public speaking. Will you be giving a presentation or seminar soon? Many professionals choke up when they begin picturing all that “could go wrong!” To avoid the worst-feared pitfalls of public speaking, you must start with oxygen. Fritz Perls said, “Fear is excitement without the breath.” Breathe! Then, accept and …
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Tips for the “Intensified You”
Does this sound like you? “I’m a fine communicator one-on-one, but put me in front of a group and I just die!” Why is it easier for many of us to present in front of a few people than to a larger audience? Why do many of us believe that some people just “have what …
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