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Introduction
"The art of dealing with people is the foremost secret of successful men. A man's success in handling people is the very yardstick by which the outcome of his whole life's work is measured."
- Paul C. Packe
When she spoke before crowds, her approach was to say to herself: "I am the way I am; I look the way I look; I am my age."
-Mrs. Eugene McCarthy
Both of these statements are at the core of great public speaking. The secret of presentation excellence is to know your audience, understand what they want, and give it to them...all the while forgetting about our own insecurities.
Since most of us have a fear of public speaking second only to our fear of death, isn't being self-conscious a natural part of that fear? How do we overcome it? How do we put the spotlight on the audience when, in actuality, the spotlight is on us as the speaker?
Believe it or not, there's a formula that everyone can follow, a formula that will take you from frightened novice to accomplished pro. After doing a lot of research on this subject, I can tell you that all the expert speakers agree on this basic formula. It isn't difficult to follow, but following it makes all the difference between success and failure as a speaker.
After you've read this eBook, even before you've given an actual speech, I think you'll come to two conclusions: first, this formula isn't hard to follow, and second, it will work!
Let's give it a try.
Your Attitude and Your Skills
Attitude Adjustment
As with most things in life, excellent presentations start with your mindset. Whether you're a nervous wreck because you have to give your first speech at school or you're an entrepreneur who's interested in increasing sales of your products or services, your attitude toward giving the presentation will be a key to your success or failure.
Your attitude toward the event should be that this is your chance to shine, to spread your word, to inform and influence people. Whether you are actually selling a product or not, you are there to make an impact on your audience and to sell something. Whether you are a teacher, a preacher, an entertainer, or a businessperson, you are a salesperson. Whether you are selling a concept, a belief, a product or service, or an idea, your responsibility is to convince your audience that your points have validity and worth. If you haven't "sold" your audience on that by the end of your speech, you haven't done the job you were there to do.
Does that begin to change your attitude about exactly what you're doing in front of those people? Good, because that's the attitude you will need to carry out the steps in this ebook's "formula."
How Are Your Skills?
Presentations have many aspects: mindset, preparation, content, audience interaction, and follow-up. Answer these questions to assess how competent you are right now in these areas:
1. When you learn that you have a presentation to give, do you look at it fearfully, happily, or as business opportunity?
2. As you prepare your presentation, are you most concerned with the easiest way to put it together, your message, or your audience's reaction?
3. The purpose of your presentation is...?
4. Do you have a plan for researching your presentation?
5. How will you determine the length of your presentation?
6. How many key points will you be making? Do you know what they are?
7. Could you deliver the presentation without props?
8. How will you rehearse?
9. How do you like to structure your presentation?
10. How do you tailor your presentation for your audience?
Generally, your answers should indicate that you care most about the outcome of the presentation. The best presentation involves good content being well delivered by you with the audience having an excellent understanding of your points at the end.
The following chapters will discuss all these aspects. Come back to these questions after you've read the ebook and see if your answers have changed.
The Benefits of Being a Presenter
Even though the first reaction of lots of people to giving a presentation is "What do I have to do to get out of this?" there are many benefits - personal and professional - to be gained from being a presenter. Some people see public speaking as challenging and rewarding, professionally and personally.Introduction
"The art of dealing with people is the foremost secret of successful men. A man's success in handling people is the very yardstick by which the outcome of his whole life's work is measured."
- Paul C. Packe
When she spoke before crowds, her approach was to say to herself: "I am the way I am; I look the way I look; I am my age."
-Mrs. Eugene McCarthy
Both of these statements are at the core of great public speaking. The secret of presentation excellence is to know your audience, understand what they want, and give it to them...all the while forgetting about our own insecurities.
Since most of us have a fear of public speaking second only to our fear of death, isn't being self-conscious a natural part of that fear? How do we overcome it? How do we put the spotlight on the audience when, in actuality, the spotlight is on us as the speaker?
Believe it or not, there's a formula that everyone can follow, a formula that will take you from frightened novice to accomplished pro. After doing a lot of research on this subject, I can tell you that all the expert speakers agree on this basic formula. It isn't difficult to follow, but following it makes all the difference between success and failure as a speaker.
After you've read this eBook, even before you've given an actual speech, I think you'll come to two conclusions: first, this formula isn't hard to follow, and second, it will work!
Let's give it a try.
Your Attitude and Your Skills
Attitude Adjustment
As with most things in life, excellent presentations start with your mindset. Whether you're a nervous wreck because you have to give your first speech at school or you're an entrepreneur who's interested in increasing sales of your products or services, your attitude toward giving the presentation will be a key to your success or failure.
Your attitude toward the event should be that this is your chance to shine, to spread your word, to inform and influence people. Whether you are actually selling a product or not, you are there to make an impact on your audience and to sell something. Whether you are a teacher, a preacher, an entertainer, or a businessperson, you are a salesperson. Whether you are selling a concept, a belief, a product or service, or an idea, your responsibility is to convince your audience that your points have validity and worth. If you haven't "sold" your audience on that by the end of your speech, you haven't done the job you were there to do.
Does that begin to change your attitude about exactly what you're doing in front of those people? Good, because that's the attitude you will need to carry out the steps in this ebook's "formula."
How Are Your Skills?
Presentations have many aspects: mindset, preparation, content, audience interaction, and follow-up. Answer these questions to assess how competent you are right now in these areas:
1. When you learn that you have a presentation to give, do you look at it fearfully, happily, or as business opportunity?
2. As you prepare your presentation, are you most concerned with the easiest way to put it together, your message, or your audience's reaction?
3. The purpose of your presentation is...?
4. Do you have a plan for researching your presentation?
5. How will you determine the length of your presentation?
6. How many key points will you be making? Do you know what they are?
7. Could you deliver the presentation without props?
8. How will you rehearse?
9. How do you like to structure your presentation?
10. How do you tailor your presentation for your audience?
Generally, your answers should indicate that you care most about the outcome of the presentation. The best presentation involves good content being well delivered by you with the audience having an excellent understanding of your points at the end.
The following chapters will discuss all these aspects. Come back to these questions after you've read the ebook and see if your answers have changed.
The Benefits of Being a Presenter
Even though the first reaction of lots of people to giving a presentation is "What do I have to do to get out of this?" there are many benefits - personal and professional - to be gained from being a presenter. Some people see public speaking as challenging and rewarding, professionally and personally.
