by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com Think of a skill you have, (such as driving, swimming, writing, reading…) Would you say you are unconsciously competent with this skill? That is, Can you do it without thinking about it? Is it part of you, like an instinct? Would you have a hard time explaining the steps of this …
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Articles Tagged ‘Presentation Skills’
The Curse of Knowledge
Presenting from the Seat of Your Pants
Here’s how to present with confidence and authority while sitting:
Place your feet parallel to each other, flat on the floor, facing forward. Your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle. No crossing your legs!
Feel your sitz bones, (the bones at the very bottom ends of each side of your pelvis) sitting squarely on the chair. These form your anchor.
Roll your shoulders down your back, opening your chest.
Practice gesturing in the camera. Make sure your hands are visible, but don’t move them TOO close to your face. Gesturing makes you appear much more dynamic, and helps bring your own energy up.
Your Biggest Gift as a Speaker
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 it takes” to present effectively, and the rest of us don’t? The truth is that everyone has the innate gifts to speak in public.
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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Four Gender-Specific Presentation Blunders
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com Is it true that men tend to make certain types of blunders while presenting, and women others? In my experience, yes. I have worked with hundreds of individuals and single-sex groups, and notice recurring, gender-specific behaviors that sabotage presentations. In the interest of advancing further research, I submit these very common …
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Does Smiling Help or Hurt Presenters?
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com The actual answer to this question, based upon many studies and years of research, is “it depends.” How Smiling Helps The act of smiling changes our brain chemistry for the better. An authentic smile can: Boost mood and confidence by increasing serotonin, norepinephrine and endorphins. Lower heart rate, and Reduce anxiety. …
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Five Words to Persuade Your Audience
Even when you “just” deliver data, you want people to use it, potentially to do things differently or better. Certain words persuade people more effectively than others. Since 1961, expert speakers have identified several words as the most persuasive in the English language. My challenge to you: Try integrating a couple of these into your …
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Stand and Deliver!
Are you serious about wanting to increase your dynamism, power and energy as a speaker? Then you must stand up when you present. Andy Eklund, a presentation skills expert, tells us: “The vast majority of people are at least 50% less dynamic when sitting down, because their body movements are halved … and perhaps as …
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Present With Purpose
To ensure a successful presentation every time, presenters should start by developing a clear, concise purpose statement. The purpose statement serves two important roles. It helps keep you focused and on track as you develop the presentation. It also helps your audience focused on your message from the get-go. Before you present: Clarifying the purpose …
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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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Presentation Skills: How to Prevent “Drowning”
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com These skills will keep you afloat. There are many parallels between swimming in open water (the English call it “wild swimming”) and giving a great presentation. These skills will keep you afloat, no matter how choppy the water. 1. Be totally present. When I swim, my focus is completely on what …
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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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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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What Separates Great Trainers From the Merely “OK?”
Many training participants would respond, “Great trainers make the learning easy and fun.” If probed further, they might mention the use of engaging training activities, or the trainer’s personal style. But most won’t be able to identify an important action that differentiates expert trainers. This action is subtle and powerful. It helps lubricate the session …
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