Category: Presentation Delivery

presentation delivery

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills Part 10

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

During a series of weekly blogs, I highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topics covered in the previous post: How to keep from turning your back to your audience when looking at your slides and talking too fast.

 

Delivery: Survey results indicated 99% agreed they would disconnect if: When answering questions from the group, the presenter goes off on a tangent, thereby extending the duration of the presentation. 

My coaching suggestion: This includes paying attention to both design and delivery. If the presenter has a clear idea of the timing of the presentation mentioned in Post # 1 (Click here to read this post), the presenter will be aware of the time element and refrain from going off on a tangent. 

 

Delivery: Survey results indicated 99% agreed they would disconnect if: The presenter has obviously not prepared for the presentation.

My coaching suggestion: The final step in the 6 Step Process found in my book: Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations is PRACTICE! Unfortunately, this important step is overlooked due to a lack of time.

 

I don’t support the premise practice makes perfect. Nobody’s perfect and this premise will impose stress into a situation that for many people is already a stressful situation. I support PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT. More practice means increased comfort with the material. This ultimately allows the presenter to be more connected with the audience and the audience will be more connected with the presenter. Our goal, as presenters, is to make our audience feel connected and comfortable with the information that is presented and the way the information is presented.

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at: wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with me via LinkedIn or like my Facebook page.

 

 

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 9

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

 

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topic covered in the previous post: How to keep from reading your slides aloud to your audience and instead make your presentation come alive.

 

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 81% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter turns his back on the audience. 

 

My coaching suggestion: Over the years, I have seen presenters turn their back to their audience to look at or read their visuals which eliminate that all-important connection with the audience. My suggestion is to make sure you are able to see your visuals in a way that you can quickly view your visuals and still have the majority of your body facing your audience. This may take some maneuvering but will be worth the time invested.

 

 

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 85% agreed they would disconnect if: The presenter talks too fast.

 

My coaching suggestion: Early on in my coaching career, I realized that trying to get a fast talker to slow down when presenting was affecting the overall effectiveness of the presentation. My client would become fixated on slowing down instead of focusing on the content and connecting with the audience. What I now suggest is to include more strategic pauses in the presentation to allow the audience to catch up with the speaker. 

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with me via LinkedIn, or follow my Facebook page.

 

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 8

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC
public speaking coach florida

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topic covered in the previous post: Making eye contact that connects with your audience.

 

Delivery: Survey results indicated that 77% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter reads the text written on the visual aids aloud and adds little extra information to support the written text.

My coaching suggestion: If you need to read your text, your audience will think you are not prepared or knowledgeable enough to be presenting on the topic. An effective presentation will have the extra information that brings the presentation alive. If the presenter adds little extra information, the audience will become bored and tune out. It becomes a data dump! Extra information to support your main idea will get and keep your audience’s attention because it relates directly to them. In my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations, the Audience Retention Curve will demonstrate the importance of “adding spice” to your information.

 

Extra information may be providing an example, statistic, or story. 

 

If your main idea is: Changes in the primary market will significantly affect profitability, the extra information that will support this statement could be: Sales figures for several previous years are showing decreasing profits combined. Stating this along with using a visual showing this supporting information will also add to the interest of your audience.

 

This not only pertains to delivery but more importantly the design of the presentation. In my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations, a simple format for designing your main idea and supporting information is provided.

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me via email or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect or follow me with me via LinkedIn, or my Facebook page.

 

 

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 7

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC
ignore-audience-smartalkers-speaking-coach-florida

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topic covered in the previous post: How to change your voice from boring to interesting.

 

Delivery: Survey results indicated that 78% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter only looks at one person and ignores the rest of the audience. 

My coaching suggestion: Eye contact is essential to establishing a personal relationship with each listener. In addition, looking at a member of your audience, without staring, can be a very effective way of holding that person’s attention or regaining it if it has wandered. A comfortable time to retain eye contact with an individual is about three to five seconds. One effective approach to maintaining uniform and balanced eye contact is to pick out several friendly faces in your audience, making certain that you select one from each section of the room, and then, if necessary, address your presentation to those individuals, shifting your eyes at appropriate intervals.

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at: wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect or follow me with me via LinkedIn or my Facebook page.

 

 

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 6

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC
monotone-presentation-smartalkers-speaking-coach-florida

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topic covered in the previous post: How to make sure your audience has a guide to what to expect from your presentation.

 

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 74% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter speaks in a monotone voice for the whole presentation.

My coaching suggestion: We have all at one time or another heard a speaker who presented interesting material and who used good presentation techniques but put us to sleep with an unpleasant or monotone voice.

 

Speaking in a monotone voice is a real communication killer. When the variety of your voice’s pitch doesn’t vary, it’s difficult for the listener to maintain any interest in what you’re saying, resulting in a disconnect! If you normally don’t have an expressive voice, here are a few techniques I use when coaching my clients.

 

Describe the best business deal you ever made or have ever heard of-how it happened, why it happened, what you or someone else did that was right, and how you felt about it.

 

Recall the best vacation you ever had. Assume you’re a travel agent and are talking to prospective clients about a getaway. You have to convince them that they should go where you went, see what you saw, feel what you felt. And understand why you highly recommend this vacation mecca.

 

Another technique is to begin reading stories out loud that have a lot of dialogue in them. This is one of my favorite techniques and always brings a smile and sometimes a good laugh from my clients. 

 

Read a children’s story like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I have my client read each bear, the mamma bear, papa bear, and baby bear in three distinctly different voices matching the bear’s size. This will help you explore your vocal qualities and range. If you want to test out how you’re doing, invite a young child to listen to you. If they’re listening with excitement, you’re doing great! If after a few minutes they tell you they want to do something else, keep working at it!

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me via email or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect or follow me with me via LinkedIn or my Facebook page.

 

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 5

Posted on by Wendy Warman MS CCC

 

 

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers. 

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations. 

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation. 

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

 

Topics covered in the previous post: How to make sure your audience knows the purpose of your presentation and what to expect.

 

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 73% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter does not give a guide to the areas that will be covered during the presentation.

My coaching suggestion: In most cases, your opening statement should include a roadmap as to the journey you will be taking your audience on. Whether a formal or informal presentation; a keynote or training presentation, your audience will always feel more comfortable knowing what to expect. The key to ensuring your audience doesn’t disconnect from you is to make sure you adhere to your roadmap. If you need to take a detour, let your audience know and adjust your timing by referring to the timeline I suggested in my first post.

 

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with or follow me via LinkedIn, or like my Facebook page.

 

 

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