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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Articles Tagged ‘Fear’
3 Words to Weaken Your Presentation
3 Tips to Deal With Audiences from Hell
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com Resistant dynamics can be found in any audience. Here are three essential techniques to stay sane as a presenter. 1. Check Yourself. Ask yourself: What am I feeling about this audience? Why? What’s the worst that could happen? Prepare yourself emotionally and physically. Make sure you’ve had enough to eat, and …
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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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“I Thought I Would Die!” How to Deal With Stage Fright
First, let’s surface what you probably already know: • Americans rank the fear of public speaking far above the fear of death (41% to 19%, respectably.) Way overused by speaking coaches, this statistic was first reported by the London Times in 1973 in a survey of 3,000 Americans. • No one has actually ever died …
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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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