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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Articles Tagged ‘Instructional Design’
Presenters, Don’t Crash the Plane!
Can a Room Kill You? Yes!
Presenters, prevent “Death by Room”! These three tips will help ensure your physical space works with you instead of against you.
Enthusiasm in Training
As a trainer or presenter, enthusiasm goes a long way in making you the best you can be. As your joy excites your participants, their energy rises to meet yours. People feel good. Work gets done. But what if your enthusiasm has taken a hit? How can you regain a sense of joy while giving …
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How To Build “Home-Grown” Trainers
Have you ever wished you could reduce your organization’s dependence on outside trainers? How about developing your own workshops? Join the ranks of organizations that have benefited from developing their internal resources, saved money, and improved the relevance and quality of their training! What’s Not Working Over the last few years, I’ve worked with dozens …
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How a Hook Can Save Your Presentation
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com I have discovered that my clients all love a good hook, and are always looking for new ones. Let’s review what a Hook is and isn’t. Then I’ll provide two dynamic Hooks for you to use in your next presentation or training session. What a Hook ISN’T: Fluff. Never make the …
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5 Ways to Energize Your Presentations
What’s the difference between presenting and training? Presentations are typically delivered one way, from speaker to audience. Great training sessions, on the other hand, are interactive. To spruce up your presentations, try injecting these five techniques borrowed from active training: 5 Ways to Enliven Your Presentations Preface your presentation by briefly stating a relevant problem. …
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Are You a Super-Trainer?
Assess Yourself and See! What attributes do all super trainers share, no matter how different their styles? Rate yourself from 1 (I’m not so great at this) to 3 (I do this every time!) on the guidelines below. Then read the strategies, which will transform YOU into a Super Trainer. Three Essential Attributes of Super …
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Sharpen Your Training Brain
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com As a trainer, do you struggle mentally as you develop a new course? Are you ever “stuck” when you try to think of ways to improve your class? There is a scientifically sound way to boost your brain power, pick up your energy, and improve your focus as a trainer. Although …
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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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Avoid Audience Overload: Less is More
Picture it: You’re a student in a classroom. The instructor is throwing out fact after fact. At first, you listen intently, trying to grasp everything that’s going on. After about 15 minutes, your attention drifts. After trying to focus a few more times, you feel so overwhelmed (and possibly irritated and bored) that you just …
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A “Train the Trainer” Tip: Start Your Sessions With a Bang
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com What’s the best way to assure your training participants groan inwardly and “turn off” when you first open your mouth? Simply by doing what you’ve always been told: By introducing yourself and providing your credentials. Why not generate your audience’s curiosity, interest, and investment from the outset? Use a “Hook” before …
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How to Blow Your Credibility from the “Get-Go”
When you are speaking in front of a group, do you really want to blow your relationship with the audience immediately? These two common presentation behaviors will help to ensure that you do! Myth #1: You should start a presentation by thanking your audience or your hosts Picture it: You’ve prepared carefully and are about …
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How Do You Know They Know? Designing In-Class Assessment
How serious are you about your students actually learning? Most of us would say, “VERY serious!” Yet many trainers and instructional designers actually have no idea what, and even if, participants have learned by the end of a session. Because trainers operate in organizations and businesses, we typically don’t issue grades. Even in preparing participants …
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The Power of the HOOK
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com Capturing Your Audience in the First 30 Seconds What’s wrong with these pictures? 1. Helen begins her presentation by introducing herself and telling the participants at some length how happy she is to be with them. She then launches into her content. 2. Bill kicks off his training session by explaining …
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Games, Simulations, and Roleplays: Do Differences Matter?
Which would you choose…and when? Long ago, I discovered I loved experiential learning and wanted to learn more about simulations. As a trainer in 1981 Thailand, I experienced the famous “Ba-Fa-Ba-Fa” cultural simulation. It blew me away! Years later, with great hopes, I attended an ASTD-sponsored workshop called Experience Simulations. To my disappointment, the workshop …
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