Presenters wanting to learn to respond to ruckus-causing participants discover an industry dedicated to techniques, programs and articles, but especially labels. Experts in the “difficult people” business love labels. Here are several labels for different kinds of “difficult people”: The Know-It-All The Show-Off The Rambler But Guess What? We Are All “Difficult People” To be …
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Articles to Boost Your Presentation Skills
“Difficult People” Versus Difficult Dynamics
How to Move Your Audience
Do you think your data should speak for itself? Guess what, it doesn’t. These two presentation tips ensure that your audience cares about your message.
3 Tips to Manage Presenter Tension
How can trainers and presenters juggle complexity without tension? Chances are you haven’t tried these simple, no-fail techniques.
Great Presenting: Enthusiasm or Entertainment?
Should trainers and presenters strive to be more entertaining? It depends on what drives you. Enthusiasm or Entertainment? Enthusiasm is about expressing your passion for the subject. You ignite participants through showing your own zest. You may even experiment by doing things outside of your comfort zone in order to pass on your excitement. Entertainment …
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Presenters, Don’t Crash the Plane!
Do your presentations “run out of gas”? Many presenters take their audiences on a wonderful journey. But then, for the lack of a flight plan, they crash. Why are Conclusions Important? A closure is not just where you stop. A great conclusion reinforces, summarizes, and ties up the session. Take action to prevent YOUR crashing …
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Love Your Struggles!
I was shocked when a Presentation Skills client started a diatribe against herself using the words “I condemn myself for…” and then launched into all the mistakes she could dream of. WHY do we presenters, trainers, and facilitators sometimes berate ourselves with words we might never use for another person? Self-care supports our resilience. Practicing …
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Crazy Warm-Ups for Great Presentations
Years ago, I overheard some presenters claiming that to “pump up” their energy, they would fall to the floor and do a series of pushups before a presentation. I was both intrigued and appalled. Wouldn’t doing pushups render them desperately out of breath? How about the embarrassing sweat marks? Besides, I couldn’t do a push-up …
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Mini-Van or Ferrari for Presenters?
To go shopping, would you use a minivan or Ferrari? What if you were going to race? The choice is a no-brainer. Yet when speaking publicly, many of us want to take a minivan when we should be gearing up to drive a Ferrari. The Role of Adrenaline in Peak Performance Driving a Ferrari takes …
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What is a Trainer? What is a Facilitator?
Be honest! You can really confuse your participants if YOU aren’t clear which role you are playing…trainer or facilitator?
Focus on the Uncommitted in Your Audience
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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Presentation Disaster Zone: A True Story
Who wants to feel exposed and inept in front of an audience? No one! Yet recently, I observed a presenter obviously wish she could disappear…all for the lack of a sound check. This speaker had plenty of important content to deliver. The press was buzzing and there was excitement in the room. She was introduced, …
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Fake It ‘Til You Make It – Annoying Cliche or Truth?
I occasionally surprise myself by uttering the cliché above while encouraging a shy person to improve their presentation skills and confidence. I used to secretly kick myself for using such a hackneyed phrase—until I read Richard Wiseman’s great book, “As If.” In it, he cites dozens of studies showing that if we act a certain …
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Sabotaging Yourself as a Speaker
Recently, I had the honor to be an audience member instead of a presenter. By watching instead of doing, I got the opportunity to re-assess my beliefs about what makes speakers effective. Here’s what I noticed: 5 Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves Mechanistic Movement I’ll be honest here. I’ve only noticed a case of “robot-arms” this …
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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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