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 …
Read the full article »
Articles Tagged ‘Presentation Skills’
Great Presenting: Enthusiasm or Entertainment?
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 …
Read the full article »
When YOU are the Bored Trainer (or Presenter!)
We’ve all had bored trainers and presenters. They lack passion, energy and spark. But what happens when YOU deliver the same material over and over and over again? How do you keep it fresh? 5 Tips That Refresh 1. Remember the “Turf” That Comes With Being a Professional Whether you are an athlete, an actor, …
Read the full article »
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.
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?
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 …
Read the full article »
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 …
Read the full article »
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 …
Read the full article »
Not Just Your Grandmother’s Pun!
My grandma was “word-clever” almost until the day she died. I especially remember her corny puns and plays on words, which made me both laugh and groan. Researchers Alan Seidman, of Johnson and Wales University, and Stephen C. Brown, of the University of Alaska, say “Puns are a humorous way to get adult learners to …
Read the full article »
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 …
Read the full article »
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 …
Read the full article »
Embracing “Figleaf” for Presentations
Oh, if only I could advocate Figleaf, since it’s the go-to position of many presenters. After giving Figleaf a thumbs-up in this fantasy scenario, I could also wholeheartedly endorse the following, both online and IRL: slumping shoulders forward crossing arms in front of the body crossing legs. I can only imagine how relieved my clients …
Read the full article »
Transform Your Training with This Easy Tool
Does your training environment sometimes feel dull (or even dead) as you deliver content? Does the environment itself feel uninspired? Wouldn’t it be great to have a magic wand you could use to inject your training with energy! Such a “magic wand” exists. Called Pair and Share, it is arguably the easiest and most effective …
Read the full article »
Dive In!
Presenting and Open Water Swimming
I am an “adult onset” swimmer. Learning to swim at age 46, I trembled with the same anxieties as many of my Presentation Skills clients. I even heard myself describe my experience using the same words. Swimming was unnatural, awkward, unnerving, and out of my comfort zone. Twelve years after my first lesson, I continue …
Read the full article »