Presentation Skills Success, Public Speaking Tips, Presentation Skills

Strategy and tips for you to prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your next presentation – basedon the experience of the “Speech Coach for Executives” – George Torok. You can speak withconfidence, clarity and conviction when you polish your presentation skills. The power of publicspeaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate will take you farther than anyother skill set. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message sothat others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity foryou. Study this article and watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will beamazed at what you can do when you polish your presentation skills to deliver your messagewith impact. Fear of Public Speaking Practical Speaking Tips Presentation Sins PowerPoint Sins

Why you?How can you get more done? By being a superior communicator. The secret of managing people is tomaster the art and science of communication. Superior communication skills are a combination oflistening, negotiating and speaking. Public Speaking, Presentation or Speech?Deliver your message with impact. It is not just a speech or presentation. I use the words speech, publicspeaking and presentation interchangeably in this article. It is your message that is important. Yourpresentation is the vehicle for delivering your message and to create results. A successful presentation isone that moves people to action. You know it was a success if after you speak, they buy, work or follow.To do that requires skill. Devour this article. You will capture the essence of superior presentation skills. First Rule of Great PresentationsA great presentation does not just happen. It is planned, rehearsed then delivered with flair. A goodpresenter is one who learns the skills of presentations - not one who hopes for talent to carry them. Publicspeaking is a set of skills not a talent. You can be a good presenter if you learn the skills for presentationsuccess. You will be a great speaker if you learn from every presentation you deliver. Great presentersstart as poor speakers – then they get better. Learn from other Great Speech MakersWho are the public speakers you admire? Ask yourself why you admire them. What techniques do theyuse in their speeches that you can use? What principles can you adapt to your presentations? It could be agreat political leader, business executive or innovator. Whether it is a Churchill, Henry Ford or Einstein –ask yourself, “Why does their delivery work so well? How can I use that technique or principle in myspeech?” Look for the skills they used and make them your own.

Purpose of your presentation

Presentation Skills Success, Public speaking tips, Presentation Skills http://www.presentationskills.ca/

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Imagine that you have been scheduled to speak to a group. An important question for you to review is“Why am I delivering this presentation?” Don’t answer, “Because I was asked.” Instead ask why doesthis group need to hear from you? What message is so important that you must take their time to speak tothem? You must be clear on the purpose of your speech before you can write it. Please don’t give aspeech just because you are the boss. Don’t waste their time and embarrass yourself. Have somethingworthwhile to say. If you start by knowing what you want to happen then you will begin to create aneffective speech. Your audience is the reason you are thereUnderstand your audience. What do they want? Why would they listen to you? If you want to reach themwith your presentation you must reach them through their needs. While you are talking they are askingthemselves, “What’s in it for us?” If you have not spoken to this group before, interview a few of thembefore your presentation. Mention the names of some audience members during your presentation. It willhelp you connect with the group.

Read “Establishing Rapport with your Audience” Design your presentation backwardsThe most common way to write your speech is to start at the beginning and write to the end. That is not aneffective way to write a speech. Instead write the speech backwards. Start with the destination and workback to the opening. You will write your speech faster and clearer if you start with the end in mind. Knowyour purpose. Write the closing line that hammers home your message. Then write the points to supportthat close. Then write your opening that launches you into that presentation. Designing your speech is alsoa set of communication skills.

Read “Write Your Speech in Five Minutes”Presentation StructureThere are many presentation structures that you can choose from. When you speak to a business groupthe most effective approach is to state your conclusions first, the actions required then follow withsupporting information. That would be an effective business speech. The most boring and ineffectual presentation style to use with a business group is the scientific methodthat many of us learned in school. The scientific method starts with a problem, followed by a hypothesis, amethod, results and conclusion. That sounds logical but most people in business today do not have thepatience to listen to that litany. We want the answer first. Speak – don’t lecture. Q&A structureAnother simple presentation structure that works is to tell your audience that you will answer the mostcommon questions you have heard. Then you state the question and answer it. This is one of the easiestways to give a speech. It sounds like a conversation and you will find it easier to remember. All you needto remember are the questions because you already know the answers. The best speech feels like aconversation. Pain and ReliefAn effective sales technique is to first reveal or describe their pain, fear or problem. Then you offer therelief to the pain. The relief from pain and desire for pleasure are powerful motivators. Just don’t dwell onthe pain too long. Think ‘plop, plop fizz, fizz.’ Illustrating your main pointsWe need images to understand. A good image for the accountant and numbers type is a chart. Bankers,financial planners and money folk love charts and graphs. Use pie charts, bar graphs and piles of coins to


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illustrate and emphasize your points when talking to financial types. Images can contribute more to thesuccess of your presentation then words. Telling StoriesTell stories. Paint word pictures that create images in the listeners’ minds. If they can see it they are morelikely to understand and remember your message. The best public speakers are storytellers Use stories andanecdotes to illustrate and reinforce the main points of your presentation. Learn to master the skill ofstorytelling. Listen to newscasters, entertainers and other speakers. The best stories are personal. Because they are yours - they are easier to remember and they make yourpresentation unique. We listen to stories. We hate lectures. If you forgot that lesson - just ask your kids.The way to find personal stories that can be used in your presentations is to write them down. Make a listof significant things that happened to you and those around you; the first time… the best, the worst, thebiggest mistake, the best break, the greatest ah-ha, the funniest moment, the most frustrating incident, thedumbest thing you did, the most embarrassing moment… The things that hurt you the most make the best stories to tell in your presentations. Rehearse your storiesto edit them down into a short story that is easy to listen to. The hardest thing for you might be to leaveout details. The hardest thing for your audience is listening to you describe unnecessary details. Just makethe point. Researching your presentationGet your facts straight. Don’t stand there saying, “I think so” or “I’m not sure.” Don’t lie and pretend toknow something you do not. So spend time collecting and confirming your information. Too many publicspeakers are quick to present their opinions without providing clear substance. Avoid that trap. Be careful of presenting hearsay as evidence – unless you preface it as that. You might interviewcustomers for their comments or check with the front lines for their unofficial feedback. That is ok – butpresent it honestly. Do a quick search on one or a few of the Internet search engines to find some newinsights on the topic of your presentation. These Internet ‘facts’ might not be confirmable so present themas what you found – ‘Stuff from the Internet’. Test for relevanceReview your speech for relevance to your audience. After every statement that you plan to make askyourself, “So what?” Because that is what your audience will be asking. If you cannot answer thisquestion clearly and succinctly – then rework it or remove it from your speech. What do you want themthinking, “Yeah right on!” or “So what?” Remembering your speechThe best public speakers do not memorize their presentation. Instead know your topic and the issues. Thenmake notes for yourself. But don’t read your speech. That is so boring. Instead write key words thatremind you of your messages. Write your speech notes on index cards. That is much easier to handleinstead of fumbling with a sheet of paper. Rehearsing your presentationRehearse your speech on your feet at least three times. It is okay to rehearse parts of it in your car orsitting at your desk. But because you will deliver in on your feet – you rehearse the speech on your feet. Itfeels different when you speak on your feet. Get used to the feel of delivering your presentation. The bestway to reinforce a set of skills is by repeating the pattern the way you plan to deliver. Golfers andmusicians rehearse their patterns so the skills of the big day are natural to them.


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The fear of public speakingStudies show that our number one fear is the fear of public speaking. Hard to believe but it is moreprevalent than the fear of death. If you have a fear of public speaking or feel some anxiety you are notalone. Even great speakers like Churchill experienced this fear. But he worked on his delivery skills so hecould deliver even when he was nervous. I am a professional speaker who has spoken to audiences allover North America yet I also experience speech anxiety. The fear of public speaking might be with youforever. But your audience does not need to know. Overcoming the fear of public speakingIn most cases the symptoms of the fear are not noticeable to your audience. You might feel terrified butyour audience doesn’t know. There are several ways to get past speech anxiety. Focus on the success ofyour presentation. Before you step up to speak take a couple of slow deep breaths. Speak slowly. Don’t letit run away from you.

How you can prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your speech, presentation or public speaking program from the“Speech Coach for Executives” – George Torok. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when youpolish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate willtake you farther than any other skill. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message sothat others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity for you. Study this articleand watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you honeyour presentation skills and you present your message with impact. Avoid the Nine Presentation Sins

Last minute details before you begin speakingGet into the room before your audience arrives to check the setup and get the feel of the room. This helpsto make it your room. Walk around the room and sit in a few different chairs to take in the feel of yourroom and how your audience will see you. Check your equipment and put on your busiest slide to checkfor readability. Drink one or two glasses of warm water to both lubricate your vocal cords and hydrateyourself. Public speaking dehydrates you. Emergency preparationCheck the exit doors and paths from the building. If an emergency occurs the audience will look to you,the speaker, for leadership and maybe their lives. Be prepared to tell people how to leave the room andbuilding. If it becomes necessary - do it in a calm, commanding and confident voice. Public speakingcarries the responsibility of leadership. Everything you do while speaking will be better if you prepare theskills to deliver. Your confederateAlways have at least one confederate. This is a simple yet important secret to presentation success. Yourconfederate should sit near the back of the room so they can survey the room, help late arrivers and dothings without disturbing the audience. They will take care of the lights, handouts, ushering people to theirseats and even asking a planted question. It is their job to head off problems before they erupt. They


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should know how to work the lights and who to call when problems arise. Eye ContactTalk directly to people. The best presentation is delivered as a conversation to every person in youraudience one person at a time. If you want to be believed – talk to every individual – looking him or her inthe eye. Don’t make the big mistake committed by many novice public speakers - staring at the spot onthe back wall. This one technique is a powerful element of successful presentation skills. Emphasizing key pointsIf you want people to remember something – repeat it at least three times during your speech. The firsttime they might hear it. The second time they might mull it over. The third time it might stick. “I have adream”. Do you know how many times Martin Luthur King repeated that phrase in his famous speech?

Read “Emphasizing Key Points”Establishing rapportTalk about things to which your audience can relate. Don’t talk down and don’t baby them. To buildrapport with your audience they must relate to you. Don’t pretend to be something you are not. But showhow you are like them. Be human. Expose a flaw. Show that you are not perfect. If you pretend to beperfect they will hate you – and not listen.

Read “Establishing Rapport” Stay on timeStart your presentation on time and finish on time. If you start all your meetings and presentations on timepeople will learn to show up on time. Do not repeat yourself for latecomers. If there is a small group atstarting time then be prepared to ‘start’ with a discussion instead of your speech. Those that are there willbelieve that you started on time and those arriving late will seat themselves quickly feeling a bit guilty forbeing late. Finish on time – even if it means leaving something out. For that reason – always get your importantmessage out early. Never keep the key message till the end of your speech. They might be asleep by thattime. Position a small clock where you can see it so you know where you are in your presentation. Don’tcommit the sin of asking, “How are we doing for time?” You should know – you are the speaker. Deliver your speech with credibilityIf you are the CEO, President or the boss – you have credibility by position. You might lose yourcredibility by committing presentation sins. You can enhance your credibility by the sources ofinformation you quote. You can quote from a publication they read and respect. You can quote from awell-known and respected person. You can quote from some member of your audience – remember yourresearch? You can also imply credibility by waving a source document or book as you speak. Notice how preachersuse this technique by holding the bible.

Read “Introducing Your Speaker” Help your audience remember the important partsRepeat the points you want them to remember. Use an anecdote or story to illustrate the point. Pause justbefore and after you state the key points. We find it easier to remember images and feelings. If you want your audience to remember the key points


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of your presentation attach those points to images or emotions. Men tend to connect visuals with memorywhile women tend to connect emotions for memory. Be sure to address both needs in your presentations.

Read “Power of the Pause” Look your bestSmile. You look your best when you smile. You look most trustworthy, friendly and confident when yousmile. We do not want to listen to a speaker who is frowning. Don’t grin like a fool all the way throughyour speech. Instead smile before you start. Smile when you say something important. Smile when youend. Make it a warm friendly smile. When you smile you look confident and help to improve theconfidence of your audience. Smile. Sounding your bestDrinking water before you speak will lubricate your vocal chords. Breathing deeply and slowly will allowyou to project your voice and pause when you want to – not when you need to. Speak slower that younormally speak. The audience needs to hear you, think about it and internalize it. Try these simple exercises to get your voice in shape before you speak. Yawn. Yes, yawning relaxes yourvocal chords and opens the voice channel. The second trick is to hum. Humming seems to set up aresonance within your vocal cavity. Using equipment and technologyIf you are using a computer projector and PowerPoint in your presentation then avoid the mistakescommitted by many presenters. Ensure that your slides enhance your points. Don’t make the commonmistake of designing your presentation around the slides. Instead, first create your presentation thendecide how to illustrate your points. You might have sat through some horrible PowerPoint Presentations.That happens when speakers with poor presenters attempt to hide their lack of skills behind a PowerPointpresentation.

Read “Power Tips for Presentations with Computer Projectors”Read “Tips on Presenting with Overhead Projectors”

Read “PowerPoint Sins” Ensuring success in your presentationYour audience does not know your script. Be ready to adapt your presentation to the audience andconditions. Be prepared to leave something out. It might be tough on you but your audience does notknow what you left out or forgot. Instead focus on them and your message. If they get it then forget therest of your speech. Correcting things that go wrongIf you look and sound calm the audience does not know that anything is wrong. They might even thinkthat you planned the interruption. When things go wrong, smile, pause, breathe and sound confident.Adapt your presentation. Never appear to panic. Instead focus on your message and what you want themto do. Handling Q&AAt some point during your presentation you might offer to answer questions from the audience. Never dothis as an afterthought. Don’t make the mistake of delivering and finishing a spectacular speech thenopening to questions. That is a weak way to close. Instead before you finish your speech, announce thatyou will take questions for x minutes. Then close off the questions and finish with your closing statement.


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That way you get the strong close you planned – not the answer to a lame question.

Read “Handling Questions with Authority” Tame the HecklersHow do you handle hecklers? Prepare yourself for the worst questions. Write down all the possibleobjections and your answer to each. Rehearse the answers when you rehearse your speech. Answeringquestions well is a crucial part of your presentation skills. No matter what happens – remain calm. Theworst thing for you to do is to react. Instead, respond and guide the audience back to your message. If youhave established rapport with your audience they will be on side with you. Don’t alienate your audienceby appearing angry or out of control.

If a heckler makes a negative comment you can respond with, “Thank you for your opinion” and moveon. Don’t let yourself get dragged into a dirty argument. Don’t give the heckler credibility. Finish Your Presentation StrongEnd your presentation with a strong message. You can choose from several techniques. A call to action isone of the best endings to get your audience into action immediately after your speech. Other endings youcan use include a rhetorical question; a positive statement; or a famous quotation. But never end with,“Well that’s all folks.” That is an extremely weak ending. Instead end on a positive action-generating note.

How you can prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your speech, presentation or public speaking program from the“Speech Coach for Executives” – George Torok. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when youpolish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate willtake you farther than any other skill. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message sothat others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity for you. Read this articleand watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you honeyour presentation skills and you present your message with impact.

Review your presentation and growAsk a trusted colleague to attend your presentation and give you constructive feedback. Be specific inwhat you ask from them; e.g. “How well was my point illustrated? Did my humor work well? Did Iconnect with them?” When you ask specific questions you will get specific answers. The most importantquestion you can ask yourself is, “Did I make happen what I wanted to happen?” If the answer is yes – itwas a successful presentation. Did they buy, were they convinced, did they march in the direction youpointed? That is the measure of a successful speech. That is the purpose of your presentation skills inaction. Also look at where you might still improve your skills. And plan to work on this before your nextpresentation. When someone compliments you on the presentation be gracious and ask him or her, “What was the bestidea or strongest message that you will take away and use?” You might be surprised at what they ‘heard’versus what you ‘said’. The fastest way to improve your presentation skills is to review every presentationyou deliver. What worked well? What could you change?


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Leverage your presentationMake your presentation more than an event and part of the process. Summarize key points and questionsfrom the presentation in your newsletter and send a note to everyone. Perhaps the speech would make agood article with some editing. Speaking is only one part of your overall set of communication andleadership skills. These skills are meant to help you get done what you need to get done – by you and byothers. Your next presentationFile your notes from the presentation so you can refer to them next time you present. Include in the fileyour comments about what you thought worked well and what you need to improve. Include suggestionsto yourself on what to try differently next time. Remember the great masters of golf and music arecontinually improving their skills. They never sit back on rely on talent alone.

To become a powerful presenter work with a speech coach.http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/To learn the fundamentals of public speaking join Toastmasters. It is a none-profit association that teachespublic speaking skills.http://www.toastmasters.org/For an easy-to-use reference for public speaking read the bestseller “Secrets of Power Presentations” byPeter Urs Benderhttp://www.peterursbender.com/

Public Speaking is a set of skills. It is not about talent. It is a set of techniques practiced, rehearsed anddelivered. You will never deliver the perfect speech. But you might deliver a powerful and effectivespeech. I know many wonderful presenters – but I do not know one who has ever delivered a perfectpresentation. The skill of public speaking is both an art and a science. The more you learn and practice thescience the easier the art will work for you. You can be a powerful and skillful presenter. But it will taketime, practice and energy. And those are the elements of greatness. For success with your presentations:Speak well;Speak effectively;Speak with confidence;Speak to make things happen;Speak imperfectly – and speak again. © George Torok is the Speech Coach for Executives. He is a professional speaker, trainer andconsultant. He is the creator and host of the weekly radio show, Business in Motion. He is theco-author of the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing – the first guide to personalmarketing for the non-marketer. He works with executives, business professionals andmanagers to help them present their messages with power and results. You can contact him toarrange an executive Speech Coaching session or Presentations Skills group-training programat 800-304-1861 For more information about how he can work with you and your organizationvisit http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/


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For more information about George Torok and the programs he delivers visit these websites.http://www.torok.com/http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/http://www.promotebrandyou.com/

How you can prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your speech, presentation or public speaking program from the“Speech Coach for Executives” – George Torok. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when youpolish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate willtake you farther than any other skill. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message sothat others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity for you. Read this articleand watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you honeyour presentation skills and you present your message with impact.

It never really concludes. To be a better public speaker – you must commit to be an ongoing learner.Communications is a set of skills that can be learned, honed and taught. The ability to communicate is oneof the most sought after success skills. As human beings we process a unique ability to communicate witheach other. And after thousands of years of trying to communicate we have an incredible knack formiscommunication. We make mistakes when we speak and when we listen. So the brave keep trying tohone that essence of delivering the perfect speech or amazing presentation.

· Remember you will never deliver the prefect presentation. Never. · With study and practice you can deliver some amazing presentations. · As a public speaker you will grow as long as you seek to grow.

I suggest that you print this article, and mark it up with a highlighter, pen and post-it notes. It is a longarticle and packed with helpful tips for you. Refer to it before your presentations to remind you ofpowerful speaking techniques. Read it between your public speaking assignments to reinforce yourpresentation style. And most importantly plan to be a better speaker.


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Professional speakerExecutive Speech CoachRadio Show Host

Nine Presentation Sins PowerPoint Sins Practical Speaking Tips Presentation Power – not from PowerPoint Opening your Speech Fear of Public Speaking

Tips for Toastmasters Business in Motion Power Marketing Executive Speech Coach blog


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Presentation Skills Success, Public Speaking Tips, Presentation Skills

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