http://www.qed-consultancy.co.uk Copyright Jeremy Thorn QED www.qed-consultancy.co.uk en-us Keep to this process: Prepare, Practise, Polish, Present. This is hard work, but it is an essential discipline and it works! Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Remember, the point of the presentation may well be to make you look good, but it is almost certainly not to make you feel good (at the expense of other's understanding), whatever you may wish! Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 People's eyes are rightly said to be 'the window on the soul'. Even if you can't see the audience, they will feel much more connected to you if you try and engage everyone in all parts for the room or auditorium with your gaze at frequent and regular intervals. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 It is amazing how much people like both! Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If in doubt about any section, rewrite it or cut it out. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Make sure you are really clear on the purpose of your presentation, the audience and its expectations, the timing, the venue and how to get there. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Remember, different folks need different strokes! Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Never ignore the feedback they may give you. Be on the alert to see if they are they interested and amused, or bored, hostile and tired. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If you sense that you have lost your audience's interest or goodwill. Your audience can always ask questions if they still have issues left unanswered. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If you don't believe in your message, this will almost certainly communicate itself through how you stand and talk. So stand up straight, look at your audience, try to relax and smile. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Otherwise, keep away from them. They can so easily distract from your key message. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Have a few bullet points by you to give you confidence by all means, but formal notes can only get in the way of delivering your message. Good ways to remember your text include regular rehearsal, practising with a recording device or in front of a full-length mirror, typing out your speech and re-reading it frequently, and practising to yourself as you travel to work perhaps or just before you go to bed. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 This will strengthen both your impact and the audience's confidence in you. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If people don't believe in you, they won't believe in your message. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Show consideration and compassion for their position, even if you disagree. That way you can maintain some goodwill and confirm your integrity, both of which are essential. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Show that you really believe in what you say and that you are really concerned about any outcome. If you aren't, they won't be. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 As a guideline, never under-estimate your audience's intelligence, and while you are at it, beware of over-estimating their knowledge. Both can be major pitfalls. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Decide: Why are they here? What do they want? What positions have they already taken? What pressures are they probably under? What are their experiences? What will they understand? What will they misunderstand? You need to know the answers to these questions before you deliver your message, not afterwards! Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If they didn't hear (and understand) you, you didn't say it! So use language that will be fully understood and try to avoid all jargon and specialist terms. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Stand still and straight, or move purposefully. Don't rock, shuffle or slouch, and don't pace aimlessly. All of these are distracting and will take away from your message. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If you don't know what to do with your hands, hold a prompt card of your key points to give you confidence, but try to avoid using it. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Make sure your gestures reinforce what you are saying and do not distract. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 You need to make your audience feel you are at least as interested in them as your material. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Your audience will almost certainly be the only decider of whether your presentation is effective, so be constantly vigilant of your impact as you proceed. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 This is especially important if you are nervous, to stop yourself sounding timid or uncertain. But even if you are not nervous, you will need a plentiful supply of air to project your voice. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 This is an art to practise as it does not come naturally to many, but it is essential to maintain interest. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Focus on being clear and resonant. If you are not sure if everyone can hear you, ask, and focus on projecting to those at the very back of the room. If they can hear, so will everyone else. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Few people like a high-pitched voice, and it can sound unprofessional and nervous if you are not careful Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 If you have a script, if only just for rehearsal, mark the key words you need to emphasise with a pen or in bold script. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 You will be much clearer. This is especially important if you have an accent, which may appear foreign to some of your audience. It may sound odd to you, but it may make all the difference in comprehension to your audience. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 You don't want these to trip you up in mid-stream. If others feel you have got it wrong, you will only damage your credibility. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Remember how riveting a planned pause, even total silence, can be, especially before or after you make your key points. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25 Jeremy Thorn is a prize-winning author and Chairman of Quantum Enterprise Development (QED), a multi-functional management consultancy and development company based in Doncaster, England, dedicated to making good businesses better, encouraging customers to be more loyal and to helping employees and suppliers be more effective. Engineering Adventures Ltd 2007-03-25