Presentation Strategies and Techniques Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College Objectives Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Presentation Types Analyze Your Audience The Seven Subconscious Desires of Your Audience Developing Your Presentation Objectives Delivering the Presentation Say Goodnight Gracie Enhancing Your Presentation Keeping Their Attention Presentation Toolkit Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 1
Introductions Introductions Your name Your job title Does your job require you to make presentations? Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 2
Why learn this skill? Build success in your professional life Communicate with others more clearly and effectively Build overall confidence Increase your conform level in social and business situations Why learn this skill? Speak more confidently Run meetings more effectively Present new ideas more effectively Become and effective team member Establish trust and respect from others with ease Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Deep breathing Visualization Positive self-talk Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 3
Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Get ready - Prior Proper Preparation - Prevents Poor Performance - Of the Person Putting on the Presentation Think on the bright side Be aware of your speaking environment Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Know your listeners Warm up Realize people want you to succeed Concentrate on your message Don t over apologize for being nervous Gain experience Presentation Types Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 4
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a plan Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream Sender Sends the message Receiver Receives the message Check for understanding Adjustments made Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 5
Informative Learning something (knowledge) Oral reports Lectures or workshops Designed to explain, instruct, define, clarify, demonstrate or teach Persuasive Changing an attitude Debates Sales presentations and sermons Influence, convince, motivate, sell products, preach, or stimulate action Evocative Entertains Inspires Helps the listeners to celebrate, bond, or commemorate Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 6
Impromptu You are asked to speak on the spur of the moment with little or no preparation time You can successfully do this by thinking of two to three main points on your way up to the front of the room Analyze Your Audience Demographics and Attitudes Consider the audience's age, gender, ethnicity and status Consider if they will agree, remain neutral or disagree with your message Consider your audience's knowledge of your topic Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 7
Collecting Information Collect information in advance Interview selected audience members to gain insight on the views of the audience Observe the audience Use a survey or questionnaire to poll your audience Meeting Audience Needs All presentations must meet the needs of three distinct audiences Attendees Any interested third parties You The Seven Subconscious Desires of Your Audience Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 8
Subconscious Desires To belong To be liked To succeed To be inspired Subconscious Desires To be respected To be safe To find romance Developing Your Presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 9
The Introduction Gains the attention of the audience Orients the listeners to your topic Prepares them for your presentation The Presentation Body The body contains at least 75% of the information 3-5 main points Main points are clearly stated and supported by subordinate points The Presentation Body Use traditional outline methods - Must know - Should know - Nice to know Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 10
The Presentation Body Must know (mk) - Main points Should know (sk) - Subordinate points Nice to know (ntk) - Handouts - Comments The Presentation Body Start with 3-5 main points - (MK) must know Start with crystal-clear objectives Presentation audiences want - Practical, usable knowledge - Information presented in an easy to remember format The Presentation Body Decide on, then apply, a logical sequence to your presentation - Priority - Categories - Past to present - Pain to pleasure - Comparison and contrast - Ideal vs. Reality - Advantages and disadvantages Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 11
The Conclusion Reviews main points Provides closure Ends with a strong final statement Considerations Scale back any point that takes more than 15 minutes to explain Identify and secure the best tools your budget will allow Brainstorm and review your material with other developers Considerations How much time will I have to prepare? How much time will I have to speak? What kind of room will I be speaking in? What is my budget: large, small, or nonexistent? What equipment will be available to me? Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 12
Delivering the Presentation Physical Delivery Vocal Delivery Beginning Your Presentation Physical Delivery Appearance Dress appropriately for the occasion Topic determines how you dress Costume or ethnic clothing may add an extra element to your presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 13
Movement Formal presentations - Less movement and interpersonal dynamics Informal presentations - Use the speakers triangle - Walk slowly, pause - Face the audience and maintain eye contact with your listeners Facial Expressions Know your content Emotional connection to material Facial expressions will happen naturally Facial expressions must agree with the message Gestures Use normal hand movements Gestures should coincide with the meaning of your message Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 14
Vocal Delivery Volume Created by using your diaphragm to push air forcefully through your larynx and out your mouth Rate The speed at which we talk Optimal range is 150 to 185 words per minute Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 15
Pitch The highness or lowness of your voice The faster your vocal folds vibrate, the higher your pitch The slower they vibrate, the lower the pitch Rhythm The combination of a speaker's pace and the breaks that punctuate new ideas Pauses Vary in length and frequency A skillful speaker will control and place them to create impact Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 16
Word Emphasis The emphasizing of key words by changes in the volume, rate, pitch or pause patterns to highlight key ideas The Dynamic Speaker Uses variety in volume, rate, pitch and rhythm Pauses and emphasizes key words that will make important concepts stand out Conveys meaning in his voice Uses a voice that carries the emotional impact of internal feelings Beginning Your Presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 17
The First Three Minutes Audience attention is high Audience spends first 180 seconds sizing up the presenter One chance to make a first impression First impressions are lasting impressions Credibility Integrity Be yourself Expertise Empathy Awareness of your own power Say Goodnight Gracie Summarizing Closing Your Presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 18
Summarizing Summarizing Keeps your audience focused Increases your audience s retention rate Heightens the audience s interest Reduces confusion Closing Your Presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 19
Basic Rules Keep it short Be positive Be motivational Be energetic Closing Your Presentation Closing is not summarizing Closing killers - Q & A - Admitting you missed something - Apologizing - Skipping the summary - Rambling on Appeal to Emotion The close is the last and most powerful opportunity to inspire your audience Always include a call to action Try to invoke a future challenge Go over the next steps Prepare your ending Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 20
The Send Off Thank the audience for their time and participation Remain available until all audience members have left Say good-bye Enhancing Your Presentation Setting the Right Tone Using Visual Aids Setting the Right Tone Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 21
Create a Conversation Eye contact Connect with everyone Watch initial body language of audience Check body language during presentation Your Words Stick close to your everyday diction Avoid large words Avoid words that leave no room for dissent Never use profanity or off-color language Openness Actions speak louder than words Ask questions of your audience don t make up an answer if you don t know the answer Never put down or make fun of an audience member Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 22
Appeal to Emotion People take action based on emotion Believe in what you say - Say what you believe Gauge their receptivity - Expressions, body language, and feedback Humor Share the laughter Laugh at personal mistakes Draw stories from real life Don t short-circuit a joke Enthusiasm Speak with enthusiasm and conviction and sincerity will follow Enthusiasm is contagious Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 23
Using Visual Aids Using Visual Aids Use key words, not full sentences. VAs must be easy to see from the back of the room. When in doubt, make them larger. Use graphics. A picture is worth a thousand words. Only use VAs that support and enhance your presentation, not ones that are there just for show. Using Visual Aids Practice using VAs before using them in your presentation. Consider distributing handouts after the presentation, or creating fill-in-the-blank style handouts Always have a backup plan for your VAs in case they don t work properly - especially with technical VAs such as PowerPoint. Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 24
Using Visual Aids Reading VAs to the audience leads to a boring presentation! Use VAs to highlight what you are saying. Avoid writing words in ALL CAPS. ALL CAPS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ Add color to your VAs to keep them more exciting Keeping Their Attention Increasing Attention Span Psychologists have maintained that the adult attention span is increased and learning enhanced by Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 25
Increasing Attention Span An uninhibited environment Creative approaches to solving problems Allowing mistakes to be made Constructive and timely feedback Experiential learning - Doing instead of hearing Adults Retain 10% of what is read 20% of what is heard 30% of what is seen 50% of what is heard and seen 70% of what they have said 90% of what they say and do Adults Retain Starting late An apology An unrelated anecdote An inappropriate anecdote Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 26
Adults Retain Long or slow moving statements Equipment failure Your first 3 minutes Presentation Toolkit Rehearsing and Managing Your Presentation Rehearsing Your Presentation Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 27
Rehearsing Your Presentation Mentally walk through your presentation Use 3x5 cards for key points Rehearse with audio or videotape practice sessions Rehearse in front of someone - Associates, spouse, friend Rehearsing Your Presentation Rehearse with the equipment you ll use - Pointer, flip chart, overheads Know your room - Walk the room - Actual rehearsal site Sit in an audience seat Managing Questions Anticipate potential questions Keep energized Be brief Take time Be gracious, no matter what Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 28
Managing Questions Stay focused Have backup Give center stage Conclude a second time Managing Your Presentation Managing Your Presentation Give clear, concise directions Be decisive Stick to a schedule Remain flexible Solicit and supply feedback Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 29
a debriefing exercise Presentation Strategies and Techniques Presentation Strategies and Techniques Dealing with Speaking Anxiety Presentation Types Analyze Your Audience The Seven Subconscious Desires of Your Developing Your Presentation Delivering the Presentation Say Goodnight Gracie Enhancing Your Presentation Keeping Their Attention Presentation Toolkit a debriefing exercise Presentation Strategies and Techniques Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College 30
Action Plan If you hear any good ideas or ways of performing a task a better way, this is the spot for you to write them down. It has been found that if new ideas aren't used within 24 hours, they are generally forgotten. When you get back to work put this sheet in a prominent place and make sure that you try all of the things that you have made note of. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Sherwood LaValle Taylor Atlantic Cape Community College