Making a successful presentation is one of the most rewarding accomplishments you will ever experience. Picture your audience applauding, cheering, moved by your message, rallying to your cause, purchasing from your catalog, signing the contract, wanting your autograph and rising for a standing ovation.
You witness the power and enthusiasm to make progress. To move forward. To give something of value your audience can take with them. You know that if you sow your message well--you will reap well.
But does a successful presentation happen by accident?
Hardly. It takes plenty of preparation and practice. And when you get good, you will always be considered as someone they will invite to speak again.
Let's look at seven strategies that make you appear as a seasoned pro whether you're getting paid to speak or working the rubber chicken circuit:
1) Vocal variety. What people want to hear is your natural voice. Don't imitate someone else's voice. That would sound fake. Think of your voice as an instrument playing a beautiful melody. And that melody is tied to your image and personality.
You probably know about varying your rate, pitch and volume. They make up your tone which you can vary from serious to humorous and everything in-between. Your audience will appreciate your ability to avoid sounding monotone.
You can benefit from warming up your vocal cords. What I like to do is sing along with music CDs or practice vocal scale exercises. This gives you your best sounding voice and helps you exercise your breathing. And I try not to eat or drink anything before and during the talk that will irritate my vocal cords. Some cool water is fine with me.
2) Dress to empower. In our modern dress-down casual society, it's easy to forget about appropriate attire. A lot of presenters choose to blend in with their audience. I have a different take.
If you dress like one of us in the audience, my opinion of you is you're not an authority figure who has anything of special value to offer. Or what you have to offer isn't given the same weight as someone who dresses spiffier. A good rule of thumb is to dress one step above your audience.
I remember watching a young motivational speaker giving his presentation one evening. He wasn't very good as evidenced by extended periods of audience silence. But he was dressed to the nines. He looked sharp on the platform. Even though his speech was lacking--I have a hard time thinking anything negative about him.
3) Natural body language. If you stay behind the lectern, you're minimizing your ability to engage your audience. It shows you're not fully comfortable with your listeners. It may appear you're holding back or hiding something.
Once you get beyond the lectern--use hand, arm, body and facial gestures for emphasis and visual aid. Presenting is not only from your mouth to their ears. It's a whole-body experience you can use to engage all their senses.
Plant your feet on the platform. Command authority by standing tall and proud. Face your audience, connect with your eyes, and move about naturally. Avoid repeating gestures as this makes you appear robotic. Another way to avoid the stiff, over-rehearsed look is to connect with people, then allow your body to speak.
If you use PowerPoint, stand to the audience's left side of the screen. That's the power position for PowerPoint users because westerners read from left to right. If you suddenly want full audience attention on you, black out the screen.
4) Proper room set-up. Most business presentations are given around a conference table with an intimate crowd. Larger audiences will require different layouts and maybe the use of a microphone and sound system. It's ideal to check how many people plan to attend for audio purposes.
If you're hosting a business opportunity meeting, it's a strategic advantage to reserve a smaller room and have people standing to create the appearance that there's a lot of interest. And it also hints of the urgency to get involved now to avoid missing out.
For an all-day meeting having tables set up is ideal, but will restrict your audience size. And if it's in your budget, it's always nicer to offer ice water, tea, coffee and snacks. And tipping the hotel staff in charge can make things run smoothly.
5) Presentation tools. With overhead projectors, PowerPoint, laptops, hybrid combinations, laser pointers and the tried-and-true flip chart--it's easy to get overly dependent on these tools. Except for the flip chart, if something fails to work, you need a Plan B.
Call for a technical time-out to troubleshoot the problem. Bring or request a back-up laptop. Be aware of who's in charge of the projector bulbs. Being prepared in advance can save your presentation during technical difficulties.
Remember, you or your team are the star of the show. Your tools aren't. If it's possible, get away from using the hi-tech tools. Your audience pays less attention to your message if your tools are also fighting for their attention.
6) Handouts, banners and product display. Handouts are normally passed out before your presentation. Have staff or volunteers distribute them. If you run out and can't make extra copies, ask for couples or partners to share one. You can also direct people to a webpage to download extra copies.
Banners make a prosperity statement about you, your company or the organization you represent. Foam display boards in the hallways also add to that statement. Attendees are making judgments about you even before you speak your first word.
Products are usually displayed at the back-of-the-room. It's great eye candy to drape the table with a tablecloth that shouts your name or brand. Don't clutter the table. Just put out a few products as needed. It's important that attendees get to see and touch your books, albums and resources.
7) Speech structure. There's always debate about which is more important: the opening, the body or the close. My opinion is the opening has the greatest drawing power. You have the best chance to connect with your audience here. Failing to do so can create empty seats.
I recently sat at a session and the speaker was not engaging. People methodically began leaving the room. One by one.
I didn't follow their example. I stayed hoping the body of her speech might be more engaging. But no dice. What I learned was if people don't stick around after the opening, the body and the close doesn't even matter.
By getting good at presenting, audiences will want to see you again. A relationship develops that could prove to be mutually rewarding. And opportunities will manifest that will expand your universe.
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