Speaking and Presenting From The Heart
By Susan Young, President, Get in Front Communications

Seminars, presentations and training classes abound these days. If you read any business calendar or newspaper you will find literally dozens each day. They cover a variety of subjects from estate planning to networking to human resources to disaster recovery. There's usually great information, PowerPoint and nifty handouts, but how is the message actually delivered? Is the "expert" in the field tossing out piles of information with poorly designed PowerPoint slides that are difficult to decipher? Or is it engaging and informative? Too many times, the presenter gets in his own way. It's a painful experience for the audience.

If you have to deliver a presentation, whether it's in your own office for a team project or it's in front of 100 strangers at a professional meeting, here are 5 tips to make it a positive experience for you and everyone in the room.

1- Prepare for your audience. Find out in advance who will be attending, why they will be listening to you and what they hope to learn. Regardless of the time limit, keep your presentation or remarks to three bullet points or main themes. Dumping too much information on people won't make you look smart; it can quickly confuse your audience. Keep it simple.

2- Write an outline. Have a logical opening, a body with the three main bullet points and a close. Your goal is to get them "hooked" from the first few seconds. Telling them about your experience, education and talking about "me, me, me" is equivalent to a sleeping pill. It must be tied to their lives. People don't care about you as much as they care about themselves and what they can learn from you. Help to solve their problem. Have a clear and definitive ending that summarizes what your audience is taking away with them. Action plans are good.

3- Get real. You will never move others, heart-to-heart, unless you speak from the heart. Your ability to combine important information with your own real-life stories woven in makes a huge difference in your speaking success. If you've opened your eyes and gotten out of bed, funny things are all around you. Start to become aware of them and how they might fit into a presentation or conversation. When I speak, I have stories about my kids and family members and even a PowerPoint slide with a picture of my son and my niece. I use cartoons in my presentation slides and include a slide with the cast of "Friends." It all connects with the content of my presentation and three main bullet points. There's plenty of content too. My presentations are packed with tactical and strategic information, regardless of the topic. The pictures of the kids and TV shows lighten things up and make it fun. The anecdotes and stories allow me to connect with the emotions of my audience and bring the message home.

4- Rehearse in front of a mirror. Once your material is written, actually stand in front of a mirror with an index card of your outline and go through your presentation. On my communications coaching phone calls, a participant said he didn't realize that your voice and energy are different when you're seated. That's why standing is important. Speak from your stomach and not your throat. This will give you the volume and power that you need to project. Remember to use silences and pauses and not race through the presentation. Avoid reading and be aware of your vocal habits. Your ability to combine your vocal vitality and use your body (posture, hand gestures, and eye contact) without hiding behind a podium will help your presentation come alive. Again, be yourself. Don't try to sound like a game show host or someone that you're not. See # 3. Get real.

5- Visualize your success. If you're nervous, anxious or lack self-confidence, make a "mental movie" of your successful outcome. Picture yourself absolutely prepared and comfortable with your material, walking into the room with complete confidence, moving with poise, style and ease, delivering a stellar performance with an engaged and captive audience and people clapping and smiling as you finish. Play this movie in the morning when you first wake up, at night as you fall asleep and during the day when you begin to stress or doubt your abilities. If you see yourself as a success, you'll be a success. If you make a mental movie of a babbling fool who embarrasses himself, that's the result you'll get. Go for the homerun.

The best way to improve your public speaking skills is to practice. Volunteer your expertise at a local Rotary Club, religious group, or library program. In addition, start to watch other speakers and learn from their styles, strengths and weaknesses.

About the Author:

Susan Young, President of Get in Front Communications, works with people who want to improve their communication skills and self-confidence. She is a communications and PR/media expert who provides "Virtual PR Coaching", corporate training programs, keynotes, and seminars on sales, Emotional Intelligence, reading body language and public relations. Susan is the author of Communicating with Confidence: Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business Communication. Susan's a member of the National Speakers Association and is a certified practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Call (210) 375-6422 or visit www.getinfrontcommunications.com. Twitter: @sueyoungmedia.